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 dramatically simplified the task of transferring photos from iCloud to the storage platform of popular photos from google. So, if you want to transfer a copy of your iCloud photos and videos to Google Photos, here’s how to do it.
Transfer iCloud Photos to Google Photos Directly
Although the iCloud Photo Transfer tool is quite useful, there are a few pivotal points and glaring drawbacks that are worth considering before proceeding with the process.
First, transferring iCloud photos or videos to Google Photos does not delete your data from the Apple platform. To be more specific, this new tool only allows you to move a copy of your iCloud photos to Google’s photo storage platform.
As of now, Google Photos is the only supported service. Support for other storage platforms such as Dropbox will likely be added in the future.
What are the requirements for iCloud Photo Direct Transfer?
- Make sure you’re using iCloud Photos to store photos and videos. If you haven’t enabled it on your device, go to Settings app -> Profile -> iCloud -> Photos. Next, turn on the switch right next to iCloud Photos.
- Make sure you have enabled two-factor authentication (Settings app -> Profile -> Password & Security -> Two-Factor Authentication).
- Make sure your Google account has enough storage space to complete the transfer.
Important points to keep in mind
- iCloud Photos transfer supports multiple formats such as .jpg, .png, .webp, .gif, some RAW files, .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, . mkv .. wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, etc.
- Your duplicate photos will appear as one photo.
- Only the most recent edit of the photo is transferred, not the original version.
- For better management, it transfers the photos with the albums. Note that the videos are transferred separately, without their albums.
- After iCloud photos/videos are moved to Google Photos, the filenames of albums and videos will start with “Copy of”.
- Keep in mind that some content such as Live Photos, Photo Streams, Smart Albums, Shared Albums, RAW files, photos/videos stored in other folders/locations and some metadata will not be transferred.
- Remember that Google has changed the “unlimited high quality” storage policy for Google Photos. Starting June 1, 2021, any new photos and videos you upload to Google Photos will count toward the free 15GB of storage that comes with every Google Account or additional storage you purchased as a Google member. One.
- For the uninitiated, Google Account storage is shared across G-Suite services, including Drive, Gmail, and Photos.
- If the limited storage space of your Google account is insufficient, all photos and videos will not be transferred from iCloud to Google Photos.
- If you add, update, or delete your photos after the upload begins, those changes may not be included.
iCloud Photo Transfer Tool: Supported Regions
As of this writing, Apple’s transfer service is only available in a few countries, including Australia, Canada, European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. So, make sure to check it first before proceeding with the steps.
If your country does not support this data transfer tool, you will see the standard “Data & Privacy” page. It includes options to request to copy your data, correct your data, temporarily deactivate your account and even delete it.
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. Then click on Request to transfer a copy of your data.
4. From the drop-down list, select Google Photos as your favorite destination for your photos/videos.
5. Then you can choose to transfer only photos or videos or select both according to your needs.
6. After that, make sure to confirm that you have sufficient storage space in Google Photos.
7. Now, sign in to your Google account where you want to transfer your iCloud photos.
8. Next, be sure to allow Apple to add photos, videos, and albums to your Google Photos library.
9. Once you have reviewed the details, click 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 you made. To check the status of your request, you can visit this Data and Privacy page.
Easily Transfer iCloud Photos to Google Photos
This is how you can transfer a copy of your iCloud photos to Google Photos. It is always better to have the desired control over your data so that you can move it to the preferred service or even delete it if you no longer need it.
In the wake of strong demand for greater data portability, tech companies are creating tools to loosen their grip on data, giving users control over what data they want to share. What do you have to say about this new photo transfer tool? Let us know in the comments below.
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