The big picture: Apple and Google joined forces to roll out a handy data portability tool that lets iCloud Photos users migrate their collections over to Google Photos in 2021. Now, the two companies have announced another tool that lets people move the other way – from Google Photos to iCloud – with just a few clicks, so the process works both ways.
The driving force behind this cross-platform compatibility is the Data Transfer Project (DTP), an open-source program launched in 2018 that's dedicated to making it easier to port your data between different online services. In their announcement, the DTP team explained that support for Google-to-Apple transfers will be going live over the next week across the globe.
Both Apple and Google have helpfully published detailed guides outlining the simple process. Essentially, you just head to Google's Takeout service, initiate an export from Google Photos, and specify iCloud as the destination. Sign in with your Apple ID, grant permissions, and that's it – the transfer is underway.
Of course, your photos and videos won't be deleted from Google Photos after the transfer. The files move directly from Google to Apple's servers, so downloading anything locally first is unnecessary. Depending on your library size, the full transfer could take anywhere from several hours to a few days.
On the format front, you can migrate all the usual suspects like JPGs, PNGs, MP4s, and more. Curiously, Google also supports the .webp image format for this tool. Once it's all done, you'll have full copies of your media available in both Google and iCloud Photos.
The companies note that this service will be available in over 240 countries and regions worldwide. However, there are a few limitations – it won't work for child accounts, Managed Apple IDs, or if you have Advanced Data Protection enabled for iCloud.
While Google is the latest to join the party, they're not the first. Back in 2019, Meta rolled out a similar tool that lets you port your Facebook photos and videos to other platforms and services.