Whether you’re planning to switch from iOS to Android or make Google Photos the go-to platform for saving your photos and videos to the cloud, Apple has greatly simplified the task of transferring photos from iCloud to Google’s popular photo storage platform. So, if you want to import a copy of your iCloud photos and videos to Google Photos, here is how to do it.
Import iCloud Photos Directly to Google Photos
While the iCloud Photos transfer tool is quite useful, there are a few key points and glaring downsides that are worth checking out before proceeding.
First, importing iCloud Photos or videos to Google Photos will not delete your data from the Apple platform. To be more precise, this new tool only lets you move a copy of your iCloud photos to Google’s photo storage platform.
As of now, the only supported service is Google Photos. Support for other storage platforms like Dropbox is likely to be added in the future.
What are the Requirements for Direct Transfer of iCloud Photos?
- Make sure you use iCloud Photos to store photos and videos. If you haven’t enabled it on your device, go to Settings app -> Profile -> iCloud -> Photos. Then turn on the switch right next to iCloud Photos.
- Make sure you enable two-factor authentication (Settings app -> Profile -> Password & Security -> Two-Factor Authentication).
- Make sure your Google account has enough storage to complete the transfer.
Important Things to Keep in Mind
- iCloud Photos transfer supports various formats such as .jpg, .png, .webp, .gif, some RAW files, .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, .mkv files. wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, etc.
- Your duplicate photos will only appear as one photo.
- Only the latest edit of the photo is transferred, not the original version.
- Transfers photos along with albums for better management. Note that the videos are transferred individually without albums.
- After iCloud Photos/videos are moved to Google Photos, the filenames of albums and videos begin with “Copy of”.
- Note that certain content will not be transferred, such as live photos, photo stream, smart albums, shared albums, RAW Files, photos/videos stored in other folders/locations, and some metadata.
- Note that Google has changed the “Unlimited high quality” storage policy for Google Photos. Beginning June 1, 2021, any new photos and videos you upload to Google Photos will be deducted from the 15GB of free storage included with each Google Account or additional storage you purchase as a Google One member.
- For the uninitiated, Google Account storage is shared across G-Suite services, including Drive, Gmail, and Photos.
- Not all photos and videos will be transferred from iCloud to Google Photos if you run out of space in your limited Google account storage.
- If you add, update, or delete your photos after the transfer has begun, these changes may not be included.
iCloud Photo Transfer Tool: Supported Regions
At the time of this writing, Apple’s transfer service is available in only a few countries, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. So be sure to check first before proceeding with the steps.
If your country does not support this data transfer tool, you will see the standard “Data and Privacy” page. It includes options to copy your data, correct your data, temporarily disable your account or even request deletion.
Transfer iCloud Photos and Videos to Google Photos
- To get started, go to: Apple’s Data and Privacy page.
2. Now, Sign in using your Apple ID and password.
3. Next, click on Request to transfer a copy of your data.
4. From the drop-down menu Google Photos as the preferred destination for your photos/videos.
Next up, you can: choose to transfer only photos or videos or choose both depending on your needs.
6. After that, make sure confirm you have enough storage on Google Photos.
7. Now, Sign in to your Google Account Where you want to transfer your iCloud photos.
8. Next, make sure Let Apple add photos, videos and albums to your Google Photos library.
9. After taking a comprehensive look at the details, click on it. Confirm Transfer.
10. You will need to Wait 3-7 days to receive a confirmation email from Apple. Apple uses this time to verify the transfer request made by you. To check the status of your request, you can: visit this Data and Privacy page.
Easily Transfer iCloud Photos to Google Photos
So you can import a copy of your iCloud Photos to Google Photos. It’s always better to have the control you want over your data so you can move it to the preferred service and even delete it if you no longer need it.
Following strong demand for greater data portability, tech companies are developing tools to loosen their control over data, giving users control over what data they want to share. What would you like to say about this new photo transfer tool? Let us know in the comments below.
