Tutorial: How to Export Your Photos from Google Photos to iCloud

After launching in 2015 asfree unlimited storage service and do all your marketing around these features, Google Photos has been a widely used option by Apple users for all their devices. However, now that Google has announced that storage will not be unlimited in 2021It is a good time to take into account the possibilities we have to take our photos from the Google service and move them to another such as iCloud.

Although the service will not be unlimited in 2021, there is no rush to do this transfer of photos since the service is no longer unlimited as of June 1, 2021. In addition, the service will offer 15GB of free storage for videos and photos from this date on.

However, if your library is larger than 15GB, It will be better if you plan to move it to a service such as iCloud in case you want to keep it (which presumably we are sure you want). We are going to explain below the steps you must follow to export your library from Google Photos to iCloud.

How to export your Google Photos library to iCloud

Option 1 - How to download your entire Google Photos library

  1. You can go to takeout.google.com to download a full copy of your Google Photos library
  2. To only export photos / videos, click on «Unmark all» on the right side of the list
  3. Select only Google Photos from the list of available services
  4. At the bottom, click on «Next step»
  5. Select your export preferences (frequency, file type and size)
  6. Click on Create Export
  7. You will see an export progress and you will receive an email from Google once the process is complete. This may vary depending on the size of your library

Option 2 - How to download specific content from Google Photos

To simply download specific content that may interest you from Google Photos, you can do it from photos.google.com from any computer or directly from the iPhone, iPad or any other device app. This option will allow us to select only that content that we are going to want to transfer to another service or just keep on the download device.

From Mac / PC on the web

  1. Access photos.google.com and log-in with your Google account
  2. Select those photos you want to download marking the circular check that is in each thumbnail
  3. You can select all if you select the photos on the top left and hold Shift and select the last video / photo from the library. This is also useful for selecting ranges.
  4. You can use the shortcut on the keyboard Shift + D to download them or click on the button with three circles in the upper right part and click on «Download»

From the Google Photos app on iOS

  1. Open the Google Photos app on your iPad or iPhone
  2. Long press on a photo thumbnail to select it
  3. Select the photos you want sliding your finger from the selected photo or go clicking one by one those that you want to download
  4. Press the "Share" button at the top
  5. Choose «Share on» on the bottom
  6. Send them by AirDrop or by email if necessary

How to import your photos to iCloud

Once you have downloaded all the photos from your Google Photos library that you want to save in iCloud, we will proceed to import them in two ways: Mac or from the web

From a Mac

  1. Open the app Photos on your mac
  2. Insert all downloaded photos from Google Photos. You can even drag the folder in which you have them stored
  3. Click on Photos in the bar at the top of the system
  4. Go to Preferences> iCloud> Brand iCloud Photos so everything syncs with your iPhone and iPad.

Another option, which will depend on how many photos or videos you have downloaded, is to AirDrop your iPhone or iPad that has the iCloud Photos option activated. In this way, once they are transferred to the device, they will be uploaded to iCloud automatically.

From the web

  1. Pleasure log-in on the web icloud.com
  2. Choose Photos
  3. Click on the cloud icon with an arrow to upload photos
  4. For how it is exported from Google Photos, we will not be able to import all the photos of one without first manipulating all the folders the export has been divided into. That is why the option from the Mac is much simpler although it will depend on the number of photos you have.

If your idea is to switch to a new storage service for your photos like iCloud, tell us in comments and tell us what is the best solution for you to the change of strategy of Google Photos.


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  1.   Oscar said

    I think this article offers misinformation. To begin, Google will not delete the photos that you have uploaded to Google Photos in June 2021. You do not need to move them to iCloud to keep them. We continue with the fact that the google regulations will begin to apply from June 2021, that is to say that their library occupies 50 Gb on that date, there is no problem, it is from that date that they begin to add. From there it is your decision whether you want to migrate to another service or not. But your library is going to stay there. Google gives you 100 Gb for 2 euros and Apple 50 Gb for 1 euro. Well, it's up to everyone. But I think the sensible thing to do is keep the photos on google and in the future decide.

    1.    Tony said

      But better to do it as soon as possible because they will surely close the Google service for what seems to be directing the article, right? That's why it's better to download it and erase everything before they do it… Also, Apple Cloud is free and they give away 5 teras, I think my brother-in-law told me that he has an iPhone PRO MAX and knows a lot about technology, so I see no reason to have a Google tool, that spy, that although it has worked very well for me: organize your photos, allow search, create albums and free up space on your mobile by making a copy in real time in the cloud ... it doesn't make sense anymore. If at least they will let you pay and allow you to increase the jigs at will, then still. I think that everyone should delete the photos from google now, because in addition, who knows what they do with our faces ... surely those of google have employees who spend the day looking at them and gossiping ... they are small with privacy! Now I get on and go to the free icloud!

      1.    Michael S. said

        Are you playing dumb, or are you?