Quick Search:
Are You Stuck While Using Google Photos and iCloud?
Are you running out of free space on Google Photos? Perhaps you've just switched from an Android phone to an iPhone and want all your precious memories in one place, natively synced with your new device. Or, maybe you prefer the seamless integration iCloud offers with your Mac and iPad for easier photo management. Whatever your reason, moving your entire photo library from Google Photos to iCloud can feel like a daunting task—but it doesn't have to be.
Why Move Google Photos to iCloud?
Google Photos is a cloud storage for photos and videos. Users can save their important images from PCs or phones to the cloud efficiently. Meanwhile, there are many effective features, such as online editing and sharing, which can meet most users’ requirements.
iCloud is a cloud storage app produced by Apple Inc. As one of the most useful cloud services in the market, users can store any files, such as photos, documents, audio files, etc., in the cloud. Meanwhile, users can set up auto-syncing from their different devices (Macs, Windows computers, iPhones) to iCloud, which is intelligent and can save much of your time and energy.
So, which cloud should you use to save your data, such as images, when facing multiple candidates? Look through the important comparisons between Google Photos and iCloud below to choose your ideal cloud service.
- Native Service. iCloud offers a native service. The camera roll is closely linked to iCloud Photos, so once you post a photo on social media, you can find it in iCloud Photos. While Google Photos is just basic storage for you to save photos.
- Better Management. If you want to manage your photos on a desktop, then iCloud Photos on Mac is way ahead of the Google Photos web app. Users can make custom albums on the basis of EXIF data. If users want to edit any picture on their phone, the edits will be automatically synced.
In fact, both services offer brilliant features and have their own pros and cons, and show the following chart:
| Features | Google Photos | iCloud Photos |
| Free Storage | 15 GB (shared with Gmail, Drive) | 5 GB (shared with device backups) |
| Cross-Platform | Excellent (Web, Android, iOS, Windows) | Limited (Best on Apple devices, basic on Windows) |
| Photo Search | AI-powered, searches objects, scenes, and text | Basic, relies on dates, locations, albums |
| Ecosystem Fit | Google services (Gmail, Workspace) | Apple services (macOS, iOS, iPadOS) |
| Photo Quality | Option for original or "Storage saver". | Always original quality |
| Best For | Multi-device users, AI search lovers | Deep Apple ecosystem users |
However, the Google Photos storage limit issue drives some users to find alternative cloud storage services. In this case, moving Google Photos to iCloud may be your first choice. So, how to transfer photos from Google Photos to iCloud on PC/iPhone/Android phone easily? Just keep reading, please.
How to Transfer Google Photos to iCloud on PC Normally
In this section, 2 major methods are provided to help you migrate Google Photos to iCloud on the computer. Whether you are a Windows or Mac user, both 2 solutions are applicable. In addition, you can also find solutions for insufficient iCloud storage. If you are interested, check the details in the bonus tip.
Way 1: Move Photos from Google Photos to iCloud by Download and Upload
If you only have a few images to transfer from Google Photos to iCloud, the very first and easiest way you can perform is to download and re-upload manually. Here’s what you can follow:
Step 1: Visit Google Photos and sign in with your account.
Step 2: Locate the photos and files you want to migrate from Google Photos to iCloud. Then select them all, click the 3-dos icon on the top right, and tap the Download button (or you can press "Shift + D" on your keyboard) to download photos and videos to your computer.
Step 3: Now, head to your iCloud on the web and select the Photos icon.
Step 4: Click the upload icon on the upper side and upload what you’ve downloaded from Google Photos.
Way 2: Import Google Photos to iCloud by Google Takeout
If you have lots of photos to transfer from Google Photos to iCloud, you can use Google Takeout to export those images quickly instead of downloading them one by one. Google Takeout is a special service that aims to export users’ data from Google products such as Google Drive, Google Photos, etc. So, you can follow the steps below:
Note: Please ensure you have enabled iCloud Photos on your iPhone, or it will fail.
Step 1: Go to the Google Takeout page and ensure Google Photos is selected, then hit Continue.
Step 2. You have to sign in with your Google account and grant access to Google Takeout.
Step 3: And choose Apple - iCloud Photos in the Move to section, and hit Continue.
Step 4. You will be prompted to log in to your Apple account and hit Allow to grant needed access. Then hit Agree and continue to let Google Takeout automatically move the Google Photos you selected to iCloud Photos directly.
Step 5. Wait for the process to complete.
How to Transfer Google Photos to iCloud on PC/Android/iPhone Easily
From above, you can learn different methods for different devices on which you wish to transfer Google Photos to iCloud. Now, we would like to share with you a versatile tool, which allows you to realize Google Photos to iCloud migration on all devices with minimal effort. That is MultCloud, an advanced multiple cloud storage manager. It was originally designed for using web platforms, but now it develops mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
NOTE: Currently, MultCloud supports over 30 cloud drives, including Google Photos, iCloud, and iCloud Photos. So, you can move PHOTOS and videos between them.
Advantages of Using MultCloud to Transfer Files across Clouds:
- Online Transfer: directly transfer data across clouds without downloading data to local storage from the source cloud and then re-uploading to the destination cloud.
- Automatic: set a schedule to automatically run the task at a future specific time daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Safe: MultCloud uses the OAuth Authorization System and the 256-bit AES Encryption for SSL to protect the files and data of your clouds.
- Efficient: MultCloud offers industry-leading transfer speed and relies on traffic data (instead of the network).
