The party's over. Everyone had a great time. And now those amazing candid photos are trapped on 30 different phones.

You could text everyone individually asking them to send photos. But that means compressed images through iMessage, forgotten requests, and the one friend who "will send them later" but never does.

Before your next event — or even right after — create a simple upload link that anyone can use:

  1. Go to getfiles.app
  2. Give it a name: "Jake's 30th Birthday Bash"
  3. Create the link
  4. Share it in your group chat

That's it. Everyone opens the same link and uploads their photos. You see them all in one place and download everything as a ZIP.

Before the party

The best time to set up an upload link is before the event. Share it in the group chat or event invitation with a simple message: "Take lots of photos! Upload them here afterward so we can all see them."

This plants the seed. People will remember the link when they're scrolling through their camera roll the next morning.

During the party

If you're hosting at a venue, print a QR code and put it near the entrance or on the bar. For house parties, share the link in the group chat with a reminder.

After the party

This is the most critical moment. Send the link again within 24 hours while the party is still fresh. A simple message works: "Had such a great time last night! Drop your photos here: [link]"

Send one more reminder 3–4 days later for the stragglers.

Why not just a shared Google Drive folder?

Three reasons:

  1. Google account required: Not everyone has one, and those who do might not want to sign into it on their phone
  2. Permission confusion: People get confused about "view only" vs "edit" access
  3. Messy organization: Files end up in random spots within the folder

An upload link sidesteps all of this. Open the link, select photos, done.

Tips for getting more photos