Move Google Photos to iCloud Photos With Takeout

When Google ended unlimited free storage for Google Photos on June 1, 2021, moving a library to iCloud became a reasonable option for people already using Apple devices. The practical route was to export everything with Google Takeout and then upload those files to iCloud Photos.

Before exporting, it is worth deleting screenshots, wallpapers, and other files you no longer want. Moving a large photo library is slow enough without carrying clutter along for the ride.

Export the library from Google Photos

1. Open Google Takeout and sign in.
2. Choose Deselect all, then select Google Photos so the export contains only photos and videos.
3. Scroll to the bottom and select Next step.
4. Choose the export settings, then select Create export.
5. Wait for Google’s email and download every archive it provides. A large library will be split into several files.

Keep the downloaded archives until you have checked the import. They are also a useful temporary backup.

Upload the files to iCloud Photos

Extract the downloaded archives, open iCloud Photos in a desktop browser, and use the upload button to select the photos and videos.

Do not delete the Google copy immediately. First check a few dates, albums, photos, and videos in iCloud, and confirm that the full library has finished processing. Exports and uploads can take a while, and duplicate or unsupported files are much easier to deal with while the original library still exists.