Get started with the Picker API

The Picker API provides a secure way for your users to select photos and videos from their Google Photos library and share them with your application.

Before you start

• Check out the overview: Compare the Picker API and the Library API to make sure the Picker API is the right fit for your use case.
• Configure your app: Enable the API and set up authentication. See Configure your app for detailed steps.

The Picker API flow

Here is an overview of the how the Picker API works:

1. Check for OAuth token: Before starting the Picker API flow, check for a valid OAuth 2.0 access token for the user. If there is no token, initiate the OAuth 2.0 authorization flow to obtain one.

2. Create a session: Initiate the process by making a call to the Picker API to create a new session. This call will return a unique pickerUri.

3. Direct users to the Google Photos app: Provide the pickerUri to your users (either as a clickable link or a QR code). This URL will securely open their Google Photos app.

4. User selects media items: Within the Google Photos app, users can browse their library and select the photos and videos they want to share with your app.

5. Poll the session: Your app should periodically poll the session to check the status. You're looking for the mediaItemsSet property to return true, indicating the user has finished their selection.

   Note: Every time you poll a session the response contains recommended intervals and timeouts to configure your polling.

6. List selected media items: Once mediaItemsSet returns true, you can use the list method to get details about the selected media items.

7. Retrieve and use media items: Now you have access to the selected media items. You can fetch their content using the baseUrl and utilize them within your application.

Next steps

• Review the reference docs: Explore the detailed Picker API reference documentation to learn about all the available methods and parameters.
• Try out the samples: Check out our sample to see the Picker API in action and get inspiration for your integration.