Google Cloud Storage
Make Google Cloud Storage easier to use.
A modern workspace for the Google Cloud storage you already have. Files go straight between you and Google Cloud, never through embers.
- View and manage files
- Share securely
- Cross-cloud transfers
- Phone photo backup
- Versions and restore
- Browser-side encryption
Google Cloudyour bucket
Amazon S3
Cloudflare R2
DigitalOcean Spaces
Backblaze B2What you can do with Google Cloud in embers
The console is built for configuring storage. embers is built for using it, every day, without the command line.
Browse, preview and search
Folders, thumbnails, PDFs, video and audio in the browser. Search a whole bucket by name, or inside text and PDF files.
Share files and whole folders
Expiring links, folder galleries with a zip download, and links with a password or a download limit.
Collect files from anyone
Upload links let a client or relative send files straight into your bucket, no account needed.
Back up your phone
iPhone and Android photos and videos go straight to Google Cloud, sorted by month, already-saved photos skipped.
Encrypt in your browser
Optional end-to-end encryption with your passphrase (AES-256-GCM). Only ciphertext reaches your bucket.
Trash, versions and restore
Google Cloud has no version history of its own, so embers keeps earlier copies in your bucket. Put a folder back as it was at any point in time.
Copy and move between clouds
Drag files between Google Cloud and any other provider, or move a whole bucket, with every file checked.
Cost reports and health checks
See what each folder costs, find waste like old versions and unfinished uploads, and get budget alerts.
Teams and roles
Seats for your team, roles that limit who can delete, and an audit log of who did what.
Your phone’s photos, in your own Google Cloud bucket.
Set up a phone with a QR code from your computer. Photos and videos go straight from the phone to Google Cloud Storage: not to embers, and not to anyone else’s cloud.
- Sorted into year and month folders by the date each photo was taken
- Already-backed-up photos are skipped, so you can just select everything recent
- Family mode: each phone backs up to its own folder, and you browse everyone’s photos together
- Encrypted on the phone if the bucket uses end-to-end encryption
- Browse every photo by month on your computer or phone, with fast previews
How embers works with Google Cloud
Every provider is a little different. Here’s exactly what to expect with Google Cloud.
Google Cloud doesn’t keep versions, so embers keeps earlier copies in a hidden folder in your bucket. Trash and restore work; the copies count toward your storage.
Signed links that last up to 7 days. For links you can revoke early, use embers’ protected links, with a password or a download limit.
Google Cloud doesn’t offer Object Lock to embers, so write-once retention isn’t available here.
- embers connects through Cloud Storage’s S3-compatible interoperability API.
- A key limited to certain buckets works: type their names when connecting.
Connect Google Cloud to embers
embers uses an HMAC key for a service account, through Cloud Storage interoperability.
- In the Google Cloud console, open Cloud Storage → Settings → Interoperability.
- Under Service account HMAC, create a key for a service account with the Storage Admin role, and copy the access key and secret.
- In embers, open the Google Cloud tab, click Connect account, and enter your Project ID and both keys.
Tick Save to my embers account to stay connected on every device; saved keys are sealed with AES-256-GCM. To stop access, disconnect in embers and delete the key in Google Cloud.
One flat price for Google Cloud. No per-GB fees.
Your files never flow through embers, so there’s no bandwidth for us to meter. You pay Google Cloud for storage at their normal rates, and embers a flat subscription.
- $10.37 / month for each additional provider
- Or $129.70 / year (two months free)
- Unlimited buckets and accounts, every feature included
Comparing providers? See what your storage would cost on Google Cloud and the other 14 with the storage cost calculator.
embers and Google Cloud, answered
Do my files pass through embers?
No. Uploads, downloads, previews and share links go straight between your browser (or phone) and Google Cloud Storage. embers signs the requests with your key and never stores your files.
What does embers need from Google Cloud?
An HMAC key for a service account, through Cloud Storage interoperability. Give the key only the access you want embers to have. If you save it to your embers account, it’s sealed with AES-256-GCM.
Does Google Cloud charge me anything extra?
embers adds nothing to your Google Cloud Storage bill: no markup and no per-GB fees from us. Your storage and transfer are billed by Google Cloud at their normal rates.
Can I use Google Cloud with other providers?
Yes. Connect any of the 15 providers embers supports, each on its own tab, and copy files or move whole buckets between them.
Hetzner Object Storage
Wasabi
bunny.net
IDrive e2
Vultr Object Storage
Akamai Cloud
OVHcloud Object Storage
Oracle Cloud (OCI)
Filebase
Storj