In this guide, we will cover the process of moving photos from Google Drive to Google Photos, an essential skill for anyone looking to keep their photos safe and organized in the cloud. As your collection of photos continues to grow, cloud storage services provide an excellent way to store them securely for years to come. You can choose to store your photos in either Google Drive or Google Photos, or both, depending on your preferences and needs.
It is worth noting that Google Drive and Google Photos no longer synchronize automatically, and they now function as separate cloud backup services. Any changes you make to one service will not be reflected in the other. Additionally, your Google account’s storage quota is shared between Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail. Therefore, if you want to save space, you can delete copied files from Google Drive after moving them to Google Photos.
Before delving into the methods for transferring photos from Google Drive to Google Photos, let’s take a moment to explain what each platform is and how it works.
What Is Google Drive?
Google Drive is a cloud storage service offered by Google that allows users to store, share, and access their files from anywhere with an internet connection. It provides free storage of up to 15GB, which can be used for various types of files such as documents, photos, videos, and more. Google Drive also includes various tools for creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as collaboration features for real-time co-authoring and commenting. It can be accessed through a web browser, as well as desktop and mobile apps.
What Is Google Photos?
Google Photos is a cloud-based photo and video storage service developed by Google. It allows users to back up and store an unlimited number of photos and videos for free (with some limitations on the image resolution), access them from any device with internet access, and share them with others. Google Photos also includes basic photo editing features and uses AI to automatically organize and label photos based on their content, making it easier for users to find and sort their photos.
How To Move Photos From Google Drive To Google Photos
There are four different methods you can use to move your photos from Google Drive to Google Photos. However, it’s important to note that if your photos are saved using the original full-resolution setting, they will take up twice as much space on your account. Therefore, before proceeding with any of these methods, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of using Google Photos and the storage limits of your account. This way, you can make an informed decision about how best to manage your photos.
1. Manually Download And Upload Photos
To move photos from Google Drive to Google Photos, the first method is to download the photos from Google Drive to your local storage device and then manually upload them to Google Photos. However, this method requires double effort as it involves downloading and uploading the photos separately. Here are the detailed instructions:
Open Google Drive and locate the copies of the photos that you want to upload. Next, select the photos and click on the three dots in the top right of the menu bar. Now, select “Download” from the list of options.
A zip folder containing all the downloaded files as zip files will be created. Unzip the folder to save them on your computer.
Now, go to Google Photos and select the upload option. Next, select “Computer” from the list to upload files from your local storage.
Select the required files from their location and select the original quality option when asked for Upload size. Then, click continue to upload the files to Google Photos successfully.
Pro: You can select the files to upload
Con: The manual method can be time consuming
2. Upload Files Directly To Google Photos
The following method allows you to move photos from Google Drive to Google Photos directly, without the need to log into the file storage service. It supports file types such as gif, raw, webP, jpg, and tiff, as long as they are larger than 256 pixels. Here are the steps to follow:
Go to the Google Photos homepage and click the Upload button. From the drop-down window, select Google Drive.
Please note that this method is more suitable for personal Google accounts. If you are using a Google account for work or school purposes, this method will not work for you. In such cases, you can use the earlier method of manually downloading and uploading the pictures.
Pros: Uploading photos directly to Google Photos takes less time.
Cons: This method cannot be used for work and school accounts.
3. Upload From Drive For Desktop
Drive for desktop is the desktop version of Google that automatically backs up all your Google Drive data for use across devices and the cloud. If you have already downloaded the app, you may know that your Google Drive data is automatically synced with the app whenever changes occur. So, instead of moving photos directly from Google Drive to Google Photos, you can move them from Drive for desktop to make the process more convenient.
Open Google Photos and select Upload > Computer.
Con: It requires Drive for desktop download that takes up device storage
4. Use Third-Party Applications
One way to quickly move photos from Google Drive to Google Photos is by using third-party apps. MultCloud, for example, is a free multiple cloud manager tool that allows you to manage several cloud accounts from one platform. Simply sign up for the app, add the cloud services you want to use, and sync them to back up files between cloud storage platforms and keep them updated. Another reliable software solution that you can try is Tenorshare iCareFiles, which enables you to transfer files between cloud storage services.
Con: You need to download the app that might consume ample storage
In conclusion, there are different ways to move photos from Google Drive to Google Photos. The methods include manually downloading and uploading the photos, using the direct upload method, utilizing Google Drive for desktop, and using third-party apps like MultCloud and Tenorshare iCareFiles. It is important to note that the original full-resolution photos take up twice the space in Google Photos, so it’s crucial to consider the storage limits before deciding how to handle them. Overall, these methods provide efficient and convenient ways to move photos between the two platforms, depending on personal preferences and requirements.