- Powerful: supports 30+ major clouds, including Google Drive, Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
Transfer Google Photos to iCloud on Computers without Downloading
To move Photos from Google Photos to iCloud Photos, just visit the MultCloud official site on any browser and do the following.
Step 1: Sign up for MultCloud for free.
Step 2: Head to Add Cloud, where you should add Google Photos and iCloud Photos, respectively, by clicking each icon.
Step 3: Now, click Cloud Transfer, select Google Photos as the source, and iCloud Photos as the target. Then press Transfer Now.
- Notes:✎...
- You can click Options to enjoy more features. You can use the email notification function as well as the filter feature to make your Cloud Transfer task smarter.
- If you want to move Google Photos to iCloud, you can add iCloud Drive to MultCloud and choose it as the destination.
- In addition to transferring files, MultCloud also offers basic features to help youupload files to Dropbox, download videos from Google Drive, share folders in OneDrive, etc.
- If you want to move photos from Google Photos to iCloud on your phone, you can use MultCloud via a browser. The MultCloud mobile app doesn't support data migration between Google Photos and iCloud Photos currently.
- Cloud Sync: MultCloud allows you to sync data between cloud services in one-way and two-way, based on your needs. There are syncing methods such as Mirror Sync, Move Sync, Cumulative Sync, Update Sync, and Real-Time Sync.
- Cloud Backup: MultCloud offers you an efficient way to back up files from one cloud to another. Meanwhile, you can restore the backup data without any effort if you find it missing on your cloud. For instance, you can backup Google Photos to Synology NAS.
- Team Transfer: When you are using business cloud services, such as SharePoint Online, Dropbox Business, Google Workspace, etc., and want to move data between them, this feature makes it a breeze.
- Image Saver: This feature allows you to download images and videos from Instagram directly to local devices and cloud services in a hassle-free way.
- Remote Upload: To download videos and documents from URLs, torrent files, and magnet links to cloud services, you can use this feature to complete the task easily and directly.
How to Transfer Google Photos to iCloud on Android Normally
If you use Android phones to transfer pictures from Google Photos to iCloud, you can also download photos from Google Photos first and then upload them to iCloud. The detailed steps are as follows:
Step 1: Sign in to your iCloud on the web and enter your Apple ID.
Step 2: Confirm your operations by clicking the Trust button, then go to Photos.
Step 3: Select the photos you have downloaded from Google Photos and click Upload below.
How to Transfer Google Photos to iCloud on iPhone Normally
If you are an iPhone user, then moving photos from Google Photos to iCloud is much easier. Here are the steps you can follow:
Step 1: Go to your iPhone settings and enable iCloud Library.
Step 2: Install the Google Photos app on your iPhone and sign in with your Google account.
Step 3: Select the photos you want to move from Google Photos to iCloud and click the Share icon on the upper side. Then click Save to device in the pop-up window. And those pictures will be automatically synced to your iCloud as soon as possible.
Troubleshooting Google Photos to iCloud Transfer Issues & Fixes
Issue 1: Transfer Fails Because iCloud Storage is Full
The Fix: Before transferring, check your iCloud storage at iCloud.com. If full, either upgrade your plan (Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage) or free up space by deleting old backups and large files. Use MultCloud's filter feature to transfer selectively by year or album.
Issue 2: Live Photos Become Static Images
The Fix: Google and Apple handle motion photos differently. For best results, use Google Takeout or MultCloud rather than manual download, as it preserves original file structures. Always test with one Live Photo first to check if motion data survives.
Issue 3: Transfer is Extremely Slow or Keeps Interrupting
The Fix: Web browsers are unstable for large transfers. Use a dedicated tool like MultCloud for server-to-server transfer that doesn't depend on your browser staying open. Alternatively, break large libraries into smaller batches (by year) and ensure a stable internet connection.
Issue 4: Duplicate Photos Appear in iCloud
The Fix: Check iCloud for existing photos before transferring. After transfer, use your Mac's Photos app > File > Duplicate Items Finder or a third-party tool to merge duplicates. Prevention is best—know what you already have.
Issue 5: Photo Dates and Locations are Lost
The Fix: Metadata is usually preserved with manual uploads and Google Takeout. Ensure you're not editing or re-saving photos during transfer. On iPhone, check Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Camera is set to "While Using the App" so iCloud reads embedded location data correctly.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you can learn how to transfer Google Photos to iCloud on PC/Android/iPhone for data protection. If you want to make it easy and convenient on both computers and mobile devices, MultCloud is a great choice. Apart from "Cloud Transfer", there are other advanced features such as Cloud Sync, Team Transfer, Cloud Backup, Image Saver, and Remote Upload.
MultCloud Supports Clouds
-
Google Drive
-
Google Workspace
-
OneDrive
-
OneDrive for Business
-
SharePoint
-
Dropbox
-
Dropbox Business
-
MEGA
-
Google Photos
-
iCloud Photos
-
FTP
-
box
-
box for Business
-
pCloud
-
Baidu
-
Flickr
-
HiDrive
-
Yandex
-
NAS
-
WebDAV
-
MediaFire
-
iCloud Drive
-
WEB.DE
-
Evernote
-
Amazon S3
-
Wasabi
-
ownCloud
-
MySQL
-
Egnyte
-
Putio
-
ADrive
-
SugarSync
-
Backblaze
-
CloudMe
-
MyDrive
-
Cubby
