Facebook is expanding a test that they began a couple of months ago with the Android app. The company is currently testing Photo Sync for iOS, which allows users to have their smartphone photos instantly uploaded to a private Facebook album as soon as they take them.

TechCrunch confirmed with Facebook that they are indeed running the small test with some iOS users

Photo Sync is simple. When you have it enabled and take a photo with your phone, that photo will be saved inside a private album in your Facebook photos section. From there, you can determine which photos you want to make public. Facebook says they try to sync photos as soon as users take them, but it all depends on your internet connection and battery level.

Facebook’s Synced from Phone photo album can hold 2GB of images.

If you’re part of the test, you’ll see an option for Photo Sync inside your photos app on the left side navigation bar, or inside your photos section from your Timeline.

Not only is Photo Sync easier than manually uploading every photo you take to Facebook, it serves as another backup location – should something happen to your phone (and you’ve been negligent with iCloud). Google+ added Instant Upload to its iOS app on Valentines’s Day of 2012 – and it works almost exactly the same as Facebook’s Photo Sync. Google+ marketed the feature with a poignant ad called “New Dad” which touted Instant Upload as an assurance that you’ll “never lose a memory.”

Of course, this is just Facebook running one of its small tests, so there’s a chance that it will never come to fruition. But Photo Sync for iOS would be a strong move to claim more ground in the market for photos on social media. If Facebook can find a way to implement it without compromising user privacy, you should be all for it.