Transfer a copy of your photos and videos to iCloud Photos
You can request to transfer a copy of your photos and videos from Google Photos to iCloud Photos.
When you transfer photos and videos to iCloud Photos, they aren’t deleted from Google Photos.
You don’t need to download your photos or videos to transfer them. The transfer happens directly from Google to iCloud.
The transfer process may take between several hours and a few days, depending on the size of the photos and videos being transferred.
This service will be available to Apple Account holders in over 240 countries and regions around the world. If the service is available for your account, you’ll have the option within Google Takeout.
This service isn’t available for child accounts or Managed Apple Accounts. You can’t import photo and video data to iCloud while Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is turned on for your account.
Before you transfer to iCloud Photos
If you receive a storage error during the transfer, you can manage your iCloud storage or add more storage. Once you have enough storage, request another transfer. The additional transfer request won’t add duplicate photo or video files to iCloud Photos.
Supported file types
You can transfer only photo and video files to iCloud Photos. Other file types (such as Motion Photos or Live Photos or Memories) aren’t transferred.
JPEG, HEIC, PNG, GIF, TIFF and BMP photo file types and most MP4 and MOV video file types can be transferred.
Photo and video files that can’t be transferred to iCloud Photos, including RAW files, are transferred to iCloud Drive.
Photos and videos are transferred in the same resolution that’s made available by Google for export.
How to transfer your photos and videos from Google Photos to iCloud Photos
Go to Google Takeout
Follow the instructions to start an export from Google Photos.
Choose "Apple — iCloud Photos" as the destination to transfer and sign in to your Apple Account.
Tap Allow to share permission with Google to add photos and videos to iCloud.
You can check the status of or cancel your transfer on Apple's Data and Privacy page.
When you start a transfer and when a transfer is complete, Apple sends email notifications to the email addresses associated with your Apple Account.
When your transfer is complete
You receive a confirmation email from Apple that your transfer is complete.
Your photos and videos appear in the Photos app in an album called “Import from Google” with the date of the transfer.
If some of your photos or videos are missing from iCloud Photos, check iCloud Drive for a folder called “Import from Google” with the date of the transfer.
Along with the original photo or video file, its associated metadata (including the file name, description, file type and location) are also transferred.
If you turn off iCloud Photos during the import, the transfer stops and only the photos and videos that have already transferred appear in the Photos app. To transfer the rest of your photo library, turn iCloud Photos back on and make another transfer request.
There may be a delay between the notification from Google that the transfer is complete and when you receive a confirmation email from Apple.
Transfer a copy of your iCloud Photos collection to another service
Find out how to transfer your photos and videos from iCloud Photos to Google Photos
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