Amazon Expands Prime Photos Storage to 5 Friends or Family Members

Amazon padded its Prime Photos service in the U.S., allowing up to five people to be part of a Family Vault to receive free, unlimited photo storage and 5 GB storage for videos and other files, it said in a Tuesday announcement. Family Vault members can add photos and videos manually or set their account to automatically add all their photos and videos to the account. Amazon’s search engine allows users to specify theme words such as “sunset” or “wedding” and “relevant photos will show up,” said Amazon. Users also can browse photos by individual or filter photos by location or date, said Amazon. Photo printing is 9 cents apiece, with free delivery for Prime members, it said. Each vault member gets free, unlimited photo storage and an additional 5 GB for videos and other files, an Amazon spokeswoman told us. Family members who would like more video or document storage outside of the allotted 5 GB can upgrade on an individual basis to unlimited storage for $60 a year, she said. Family Vault has to be initiated by a Prime member, who receives Prime Photos as part of Prime membership. Members invited to a Family Vault don’t need to be Prime members, but a valid Amazon account is required to use the unlimited photo storage, she said.