How to Move Photos from Google Photos to Another Google Drive

Google Photos and Google Drive are both integral parts of the Google ecosystem, yet they serve distinct purposes when it comes to your digital life. Google Photos is designed as a photo and video storage and sharing service, offering features tailored for media management. On the other hand, Google Drive is a broader cloud storage solution for all types of files, including documents, videos, and, yes, photos.

Many users start with Google Photos for its ease of use and photo-centric features, often utilizing the free storage options. However, as collections grow or needs evolve, you might find yourself wanting to move photos from Google Photos to another Google Drive account. This could be for better organization, consolidating storage, or separating personal and professional files across different Google accounts.

Whether you’re looking to backup your precious memories, organize your photography projects, or simply manage storage across multiple Google accounts, understanding how to effectively transfer your photos is essential. This guide will walk you through several methods to move your photos from Google Photos to another Google Drive, ensuring you can manage your digital assets efficiently and securely.

Understanding Google Photos and Google Drive: Key Differences

Before diving into the methods, it’s important to understand the relationship – and differences – between Google Photos and Google Drive. While both are Google services and can store photos, they are not seamlessly integrated in terms of file management in the way one might initially expect.

Google Photos automatically backs up photos and videos from your devices, offering editing tools, albums, and sharing features specifically designed for media. It originally offered unlimited storage for “High quality” (compressed) photos, but now storage counts against your Google account storage quota.

Google Drive, conversely, is a general-purpose cloud storage service. You can store any file type, including photos, and organize them into folders. While Google Drive can display photos, it lacks the specialized photo management features of Google Photos.

Historically, there was a direct sync between Google Photos and Google Drive, meaning photos in Google Photos would also appear in a Google Photos folder in Drive. However, Google discontinued this direct sync in 2019. Now, photos uploaded to Google Photos do not automatically appear in Google Drive and vice versa. This change means transferring photos between these services requires manual methods.

Method 1: Downloading from Google Photos and Uploading to Google Drive

The most straightforward method to move photos from Google Photos to another Google Drive account is the classic download and re-upload approach. This method gives you full control over which photos and albums you transfer.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Access Google Photos: Go to the Google Photos website (photos.google.com) and log in to the Google account containing the photos you want to move.

2. Select Photos or Albums:

   • To download individual photos: Hover over the photos you wish to transfer and click the checkmark to select them. You can select multiple photos.
   • To download entire albums: Navigate to the “Albums” tab in the left-hand menu, and select the album you want to download.

3. Download your selection:

   • For selected photos: Once you’ve selected your photos, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner and choose “Download”. The photos will be downloaded as a ZIP file to your computer.
   • For albums: Open the album, click the three-dot menu, and select “Download all”. The album will be downloaded as a ZIP file.

4. Access your destination Google Drive: Open a new browser window or tab and go to Google Drive (drive.google.com). Log in to the Google account where you want to upload the photos.

5. Upload to Google Drive:

   • Create a new folder (optional but recommended): In your Google Drive, you might want to create a new folder to organize your uploaded photos. Click “New” in the top left corner, then “Folder,” and name your folder (e.g., “Photos from Google Photos”).
   • Upload the ZIP file or extracted photos:
     • To upload the ZIP file: Drag and drop the downloaded ZIP file directly into your Google Drive window, or click “New” then “File upload” or “Folder upload” and select the ZIP file.
     • To upload extracted photos: If you prefer to upload photos directly (and not as a ZIP), extract the contents of the ZIP file you downloaded. Then, drag and drop the extracted folders or individual photo files into your Google Drive window, or use the “File upload” or “Folder upload” options.

6. Wait for the upload to complete: The upload time will depend on the size of your files and your internet connection speed.

Pros:

• Simple and direct method.
• Gives you control over selecting specific photos or albums.
• No third-party tools required.

