If you’re looking to switch from Android to iOS, you’re in for a treat because Apple and Google have made it easier than ever to move your precious memories.
Three years ago, Apple released a handy tool to transfer pictures from an iCloud account to Google Photos. Now, Google is turning the favor around, letting you move your Google Photos collections to iCloud Photos.
To get started, you’ll need to ensure that iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive are turned on and that you have enough iCloud storage to accommodate your photos.
Once that’s set, head over to Google Takeout, which is Google’s service for downloading your data. There, you can select the albums you want to transfer. By default, all your photos will be chosen, but you can customize this to your needs.
When choosing where to move your photos, you’ll currently see options like Flickr, Microsoft OneDrive, and SmugMug. In just a few days, iCloud will be joining this list as well. Bookmark the Google Takeout site and try again later.
Apple notes that you can only transfer basic photo and video files to iCloud Photos. Special formats like Motion Photos, Live Photos, or Memories aren’t supported at the moment.
However, all the original metadata, descriptions, and file names will be transferred over, so you won’t lose any important information. Once the transfer is complete, you’ll receive an email with a link to access your photos in iCloud.
Google mentions that your account won’t retain access to iCloud post-transfer, though it might still appear in iCloud settings. If that happens, you can manually remove it.
One thing to keep in mind is that accounts for children or those managed through schools or organizations aren’t eligible for this transfer.
The process itself can take several hours or even a few days, depending on the number of files you’re moving. But don’t worry. Your original photos will remain in your Google account even after the transfer is complete.
So, whether you’re making the big switch from Android to iOS or simply looking to consolidate your photo libraries, this new tool makes it a breeze.
