Learn about the new Picker API and important Library API changes.
Details here.
Method: sessions.create
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Generates a new session during which the user can pick photos and videos for third-party access.
If the user doesn't have an active Google Photos account, a FAILED_PRECONDITION error is returned.
If the client application creates too many sessions per user, a RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED error is returned. Clients are unlikely to reach these limits under normal circumstances. However, clients are still recommended to call sessions.delete after each session, to proactively stay within resource limits.
Once a user taps the Done button to complete a picking session, the pickerUri will no longer work. Create a new session to allow the user to pick more photos.
HTTP request
POST https://photospicker.googleapis.com/v1/sessions
The URL uses gRPC Transcoding syntax.
Query parameters
| Parameters |
requestId |
string
Optional. A client-provided unique identifier for this request. This ID is used to enable the streamlined picking experience for applications using the OAuth 2.0 flow for limited-input devices. This ID must have the format of a UUID (version 4) string and follow these requirements:
- Must not contain any sensitive identifying information about the user.
- Must contain 32 hexadecimal characters divided into five groups separated by hyphens, in the format "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx" (or 8-4-4-4-12).
|
Request body
The request body contains an instance of PickingSession.
Response body
If successful, the response body contains a newly created instance of PickingSession.
Authorization scopes
Requires the following OAuth scope:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/photospicker.mediaitems.readonly
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Last updated 2025-03-26 UTC.
[null,null,["Last updated 2025-03-26 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis endpoint creates a session for users to select photos and videos for third-party access.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eA \u003ccode\u003eFAILED_PRECONDITION\u003c/code\u003e error occurs if the user lacks an active Google Photos account.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eExcessive session creation leads to a \u003ccode\u003eRESOURCE_EXHAUSTED\u003c/code\u003e error, though unlikely under normal use.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eClients should call \u003ccode\u003esessions.delete\u003c/code\u003e after each session to avoid exceeding resource limits.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eRequires the \u003ccode\u003ehttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/photospicker.mediaitems.readonly\u003c/code\u003e OAuth scope for authorization.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["This describes the creation of a new session for users to grant third-party access to their photos and videos. It uses a `POST` request to `https://photospicker.googleapis.com/v1/sessions`. The request body contains a `PickingSession` instance, and a successful response returns a new `PickingSession`. Requires `photospicker.mediaitems.readonly` OAuth scope. Errors include `FAILED_PRECONDITION` for inactive accounts and `RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED` for excessive session creation. Deleting sessions with `sessions.delete` is recommended to manage resources.\n"],null,["# Method: sessions.create\n\n- [HTTP request](#body.HTTP_TEMPLATE)\n- [Query parameters](#body.QUERY_PARAMETERS)\n- [Request body](#body.request_body)\n- [Response body](#body.response_body)\n- [Authorization scopes](#body.aspect)\n\nGenerates a new session during which the user can pick photos and videos for third-party access.\n\nIf the user doesn't have an active Google Photos account, a `FAILED_PRECONDITION` error is returned.\n\nIf the client application creates too many sessions per user, a `RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED` error is returned. Clients are unlikely to reach these limits under normal circumstances. However, clients are still recommended to call `sessions.delete` after each session, to proactively stay within resource limits.\n\nOnce [a user taps the **Done**](https://developers.google.com/photos/picker/guides/picking-experience#done_screen) button to complete a picking session, the `pickerUri` will no longer work. Create a new session to allow the user to pick more photos.\n\n### HTTP request\n\n`POST https://photospicker.googleapis.com/v1/sessions`\n\nThe URL uses [gRPC Transcoding](https://google.aip.dev/127) syntax.\n\n### Query parameters\n\n| Parameters ||\n|-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| `requestId` | `string` Optional. A client-provided unique identifier for this request. This ID is used to enable the streamlined picking experience for applications using the OAuth 2.0 flow for limited-input devices. This ID must have the format of a UUID (version 4) string and follow these requirements: - Must not contain any sensitive identifying information about the user. - Must contain 32 hexadecimal characters divided into five groups separated by hyphens, in the format \"xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx\" (or 8-4-4-4-12). |\n\n### Request body\n\nThe request body contains an instance of [PickingSession](/photos/picker/reference/rest/v1/sessions#PickingSession).\n\n### Response body\n\nIf successful, the response body contains a newly created instance of [PickingSession](/photos/picker/reference/rest/v1/sessions#PickingSession).\n\n### Authorization scopes\n\nRequires the following OAuth scope:\n\n- `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/photospicker.mediaitems.readonly`"]]