Cons:

• Can be time-consuming for large photo libraries.
• Requires downloading and re-uploading, which can be bandwidth-intensive.
• Metadata might be altered during download and upload if not handled correctly (though Google Photos generally preserves metadata within the photos themselves).

Method 2: Using “Shared with me” and “Make a Copy” (For Albums)

While Google Photos and Google Drive don’t directly sync, you can leverage the sharing feature of Google Photos and the “Make a copy” function in Google Drive to move albums. This method is more suited for transferring entire albums rather than individual photos.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Share the Google Photos Album:

   • In Google Photos, navigate to the album you want to transfer.
   • Click the “Share” icon within the album.
   • Enter the email address of your other Google account (the destination account for Google Drive).
   • Ensure the permission is set to “Can view” and click “Send”.

2. Access “Shared with me” in Destination Google Drive:

   • Log in to your destination Google Drive account.
   • In the left-hand menu, click on “Shared with me”.
   • You should see the shared Google Photos album listed here. Note that it will appear as a Google Photos album link, not as individual photo files directly within Drive.

3. “Make a Copy” of Photos (Workaround):

   • Unfortunately, you cannot directly “Make a copy” of a Google Photos album within Google Drive to duplicate the album structure and its contents into your Drive storage. The “Shared with me” section only provides a link back to the album in Google Photos.
   • Workaround (Manual Saving): To get the photos into your Google Drive, you would need to open the shared Google Photos album from “Shared with me”, then manually download each photo from the album (by opening each photo, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting “Download”) and then upload these downloaded photos to a folder in your Google Drive, as described in Method 1. This is essentially a more cumbersome version of Method 1, but using sharing as a discovery step.

This method, as described, is not very efficient for truly moving photos to Google Drive. The “Shared with me” functionality primarily provides access, not ownership or direct file transfer into Google Drive storage. It highlights the separation between Google Photos and Google Drive more than providing a seamless transfer solution. It’s mentioned here because it’s conceptually related to sharing within Google services, but for actual transfer, Method 1 or Method 3 are more practical.

Method 3: Utilizing Google Takeout

Google Takeout is a service provided by Google that allows you to export your data from various Google services, including Google Photos and Google Drive. This is a comprehensive method, especially useful if you want to transfer a large portion of your Google Photos library.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Go to Google Takeout: Visit Google Takeout (takeout.google.com) and log in to the Google account from which you want to export your photos.

2. Select Google Photos: You’ll see a list of Google services. Click “Deselect all” to start fresh. Then, scroll down and find “Google Photos” and check the box next to it.

3. Customize your export (Optional but Recommended):

   • Click the “All photo albums included” option. Here you can choose to export all albums or select specific albums.
   • Click “Multiple formats”. You can review the formats your photos and videos will be exported in. Usually, it’s best to keep the defaults (original formats).

4. Choose Delivery Method and Export Type:

   • Scroll down and click “Next step”.
   • For “Delivery method,” choose “Send via Drive”. This option will directly copy the exported photos to your Google Drive.
   • For “Frequency,” you can choose “Export once” for a one-time transfer.
   • For “File type & size,” choose your preferred archive type (ZIP is common) and maximum archive size. If your export is larger than the size you set, it will be split into multiple files.

5. Link to Destination Google Drive (Important Step):

   • Under “Destination,” ensure it says “Drive.” Crucially, click on “Link accounts”. This is where you will link Google Takeout to your destination Google Drive account.
   • You will be prompted to log in to your destination Google account and grant Google Takeout permission to save files to your Drive. Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize.
   • Verify Destination Account: Double-check that the destination account displayed is indeed the Google Drive account where you want your photos to be moved.

6. Create Export: Click “Create export”. Google will start preparing your export. This process can take from a few minutes to several hours, or even days, depending on the size of your Google Photos library. You’ll receive an email when the export is complete.

7. Access Photos in Destination Google Drive: Once the export is finished, the ZIP files containing your Google Photos data will be in a folder named “Takeout” in your destination Google Drive account. You can then download and extract these ZIP files if needed, or organize them directly within Google Drive.

