Downloading photos

You’ll want to keep the best moments. There are several ways to save – and when you save you almost always choose between two quality levels: the high-resolution original or a smaller, web-optimized version for quick sharing. This page walks you through every route to a photo (and video) and the difference between the two versions.

Phone

Computer

From the gallery you save individual photos or several at once. ① the progress card – it only shows when photo tasks are switched on and tasks exist, ② the toolbar with Filter, Upload, Select, Photowall, Map, Deleted and the column picker – on a phone only Filter and the upload button stay, the rest moves into the three-dot menu next to them, ③ the Sort by bar with Upload, Capture, Likes and Comments; the control on the far right reverses the direction.

Note

The same for every role. Downloading isn’t a matter of permissions: guest, moderator and host all download equally – as long as the feature is enabled for this event. If you don’t see a download option, it’s down to the event, not your account.

Is download enabled for this event?

The host has to turn download on. There are two separate switches under Settings → Features:

• Single download – save one specific photo/video.
• Bulk download – save several selected photos as a ZIP.

The two are independent: bulk download can be on while single download is off – and vice versa.

Phone

Computer

This is what the switch looks like for the host – guests never see this page. ① Download single photos in the Downloads section: “Allow guests to download individual photos”. Right below it sits Download several photos at once – the separate switch for the bulk download as a ZIP. ② Save Changes in the bar at the bottom (on a phone the button just reads Save): flipping the switch alone changes nothing, only after saving does Download show up in your guests' menus.

Tip

Rule of thumb: if you see no Download entry in the context menu or in fullscreen, the feature isn’t enabled for this event – it’s not a mistake on your end. Reach out to the organizer. If you’re the host: Settings: Features.

Saving a single photo – three ways

There are three equivalent ways to do a single download. Pick whichever is quickest right now.

Way A: Straight from the photo grid (fastest)

Best when you just want one specific image from the overview without opening it.

1. Open the gallery and find the photo you want in the grid.

2. Open the tile’s context menu: on a computer, right-click; on a phone or tablet, press and hold (long-press, about half a second with your finger still). Both gestures open the same menu right where you pressed.

   

   Right-click on a computer and press-and-hold on a phone open the same context menu with Download. ① Select and Open, ② Like, Comments, Share and Download – Share only appears when sharing is switched on for the event, Download only when single downloads are allowed, ③ Edit and Delete – on your own photos, on other people’s only with moderation rights, ④ Unpublish – only with moderation rights; on a photo that is not approved yet the entry reads Publish, ⑤ Customize gallery – for hosts and admins only.

3. Choose Download (down-arrow icon). Depending on what’s enabled and on your role, the same menu also offers Select, Open, Like, Comments, Share and – on your own photos – Edit and Delete.

Note

Report is not in the tile menu. You report a photo from the opened view instead (the ⋮ menu in fullscreen, or a right-click on the large image). See Reporting content.

Note

No double-tap, no heart to save. A double-tap on a photo is a like, not a download. To save, always use one of the three menus on this page.

Way B: From fullscreen / the slideshow

Best when you’re already viewing the image large or flipping through the photos.

1. Tap/click a photo – it opens in fullscreen (slideshow).

2. Open the ⋮ menu in the top right (three-dot icon, labelled Open menu).

   Phone

   

   Computer

   

   The ⋮ menu in fullscreen has a Download entry in the Actions section. ① the ⋮ menu in the toolbar at the top right – to its left sit like, comments, play, full screen and close. ② Actions with Download and Share: this section only exists when downloading or sharing is allowed for the event – with both switched off it disappears entirely. ③ Information with Report and Help. Above them sits View Options with Hide controls (on a phone also Enter full screen). The Management section – Unpublish and Delete – only appears if you manage the event or uploaded the photo yourself; guests never see it.

3. Under Actions, choose Download.

Tip

A second way in fullscreen: on a computer you can also right-click directly on the large image – that opens its own context menu with Download. Both routes lead to the same dialog. On a phone, use the ⋮ menu there. More on fullscreen: Slideshow & fullscreen.

Way C: Via the details view (with photo info)

Best when you also want to see the capture date, uploader, album or location and save from there.

1. Open the photo in fullscreen and tap Details in the control bar at the bottom.

2. The Image Details dialog opens with stats, uploader, date, album, people and EXIF data.

   Phone

   

   Computer

   

   The top of the image details dialog holds one tile per figure – but only if the number is above zero and the feature is switched on for the event. Likes, Comments and Downloads are clickable and open the matching list, Shares and Views are read-only. ① the figures: Likes, Comments, Shares, Downloads, Views. A tile only shows when its number is above zero – for the first four also only when the feature is switched on for the event; Views always counts. Likes, Comments and Downloads are clickable and open the matching list. ② View on Map under Metadata & Location – only for photos carrying a GPS location; below it sit capture date and camera info. ③ the button row at the bottom. It fills up in order with Like, Comments, Share, Download – and, if you are allowed to, Edit, Unpublish, Delete. On wide screens the first four of them sit in the row, on a phone the first three; the rest live under More (if only one entry is left there, it joins the row instead). In between you find uploader and date, the Description (with Edit if you uploaded the photo or manage the event) and Albums, if the photo belongs to one.

3. Use the Download action button at the bottom. Alternatively, click the downloads count in the stats bar at the top – that opens the download dialog too.

No downloads count showing?

The Downloads tile in the stats bar only appears when download is enabled for this event and the photo has already been downloaded at least once. If it’s missing, simply use the Download button at the bottom of the dialog.

