If you want to move your photos from iCloud to Google Photos, you’re in luck. Since 2021, Apple has made the process of moving your photos from iCloud to Google Photos quite easy. In this guide, you will learn how to transfer your photos from iCloud to Google Photos.
Why You May Need to Transfer Photos from iCloud to Google Photos
There are several reasons why you may decide to transfer photos from iCloud to Google Photos. You may not be canceling your iCloud subscription, instead maintaining the two cloud storage services. Perhaps you’ve decided to use Google Photos as a backup.
If that’s not why you are moving your photos from iCloud to Google Photos, perhaps you’ve decided to abandon Apple’s cloud storage service in favor of Google Photos. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s your decision. While both are equally good cloud storage solutions, a Google Photos subscription is priced a bit lower than iCloud’s.
That being said, let me walk you through the steps to transfer your photos to Google Photos.
How to Transfer Photos from iCloud to Google Photos in 4 Steps
As mentioned, in 2021, Apple made it easier to migrate your photos from iCloud to Google Photos. By easier, I mean you no longer have to download the photos to your Mac and then upload them to Google Photos.
Instead, Apple will take care of the transfer at your request. See the steps below to request Apple to send a copy of your data to Google Photos.
Follow the steps below to request Apple to transfer a copy of your iCloud data.
- Sign in to privacy.apple.com using the Apple ID you used for your iCloud account.
- Click on Request to transfer a copy of your data.
- Sign in to your Google Account to start the transfer.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed with the transfer.
Once you’ve completed all the steps above, it will take 3 to 7 days before your photos are transferred to Google Photos. In case you decide to cancel the transfer, all photos that have already been transferred to Google Photos will remain on Google’s servers.
Other Important Things to Note
Requesting Apple to transfer photos and data from iCloud to Google Photos can be done by iCloud users in more than 240 countries. Note that transferring photos does not erase them from iCloud.
Instead, Apple will send a copy of your photos to Google. That also means that Apple will not alter your photos in any way. The copy sent to Google is identical to what you stored on iCloud.
Another thing to remember here is that some data and formats used with iCloud Photos may not be available in Google Photos. These include Live Photos, Smart Albums, and RAW image file support.
Apple maintains a list of file formats that it can transfer to Google Photos in a support document. You may want to check the fine print of the process first before you proceed.
Finally, before you go ahead with requesting Apple to transfer your photos from iCloud to Google Photos, make sure that you follow some more requirements listed below.
- You’re using iCloud Photos to store photos and videos with Apple.
- Your Apple ID uses two-factor authentication.
- You have a Google account to use Google Photos.
- Your Google account has enough storage available to complete the transfer.
Final Words: Can You Transfer Your Photos to Other Cloud Storage Services?
Unfortunately, since launching the service, Apple has not offered this kind of support for any additional cloud storage services However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t transfer your photos to other services. Many, including Dropbox, offer their own migration tools to transfer your iCloud Photos library over. You can do this manually by downloading your photos from iCloud to your Mac and then uploading them to your chosen cloud storage service.