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Apple has this week made it easier for iPhone, iPad and Mac users to transfer their iCloud Photos to Google Photos. Engadget reports that Apple has launched a new service that allows iCloud Photos users to transfer the photos and videos stored on iCloud to be transferred to Google Photos without needing to download the entire collection of files.
There are requirements users must consider before requesting a file transfer. A user’s Apple ID must be using two-factor authentication. You must already have a Google account, which is required to use Google Photos. Your Google account must have enough storage space to accommodate your entire iCloud Photos library. If a user does not have enough space, the transfer will not be completed, and some of the photos and videos won’t be included.
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To start a request to transfer the photos and videos in iCloud Photos to Google Photos, users must visit Apple’s dedicated Data & Privacy website. After signing in with your Apple ID, select ‘Transfer a copy of your data’ and then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the request. You will be required to sign in to your Google account during the process, and Apple will send you an email notification when the transfer is completed.
Some content cannot be transferred, including shared albums, smart albums, photo stream content, live photos, some metadata, and photos and videos stored in other folders or locations. If you have edited photos or videos, only the most recently edited version will be transferred. When possible, photos are transferred within albums, whereas videos are transferred separately without albums. It’s worth noting that this transfer process is a copying process at its core. Your original files are not deleted from iCloud Photos, and each transferred file has a filename beginning with ‘Copy of.’
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| For users wishing to move their iCloud Photos library to Google Photos, seen here on iPhone, Apple’s new transfer service makes it easier than ever before. |
The service is currently available to customers in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. There’s no word on when support may be rolled out to additional countries and territories.
If somebody is jumping ship from iOS to Android, the new transfer service may prove very useful. Or a user may just want to use Google Photos despite being part of the Apple ecosystem. That said, one of the best features of Google Photos, free unlimited storage, is ending on June 1, 2021. On a related topic, if you’re interested in learning more about potential Google Photos alternatives, including iCloud Photos, check out this roundup article: ‘The best Google Photo alternatives.’
Author:
Jeremy Gray
Source: Dpreview