Original or web-optimized?

Whichever of the three ways you take: after clicking Download, the Download Options dialog appears first with two buttons. Only then does the actual download begin.

• Original Quality – subtitle “Highest resolution available”. Full resolution without any optimization. Use this for print, archiving or further editing.
• Web Optimized – subtitle “Recommended for sharing online”. Balanced quality at a much smaller file size. Ideal for WhatsApp, social media and quick sharing.

Phone

Computer

This dialog stands between you and the file – only your choice starts the download. ① the title Download Options with the × on the right to back out; below it reads “Select the version you want to download:”. ② Original Quality with the subtitle Highest resolution available – full resolution, largest file. ③ Web Optimized with Recommended for sharing online – much smaller, ideal for messengers. ④ Additional information – the box explains both versions in one sentence each and notes that the progress display needs a modern browser. At the very bottom, Close dismisses the dialog without downloading anything.

Note

Videos and live/motion photos save the same way. With Web Optimized you get the playable web version of the video or GIF; with Original Quality the full original file.

After your choice you see a progress bar with a percentage and a status text (“Downloading…”, and at the end “Download complete!”). While it’s loading you can:

• Pause – halts the download (status “Download paused”).
• Resume – continues a paused download.
• Cancel – stops it.

This is handy mainly for large original files or a slow connection. These buttons only appear during the loading phase.

Where does the file go?

When it’s done, the file lands in your device’s or browser’s Downloads folder. The file name follows a fixed scheme: a type (photo_, video_, motion_), a number, a timestamp and the suffix original or web – so you can tell at a glance which version you saved.

Note

On a phone the browser either asks for a location or saves the file automatically under Downloads or in the Files app (iOS: Files → Downloads; Android: Downloads or Gallery), depending on your settings.

Several photos at once

To save several photos together, use selection mode. The result is a ZIP archive.

1. Turn on selection mode. There are four equivalent ways in:

   • Right-click a photo → Select (on a computer).
   • Press and hold a photo → Select (on a phone or tablet).
   • Select in the gallery bar at the top, when the screen is wide enough.
   • On narrow screens: the “…” menu of the gallery bar → Select Photos.

2. Mark the photos you want – or use Select All in the selection bar.

   

   In selection mode the selection bar replaces the gallery bar at the top – with Select All, Save and Range. ① the counter: it says how many photos are currently marked; the × in front of it leaves selection mode. ② the action row. As a guest it holds Like, Save and Range – Range marks everything between two taps. If you manage the event, Hide, Delete and Bulk Actions join them (as in this shot); guests never see those three. The button that takes photos with you is called Save, not “Download”. ③ Select All marks the whole loaded gallery, Deselect All clears the marks again.

3. Tap Save in the selection bar. The same Download Options dialog opens as for a single download; once you pick Original Quality or Web Optimized, all marked photos are packed into a ZIP archive.

   Phone

   

   Computer

   

   With several photos it's the same dialog – just with three additions. ① the header now names the count: “Select the version you want to download for 2 files:”, and below it “Files will be packaged as a ZIP archive”. ② Original Quality: its subtitle now ends with “· as single ZIP file”. ③ Web Optimized with the same addition. ④ the info box is titled When downloading multiple files: and starts with the ZIP compression. The count at the top tells you how many photos you marked – if it's off, close the dialog and fix the selection.

Note

Large selection = several ZIP parts. If the selection exceeds 100 MB, it’s split automatically into several ZIP files (folders part_1/, part_2/ …, file name _partXofY). You then download several ZIP files – if needed, allow your browser multiple simultaneous downloads.

Example

You select 40 photos and tap Save. For sharing on WhatsApp you pick Web-optimised – the selection stays below 100 MB and you get one ZIP archive. The same 40 photos in Original quality quickly go beyond that; you then get two archives named _part1of2 and _part2of2, whose contents sit in the folders part_1/ and part_2/. If you save a single photo instead, the file is called photo_…_original or photo_…_web, depending on your choice.

More on this: Selecting multiple photos.

As a host: back up the whole gallery

If, as a host, you want to save all your event’s photos at once, use the full export in the admin area. You reach it via the profile menu in the top right → Management → Admin portal, then the Download/Export section. Details: Backing up all photos. It’s especially worth it before the storage period ends.

When something doesn’t work

Caution

• No “Download” visible → The host hasn’t enabled the feature (Settings → Features), or the plan doesn’t include it. Contact the organizer.
• Press-and-hold doesn’t open a menu → Your finger slipped, a second finger was on the screen, or you let go too early. Hold still and wait a little longer.
• Dialog shows “Downloads Not Available” → Same cause; the message asks you to contact the organizer.
• No “Save” in selection mode → Bulk download is off, even if single download works. Save the photos one at a time.
• Error “Download failed. Please try again.” → Tap Try Again. The app already retries network errors automatically and waits if a freshly uploaded web version is still being processed.
• A freshly uploaded photo won’t download in web quality (yet) → Processing is still running. Wait a moment or simply choose Original Quality.
• No progress/no pause → Very old browser; a modern browser is required.
• Multiple downloads (ZIP parts) blocked → Allow your browser to download several files at once.

Related topics

• Selecting multiple photos – selection mode and ZIP in detail.
• Slideshow & fullscreen – all the fullscreen controls.
• Sharing photos – share instead of download.
• Backing up all photos – the full export for hosts.
• Settings: Features – enable the download switches.