Moving your precious photos from one Google account to another can feel daunting. While a one-click solution would be ideal, transferring Google Photos requires a more hands-on approach. This guide provides two reliable methods for transferring your Google Photos to a new account, outlining each step clearly and concisely.
Why Isn’t Automatic Transfer Available?
Although Google Photos and Google Drive once shared a seamless migration process, they are now separate entities. This separation means automated Google Drive transfers no longer include Google Photos. Furthermore, current API limitations restrict the ability of third-party tools to perform bulk Google Photos transfers efficiently.
Method 1: Transfer Without Downloading
This method creates independent copies of your photos in the destination account, leaving your originals untouched in the source account. You’ll essentially share your entire photo library and then save the shared content to the new account.
Step 1: Verify Sufficient Storage
Copied photos initially won’t consume storage in the destination account. However, they will count towards your quota once the originals are deleted from the source account. Ensure your destination account has enough free space by checking your Google storage usage in both accounts. You can find this information under: Google Storage page for personal accounts, or My account > Payments and subscriptions > Account storage for managed accounts.
Step 2: Share Photos with Destination Account
-
In your source Google account, go to Google Photos > Settings > Partner Sharing.
-
Select “All photos” and click “Next.”
-
Enter the email address of your destination account and send the invitation.
-
Accept the invitation in your destination account. Choose “Not now” when prompted to share photos back.
Step 3: Save Shared Photos to Destination Account
-
In your destination account, navigate to Google Photos and click “Sharing.”
-
Select your source account and then click the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
-
Choose “Settings,” scroll down to “Partner sharing,” and click “Save to your account.” Then select “Save all photos.”
Step 4: Recreate Albums (Optional)
This method doesn’t preserve album structure. To recreate albums:
-
Open the source and destination accounts in separate browser tabs.
-
In the source account, open an album, click the “Share” icon, and select “Create link.”
-
Paste the link into the destination account’s browser tab.
-
Select all photos within the shared album, click the plus icon, choose “Album,” and name the new album to match the original. Repeat for each album.
Method 2: Download and Re-upload
This method involves downloading all your photos from the source account and uploading them to the destination account. While simpler, this process doesn’t preserve metadata (dates, camera details) or album organization.
Step 1: Download Photos
Download your photos manually or use Google Takeout for larger libraries.
Step 2: Upload Photos
-
In your destination account, navigate to Google Photos. Optionally, create new albums.
-
Click the “Upload” button or “Add photos” button if you’ve created an album.
-
Select and open the downloaded photos. Repeat for all downloaded content.
Conclusion
Transferring Google Photos to another account requires a bit more effort than other Google services. By carefully following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully migrate your cherished memories. Choose the method that best suits your needs and available storage space. Remember to verify storage capacity in your destination account before initiating the transfer.
