How to transfer iCloud Photos to Google Photos with Apple’s new service

If you are an Apple user migrating to Android and wanting to take your photos and videos with you, there is now a new, simple tool to assist you with the transfer. Apple has introduced a service that allows you to easily port your iCloud Photo Library to Google Photos.

With the new transfer tool, you can request a copy of your iCloud photos – photos and videos associated with your Apple ID – from Google Photos. Your original iCloud Photo Library will not be deleted or changed.

However, some formats from iCloud Photos may not be ported to Google Photos. You can read the FAQ section below to learn more about unsupported formats.

Follow the steps below to transfer your iCloud photos from Apple to Google Photos with the new tool.

Things to consider before you start transferring iCloud photos

Before you make a transfer request for your iCloud Photos from Apple, you need to ensure the following:

• You should use iCloud Photos to store photos and videos with Apple.
• Your Apple ID must use two-factor authentication.
• You should have a Google Account to use Google Photos.
• Your Google account must have enough space to complete the transfer.

How to Transfer Your iCloud Photos to Google Photos

• Sign in with your Apple ID at privacy.apple.com.
• Select “Transfer a copy of your data”.
• Follow the instructions to complete your request.
• Sign in to your Google account to start the transfer.

Once you complete the above steps, you will receive an email notification of your transfer request and another email when your transfer is complete.

If you cancel your transfer request before it’s complete and some photos or videos have already been transferred, they will stay in Google Photos. You can check the status of your request at privacy.apple.com/account.

FAQs

Q. Does the tool transfer duplicate photos?

Only the last editing of the photo is transferred and not the original version. Duplicates are only shown as one photo.

Question: How much space do iCloud Photos and Videos take up on Google Photos?

All of your Google Account storage space is for the content transferred from iCloud Photos to Google Photos. Google Photos also has a limit of 20,000 photos per album. If you transfer an album with more than 20,000 photos, the additional photos will still be transferred but will not be added to the album.

Question: In what format are photos and videos transferred from iCloud to Google Photos?

According to Apple, photos and videos are transferred either in their original format or in industry-standard formats that are easy to open and read. Some content – including shared albums, smart albums, photo stream content, live photos, some metadata, and photos and videos stored in other folders or locations – will not transfer at all.

Q. How long does it take for the transfer to complete?

According to Apple, the transfer process takes between three and seven days. The company uses this time to verify that you have made the request and to make the transfer.

Question: F. Where is Apple’s iCloud Photo Transfer Tool available?

Apple’s new service for transferring iCloud photos to Google Photos is only available to customers in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.