App Review: Picasa Tool Pro

I love storing my photos online in the Picasa photo album. It makes it easier to share with friends and family since I already use Gmail and it is so tightly integrated with other Google services.

There is no native Picasa client for Android, but Picasa Tool Pro is perhaps the best Picasa app out there for Android.

Picasa Tool Pro makes it easy to view your online albums from your phone, share photos via Facebook, Twidroid, email, etc. and search the public archives for interesting photos you can use as wallpapers.

To get the full features of Picasa Tool Pro, you must log in with your Gmail/Google account or OAuth account. You can upload photos directly to Picasa from your phone using the Photo Uploader. With privacy issues abounding on Facebook, it’s probably time to start storing your photos somewhere other than Facebook, and Picasa is a good option if you’re already a Google user.

If the 4 column view is too much for you, go into Settings and switch to 3 columns – this will make the thumbnails a little larger (great for old eyes like mine!). Also available in Settings is the ability to change the resolution size of photos you want to use as wallpapers and the resolution size of album photos you want to view, so you can get the most out of your device’s high tech display!

This app gets 4 out of 5 stars. I would feel more secure using the app if it was Google approved; instead you have to trust a 3rd party with your Gmail/Google account information. OAuth is available, though you will need to set up OAuth in your device’s browser before using Picasa Tool Pro.

Despite the Pro label, this app is totally free. Download “Picasa Tool Pro” from the Market and get started enjoying your photos and Google selected ones on your device!