(Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Starting next week, a new option in Google Takeout will make it a lot easier to transfer photos and videos from Google Photos directly to iCloud Photos.
Since 2021, iCloud users have been able to transfer their pics to Google Photos, and it now works in the other direction, according to the Data Transfer Project (DTP), an open-source initiative that aims to facilitate data transfer between different online platforms.
Currently, if a user wants to transfer photos, they have to download the photos from Google Photos and then upload them to iCloud Photos. The new transfer system, first reported by 9to5Mac, eliminates the need for downloads and adds "Apple - iCloud Photos" as an option under “Move to” in Takeout, Google's online backup and export tool.
Both Apple and Google have published guides on how to use the feature.
Transferring photos using this method won’t delete them from Google Photos or reduce the quality of files. Apple and Google will send notifications when the process is complete.
Apple says the service will be available in 240+ countries and regions, except on child accounts or Managed Apple ID accounts. Additionally, users will have to turn off Advanced Data Protection and have sufficient iCloud storage before proceeding with the transfer.