How to Transfer Photos from Google Photos to iCloud

In 2015, Google Photos was released with unlimited storage, which is a big reason for its popularity among Apple users. Unfortunately, policy changes have limited Google Photos' storage to around 15GB. You can choose different plans, starting at $2 per month for 100GB, $3 for 200GB, and so on. So choose based on your needs. There are also annual plans that might work out cheaper for you.

But, for the long term, investing in iCloud storage may make sense, especially given that it offers more capacity than Google Photos, at rates like $1 for 100 GB per month or $3 for 200 GB.

Both cloud storage options have their perks, and choosing one over the other depends on your needs. Because of storage limitations, most users – especially Apple users – tend to opt for the iCloud option.

How do I transfer Google Photos to iCloud on my computer?

Follow these steps to transfer Google Photos to iCloud on your PC. This works for bulk transfers of photos.

1. Export Google Photos to iCloud

Step 1. After signing into your Google account, type photos.google.com into your web browser. You can now select the photos you want and download them. Or, you can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+D to download your pictures.

The other is through Google Takeout.

Step one: Visit takeout.google.com and choose the data you want to export, including Google Photos.

Step 2. Choose a file type and delivery method, then click “Create Export.”

Step 3. You'll see the export progress. Once you have your exported image, proceed to the next step.

2. Import your photos into iCloud.

Go to icloud.com in a web browser and choose the photos that you downloaded.

Step 2: Now, click the Upload button to import an image.

Transferring Photos from Google Photos to iCloud on a Mac

Here are the steps to move your photos from Google Photos to iCloud on your Mac. But before you transfer Google Photos to iCloud, you'll need to download your photos from Google Drive to your Mac.

Here's how to download photos from Google Drive on a Mac:

Step 1: Open Google Drive in a new tab.

Step 2: Find the folder with your pictures. To select multiple files, press the key next to the Space bar while clicking.

Step 3: Click on the three dots in the top-right corner, then select the Download option. Choose where to save it on your system.

Follow these steps to drag an image into iCloud.

Step 1: Open the Photos app on your Mac OS.

Step 2: Start in the Google Photos download folder, and drag the pictures into iCloud.

Step 3: Open the Photos app, then go to Preferences > iCloud and make sure that “iCloud Photos” is checked.

Transfer Google Photos to iCloud on an iPhone or Android

If you want to transfer photos from your iPhone to iCloud, here's what you need to do. This is the simplest way to move photos around between iOS devices.

Step one: In your iPhone's Settings app, go to Photos & Camera, and turn on iCloud Photo Library. Make sure the switch for My Photo Stream is off.

From the App Store, you'll need to download Google Photos.

Step 3: Fill in your details and sign in to your Google account.

Step 4: Tap on the photo to select the one you want.

Step 5: Tap the “Share” option at the top of the screen.

Step 6: Save the photo you want to download to your Camera Roll, where it'll automatically sync with your iCloud storage.

No iCloud Storage Left? Try a Photo Transfer App

While iCloud is one of the top recommendations for backup and shared storage solutions, some people prefer to keep their data on their local devices and steer clear of iCloud, mainly due to its limited storage. Once you fill up your allocation, you'll need to purchase more.

For these reasons, we provide a free tool to back up your photos and programs – the Todo PCTrans tool. It's an excellent choice to transfer your photos without using any cloud storage.

Here are some features of the Todo PCTrans tool:

• Efficient and fast data transfer.
• User-friendly; no expertise required, just follow on-screen instructions to transfer data and photos.
• Data transfer is fully automated with the software. All you need to do is install Todo PCTrans on both systems and initiate the data transfer.
• Compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 operating systems.
• Saves you a significant amount of time and boosts productivity.

You can learn how to use this efficient software by following these steps:

You can download Google Photos to your local hard drive first, then create an image of the downloaded photos using Todo PCTrans's backup and restore feature, which will save a lot of space on your local disk.

Step 1: Connect the USB (flash) drive/external hard drive to the source computer.

Launch Todo PCTrans, and click “Backup & Restore > Start” on the main interface.

Transfer files via Backup and Restore – Step 1

Step 2. Select “Data Backup,” then click “Next.” Tap “Confirm” to proceed.

Transfer files via Backup and Restore – Step 2

Step 3. Select the specific data, apps, and so on that you want to back up from the Apps, User Accounts, and Files panes.

When you want to view and use the backed-up photos on your Google Drive, you can restore the images with the Todo PCTrans tool.

Conclusions

Now that you know how to transfer Google Photos to iCloud, regardless of your operating system or device, you can appreciate the unique and useful aspects of both services. The best part is that you can easily switch between them based on your preference.

Now that you've moved your photos from Google Photos to iCloud, it's wise to keep some tips in mind for future needs. It's always a good idea to maintain an organized folder of your photos on your computer, which will save you a lot of time searching for specific photos or albums when you transfer them. Also, make sure to keep your photos synced to avoid losing precious memories.

Lastly, if you don't want to use any cloud storage service, Todo PCTrans is a great tool to transfer data between systems. Download it and try it out for yourself!