PhotoGather Privacy
PhotoGather uses Google sign-in to identify event owners and contributors.
Temporary cloud storage
PhotoGather uses private cloud storage to gather and arrange event photos. Uploads are received by Firebase Storage and copied to Cloudflare R2, with a recovery copy retained in Firebase Storage during collection. New uploads do not use the event owner's personal Google Drive space.
Some older albums may still use Google Drive originals that have not been migrated. Copies retained in Drive during migration are separate from the cloud working copies.
Access and photo information
Photos in PhotoGather are available to the event owner and authorised event members; the cloud storage is not a public photo folder. Album details, contributor information and photo metadata, including dates and GPS locations when available, are stored in Firebase Firestore.
Upload recovery on your device
Where browser storage is available, PhotoGather saves temporary copies of selected originals on your device to resume interrupted uploads. These recovery copies are removed after cloud receipt or when you stop the remaining uploads. Your original photos in your phone library are unchanged. If the browser cannot retain a file, you may need to select it again.
The app also stores preferences and cached album information on your device.
Publishing and control
You can publish a finished album to GroupAlbums, which receives a copy of the original photos, contributor credits and arranged order. Access to that copy follows the destination's sharing settings. You can also publish to Google Drive or export your photos. Google Drive is optional; connecting it grants PhotoGather permission to create and manage its album files.
During collection, contributors can withdraw their own photos. Owners can manage event members, remove photos from the album pool and delete the working album. Publishing does not automatically clear the temporary working photos. PhotoGather is a temporary workspace, not a permanent photo archive; keep your finished album in your chosen destination.