We’ve been talking a lot about leaving Google Photos for other services lately, mainly because it’s been a bit surprising to see this free storage service subscription (once you reach the 15GB storage limit on all Google services). But it is so. And if you still prefer Google’s convenience for, say, paying for iCloud, Apple has a new tool you can use to copy your cloud service photos and videos to your rival.
To get started, go to Apple Data and privacy on the website and sign in with your Apple ID. You will see a screen that looks like this:
Click the button “Request a transfer of a copy of your data” link under similar name heading. Below is a screen where you can choose the destination of the transfer (Google Photos) and select that you only want to transfer your photos, videos, or both:
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You’ll then be asked to sign in with your Google Account and allow the Apple tool to dump data to your photo library:
As part of the copy confirmation process, Apple notes that the transfer may take three to seven days to end, ah, digital life. You also need enough free space in your Google Account for all files, or not all of them will be copied if, or when, all storage is complete. Apple is trying to give you a decent estimate of the space you need to clean up, though make a mistake next to “a little more than you need” than “just in the money” if necessary some data pruning to your Google Account.
And you’ll also want to make sure you’re transferring before you take a drastic step, such as deleting your Apple account (or at least all previously saved photos and videos). Like Apple notes:
- The transfer includes copies of photos and videos that you store in iCloud Photos, associated with your Apple ID. Formats include: .jpg, .png, .webp, .gif, some RAW files, .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, . Files 3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts and .mkv.
- Only the latest edition of the photo is transferred and not the original version. Duplicates appear as a single photo.
- Whenever possible, photos are transferred with your albums. Videos are transferred separately, without their albums.
- Once transferred to Google, file and video file names begin with “Copy from”.
- Some content (including shared albums, smart albums, photo playback content, live photos, some metadata, and photos and videos stored in other folders or locations) is not transferred at all.
There are many stipulations, so if you want to make a real archive of all the media you’ve stored in iCloud, you may want to use Apple’s “Get a copy of your data” option. You can then decide what you want to upload to Google Photos and what may be needed to file elsewhere. And, yes, that means you’ll use bandwidth to make transfers, but you’ll have even more control over your data.
That said, if you have free space (or a fictitious Google account), having a secondary backup for most media never hurts.