How to Export Your Google Photos Library Correctly

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Access Google Takeout for Data Extraction

   Open your web browser and navigate to takeout.google.com. Sign in with the Google Account containing the photos you intend to export.

2. 30 sec

   Select Google Photos Specifically

   Click Deselect all to clear the default selection. Scroll down the list until you locate Google Photos, then toggle the switch to the on position.

   Note: Selecting only Google Photos prevents unnecessary data from your Drive or Mail accounts from being included in the export.
3. 1 min

   Specify Albums and Content Scope

   Click the All photo albums included button. Toggle off any albums you do not wish to export, or keep all selected to ensure a complete archive.

4. 1 min

   Adjust File Delivery and Size Limits

   Scroll to the bottom and select Next step. Choose the delivery method, typically Send download link via email, and set the file type to .zip. Adjust the file size limit to 50GB to minimize the total number of archives you need to download.

   Note: Downloading smaller archives reduces the risk of file corruption during a long transfer.
5. 30 sec

   Generate the Export Archive

   Click Create export. Google will begin processing your data, and you will receive an email notification when the archive is ready to download.

   Note: Processing large libraries may take several hours or days.