Google Photos and iCloud don't talk to each other, so you'll need to download your photos first, then upload them to iCloud
Google Photos and Apple's iCloud Photo Library are separate systems that don't sync directly. To move your photos, you download them from Google Photos to your computer or phone, then upload them to iCloud. The process takes time if you have thousands of photos, but it's straightforward and free.
The speed depends on how many photos you're moving and your internet connection. A few hundred photos might take an hour or two. Several thousand can take a full day or more. You'll also need enough storage space in iCloud to hold what you're moving — iCloud gives you 5 GB free, and you can buy more if you need it.
Key Takeaways
- Google Photos and iCloud don't connect automatically, so you must download your photos from Google first, then upload them to iCloud separately.
- Google Takeout is the official way to download all your photos at once; it packages them into a file you can save to your computer.
- You'll need enough iCloud storage for the photos you're moving, and you can check how much space you have in your phone or computer settings.
- Uploading to iCloud Photo Library from your computer or phone is slower than downloading, so plan for the transfer to take several hours or more for large libraries.
- Photos already in iCloud will not duplicate if you upload the same files again, so you can safely re-upload without creating duplicates.
Download your photos from Google Photos using Google Takeout
Google Takeout is Google's official tool for downloading your data. Go to takeout.google.com in a web browser, sign in with the Google account that holds your photos, and select only Google Photos — uncheck everything else so you're not downloading data you don't need.
Google will package your photos into a compressed file (usually a .zip file) and email you a download link. For large libraries, Google splits the download into multiple files. The email arrives within a few hours, sometimes longer if you have tens of thousands of photos. Download all the files to your computer and extract them — on Windows, right-click and choose "Extract All"; on Mac, double-click the .zip file.
Your photos will be organized in folders by date. This is how Google Photos stores them internally, so you'll see folders named by year and month. Don't reorganize them yet — keep this structure for now, because it makes uploading to iCloud simpler.
Check your iCloud storage before uploading
iCloud gives you 5 GB of free storage, which holds roughly 1,000 to 2,000 photos depending on their size. If you're moving more than that, you'll need to buy additional storage. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. On a Mac, go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage. On Windows, open iCloud for Windows and click Manage.
The screen shows how much storage you're using and how much is free. If you don't have enough space for your photos, you can buy a storage plan — Apple offers 50 GB, 200 GB, and 2 TB options. The cost varies by region, but 50 GB is usually the cheapest paid tier. You don't have to buy storage immediately; you can upload what fits in your free space first, then buy more if you need it.
Upload photos to iCloud Photo Library from your computer
On a Mac, open the Photos app, go to Photos > Settings (or Preferences on older versions), click the iCloud tab, and turn on "iCloud Photo Library" if it's not already on. Then drag your downloaded photo folders into the Photos app. The app will begin uploading them to iCloud automatically.
On Windows, download and install iCloud for Windows from Apple's website. Sign in with your Apple ID, check the box for Photos, and click Options. Choose "iCloud Photo Library" and select the folder where your downloaded photos are stored. iCloud for Windows will upload them in the background.
Uploading is slower than downloading — expect it to take several hours for thousands of photos. Your computer needs to stay connected to the internet, but you can use it for other things while the upload happens. Don't unplug or put your computer to sleep until the upload finishes, or it will pause and restart later.
Upload photos to iCloud from your iPhone or iPad
If you want to upload directly from your phone, you'll need to transfer the downloaded photos to your device first. Connect your computer to your iPhone or iPad, open Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows), and drag the photo folders to your device's Files app or Photos app.
Once the photos are on your phone or tablet, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos and turn on "iCloud Photo Library" if it's off. Your device will automatically upload the photos to iCloud. This method is slower than uploading from a computer because phones have less processing power, so use your computer if you have the option.
Verify your photos uploaded successfully
After the upload finishes, open iCloud.com in a web browser, sign in with your Apple ID, and click Photos. You should see your photos organized by date. Scroll through a few sections to confirm they're all there. You can also check your iPhone or iPad — open the Photos app and look at the Library tab. If iCloud Photo Library is on, you'll see all your photos synced across your devices.
If some photos are missing, check your iCloud storage again. If you've run out of space, iCloud stops uploading until you buy more. If storage isn't the issue, try uploading again — sometimes a connection interruption can pause an upload without finishing it.
Delete photos from Google Photos after confirming they're in iCloud
Once you've confirmed your photos are in iCloud, you can delete them from Google Photos to free up space. Go to photos.google.com, select the photos you want to delete (or use "Select All" to delete everything), and click the trash icon. Google Photos moves them to Trash, where they stay for 60 days before being permanently deleted. If you change your mind, you can restore them from Trash during that window.
Deleting from Google Photos doesn't affect your iCloud photos — they're completely separate systems. After 60 days, the photos are gone from Google permanently, but your copies in iCloud remain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my photos upload faster if I use my phone's Wi-Fi instead of cellular?
Yes. Wi-Fi is faster and more stable than cellular data. Upload from your computer on Wi-Fi if possible, because computers have faster processors than phones. If you must use your phone, connect to a strong Wi-Fi network and keep the phone plugged in so the battery doesn't drain during the upload.
What happens if my internet cuts out during the upload?
The upload will pause and resume automatically when your connection comes back. You don't need to start over. On a computer, the Photos app or iCloud for Windows will continue where it left off. On a phone, the upload resumes when you reconnect to Wi-Fi.
Can I delete photos from Google Photos while they're uploading to iCloud?
Yes, but wait until the iCloud upload is completely finished. Deleting from Google Photos doesn't stop the iCloud upload, but it's safer to confirm everything is in iCloud first. Once you've verified your photos are there, you can delete from Google without affecting your iCloud copies.
Do I need to keep the folder structure Google Takeout created?
No, but keeping it during the upload makes the process simpler. After everything is in iCloud, you can organize your photos however you want — iCloud Photo Library lets you create albums and edit dates. The original folder structure doesn't matter once the upload is done.
What if I have photos in Google Photos that are also on my iPhone already?
iCloud Photo Library will not create duplicates if you upload the same photo twice. iCloud recognizes duplicate files and stores them only once, so you can safely upload your Google Photos without worrying about filling up your storage with copies of photos already in iCloud.