Managing your growing photo library can become challenging, especially with limited SSD space on your Mac. If you’re looking to free up space and create a secure backup of your Google Photos, transferring them to an external hard drive is an excellent solution. This guide will walk you through the process, ensuring you can safely and efficiently move your precious memories.
First, let’s consider why you might want to transfer your Google Photos. While cloud storage offers convenience, physical storage on an external hard drive provides several benefits:
- Control and Ownership: You have direct control over your photos and aren’t reliant on internet access to view them.
- Cost Savings: Avoid recurring cloud storage fees, especially if you have a large photo library.
- Backup Security: An external hard drive serves as a physical backup, protecting against cloud service outages or account issues.
Now, let’s explore the most effective methods for transferring your Google Photos to an external hard drive. Google Takeout is a reliable tool designed for exporting your data. Here’s how to use it:
- Visit Google Takeout: Go to Google Takeout in your web browser and log in with your Google account.
- Select Google Photos: You’ll see a list of Google services. Click “Deselect all” at the top, then scroll down and check the box next to “Google Photos.” You can choose to export “All photo albums included” or select specific albums.
- Customize Export Settings: Click “All photo albums included” to refine your selection if needed. Then, scroll down and click “Next step”.
- Choose Export Method: Select your delivery method (e.g., “Send download link via email”). For large libraries, consider “Export type” as “.zip” and adjust “Split size” to manage download file sizes.
- Create Export: Click “Create export.” Google will process your request and email you a download link once your photos are ready. This might take hours or days depending on the size of your library.
- Download and Extract: Once you receive the email, click the download link and download the .zip files to your Mac. After downloading, locate the .zip files and double-click to extract them.
- Transfer to External Hard Drive: Connect your external hard drive to your Mac. Drag and drop the extracted Google Photos folders to your external hard drive.
Another method, although less direct for bulk transfer, involves using the Google Drive sync feature if you have synced Google Photos to Google Drive previously. If your photos are in Google Drive:
- Access Google Drive: Go to Google Drive in your browser.
- Locate Google Photos Folder: Find the “Google Photos” folder (if you’ve synced them before).
- Download Folders: Download the necessary photo folders as .zip files from Google Drive.
- Transfer to External Drive: Extract the downloaded .zip files and move the folders to your external hard drive as described in step 7 above.
Once the transfer is complete, verify that all your photos are correctly copied to the external hard drive. You can then safely delete photos from your Mac’s SSD or Google Photos if desired, freeing up valuable space while maintaining a secure backup. Regularly backing up your external hard drive is also recommended for optimal data safety. Transferring your Google Photos ensures you have a readily accessible and secure archive of your memories.