Pros:

• Efficient for transferring large photo libraries.
• Direct export to Google Drive, minimizing download/upload steps from your local computer (when choosing “Send via Drive”).
• Can export specific albums or your entire Google Photos library.

Cons:

• Initial setup with Google Takeout might seem a bit technical for some users.
• Export process can take a significant amount of time.
• Photos are exported in ZIP archives, requiring extraction if you want to access individual photo files directly in Google Drive.
• Metadata handling is generally good with Google Takeout, but it’s always wise to verify after transfer.

Method 4: Sharing a Google Photos Folder to Google Drive (Conceptual, Limited)

In Google Drive, you can share folders, and in Google Photos, you can share albums. However, directly “sharing a Google Photos folder to Google Drive” in a way that moves the actual photo files into Google Drive storage is not a standard feature.

Conceptual Explanation (and why it’s not a direct solution):

You can share a folder in Google Drive with your Google Photos account (or any account). If you place photos in this shared Google Drive folder, and you have Google Photos backup enabled for that Google Drive folder on your computer (via the Google Drive desktop app), then Google Photos might back up those photos into your Google Photos library.

However, this is not about moving photos from Google Photos to Google Drive. It’s about potentially using Google Drive as a source folder for Google Photos to ingest photos. It doesn’t address transferring photos already in Google Photos to Google Drive storage in another account.

In short, there isn’t a “share Google Photos folder to Google Drive” method that directly moves your Google Photos into Google Drive storage. Sharing between these services is more about granting access or using Google Drive as a backup source for Google Photos, not for direct file migration from Google Photos to Google Drive in the way you might move files between folders within Google Drive itself.

Limitations and Considerations When Moving Photos

• Storage Quota: Be mindful of the storage quota in your destination Google Drive account. Moving a large Google Photos library can quickly consume storage space, especially if you’re using a free or basic Google account. Ensure you have enough available storage or consider upgrading your Google Drive storage plan if needed.

• File Formats and Quality: Google Photos often stores photos in compressed formats (if you originally chose “Storage Saver” quality). When you download and re-upload, or use Google Takeout, the files are generally transferred in their original formats as stored in Google Photos. If you are concerned about preserving original quality (“Original quality” uploads in Google Photos), confirm your Google Photos settings and verify the file formats during and after transfer.

• Metadata: Google Photos is quite good at preserving metadata (like date taken, location, descriptions) associated with your photos. Methods like Google Takeout are designed to export this metadata along with the photos. However, when using manual download/upload methods, especially if you are manipulating files or using third-party tools, always double-check that important metadata is retained.

• Organization (Albums vs. Folders): Google Photos uses albums for organization, while Google Drive uses folders. Albums in Google Photos are logical groupings of photos and not actual folders in the file system sense. When you move photos to Google Drive, you’ll be organizing them in folders. You’ll need to decide how to translate your Google Photos album structure into a folder structure in Google Drive if maintaining organization is crucial.

• Time and Bandwidth: Transferring large photo libraries, especially using download/upload methods, can take considerable time and consume significant internet bandwidth. Google Takeout’s “Send via Drive” option can be more bandwidth-friendly as it avoids downloading to your local computer.

Choosing the Right Method

The best method for you depends on your specific needs:

• For moving a few photos or albums occasionally: Method 1 (Download and Re-upload) is simple and sufficient.
• For transferring a large Google Photos library or wanting a comprehensive export: Method 3 (Google Takeout) is the most efficient and recommended approach.
• Methods involving “Share with me” or “sharing folders” are less about direct file transfer and more about access or alternative backup workflows, and are not efficient for moving photos from Google Photos to Google Drive for most users’ needs.

Remember to always double-check your photos after transferring to ensure they have been moved successfully and retain their quality and important metadata. By understanding these methods, you can effectively manage and move your precious photo memories between Google Photos and Google Drive accounts as needed.