How to Import All Your iCloud Photos to Google Photos

If you have a large collection of photos and videos stored in the cloud with iCloud or Google Photos, it can feel overwhelming to switch services. Many Apple users, in particular, are closely tied to iCloud. Fortunately, if you are considering moving your iCloud Photos to Google Photos, Apple provides a straightforward process for transferring your media.

Apple’s built-in tools allow you to create a backup of your iCloud Photos library—even if you are not migrating from an iPhone to an Android device. The step-by-step instructions and required prerequisites are detailed below.

How to Move iCloud to Google Photos on iPhone

To seamlessly switch from iCloud Photos to Google Photos on your iPhone, the easiest method is to download and install Google Photos directly on your device. This approach eliminates the need to manually download each photo from iCloud. Please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to the Apple Data and Privacy login page.

Step 2: Sign in to your iCloud account with your credentials. Then, scroll down to the section labeled “Transfer a copy of your data.” Click on “Request to transfer a copy of your data.”

Step 3: From the drop-down menu, choose Google Photos as the destination for your transferred photos. You can select to transfer photos, videos, or both. After checking your preferred options, click Continue.

Step 4: On the next screen, review how much storage space you will need for the transfer and click Continue. You will be prompted to log in to the Google account where you want your iCloud photos and videos uploaded.

Step 5: Click Allow to give Apple Data and Privacy permission to add your photos and videos to Google Photos.

Step 6: Review all details, then click “Confirm Transfer.”

The transfer typically takes three to seven days to complete. Once it is finished, Apple will send you an email confirmation to let you know your data has been successfully transferred.

Move Photos from iCloud to Google Photos Manually

If you prefer not to wait for Apple’s automated transfer process, you also have the option to manually move your iCloud library to Google Photos. This is a recommended option only if you have already downloaded your photo and video library to your computer.

Step 1: Open icloud.com, enter your Apple ID credentials, and log in. Then, select Photos from the homepage.

Step 2: Select the images you want to upload to Google Photos. Hold the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Mac) to choose multiple images.

Step 3: Click the Download button in the top-right corner. A ZIP file containing your selected images will begin downloading.

Step 4: After the file has finished downloading, open it to extract its contents. This will create a new folder named after the ZIP file, containing all of your selected images and videos. These are now ready to be uploaded.

Step 5: Visit Google Photos and log in using your Google account credentials.

Step 6: Once logged in, click on the “Upload” icon at the top-right corner of the homepage. Select the extracted images from your folder and press Enter (or Return).

You will see a progress bar appear in the lower-left corner of your screen, indicating the upload status of your images. This ensures you know when the upload has successfully completed. The duration of the upload depends on both your internet speed and the size of your photo library. Before you begin, make sure your Google account has enough storage space for all your images and videos. Google provides 15GB of free storage, but you can purchase additional storage as needed.

Google Drive vs. Google Photos

Google offers two services where you can store and transfer your media library: Google Drive and Google Photos. It is essential to understand the differences between these platforms. Google Drive is a general cloud-storage solution, which means you can upload any file type, including photos and videos. However, it offers only basic features for managing media files.

In contrast, Google Photos is specifically designed for managing digital photo and video collections. It provides advanced tools for editing, organizing, and sharing your media. If you subscribe to Google One, you gain access to even more powerful editing features in Google Photos, which are not available if you only use Google Drive for storage.

Simply put, Google Photos is analogous to Apple Photos, while Google Drive is similar to iCloud Drive. Although you can store images directly in iCloud Drive or Google Drive, you will not benefit from the additional organization and editing features available in Apple Photos or Google Photos. For this reason, we highly recommend choosing Google Photos for your photo and video library to enjoy the best experience in managing your digital memories.