How to Transfer Gallery Photos to Google Photos on Android & iPhone Step by Step

Gallery vs Google Photos

On modern smartphones, the Gallery app serves as the default location for storing and viewing your photos and videos. It allows quick access to images, basic editing, and offline storage directly on your device.

Google Photos, on the other hand, is a cloud-based service that provides secure backup, cross-device accessibility, automatic organization, and powerful search features. It ensures your images are safe even if your phone is lost or damaged and helps free up valuable device space.

These differences in photo management between Google Photos and Gallery photos lead may users to transfer all photos from Gallery to Google Photos, which provides an additional layer of protection and unlocks features that make photo management more efficient. Some of the main benefits include:

Protect photos from device loss or damage: Backing up photos to Google Photos ensures they remain safe even if your device is lost, damaged, or reset.

Free up local storage space: Once photos are sent to Google Photos, you can remove local copies to reclaim phone storage for apps and new media.

Access photos across multiple devices: Google Photos allows you to view and download your photos from any device signed in to your account, keeping your library synchronized.

Get easy sharing and collaboration: Create shared albums, generate photo links, and collaborate with friends or family without manually sending files.

Mandatory Preparations Before You Begin

Before importing your Gallery photos to Google Photos, taking a few preparatory steps ensures the process runs smoothly and avoids errors such as incomplete uploads or duplicated files.

Stable Internet Connection:

A reliable Wi-Fi or mobile network is essential, especially if you plan to upload a large number of photos or videos. Interruptions may cause failed or partial uploads.

Sufficient Google Account Storage:

Check your Google Photos storage quota. If your account is nearing its limit, consider freeing up space or upgrading your plan to accommodate all your Gallery photos.

Updated Apps:

Make sure both your device’s Gallery app and Google Photos are updated to the latest version to prevent compatibility issues during transfer.

Organize Your Photos (Optional):

Sorting images into folders or albums can make the transfer process more efficient and help you maintain organization in Google Photos afterward.

How to Transfer Gallery Photos to Google Photos on Android & iPhone

After completing the preparations above, it's time to go over the specific transfer steps. All three methods below work for transferring photos from your Gallery to Google Photos on Android and iPhone; pick the best one according to your needs.

Method 1. Turn on Automatic Backup (All in Once)

Automatic backup is the easiest way to transfer all photos from Gallery to Google Photos at once and keep them synchronized in the future. Once enabled, Google Photos continuously uploads new photos and videos from your device whenever it detects an internet connection. This eliminates the need for repeated manual uploads and ensures your latest memories are always protected in the cloud.

👉 On Android

Step 1. Install and open the Google Photos app on your Android phone or iPhone.

Step 2. Sign in with the Google account where you want to store your photos.

Step 3. Tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select "Photos Settings".

Step 4. Tap "Backup" and turn on "Back up photos & videos in your camera folder".

Step 5. Choose your preferred upload quality and confirm the folders you want Google Photos to back up.

Step 6. Wait for the upload process to finish. Your Gallery photos will gradually appear in Google Photos.

👉 On iPhone

Step 1. Sign in your Google Photos app.

Step 2. Tap your profile picture, select "Turn on backup" and configure your backup settings like upload quality,

Step 3. Then click "Confirm" to transfer photos to Google Photos.

Method 2. Manually Upload Specific Photos

If you only need to move specific photos instead of your entire Gallery, manual uploading provides you more control. This method is useful when you want to back up specific albums, important documents, screenshots, or recent photos without transferring everything stored on your device and helps conserve cloud storage. While it requires a few extra taps, the process is straightforward and works well for both Android and iPhone users.

Step 1. Launch the Google Photos app and sign in to your Google account.

Step 2. Tap "Photos" and select the photos you want to back up.

Step 3. Scroll through the bottom menu, then tap "Back up" to copy this photo to Google Photos.

Alternatively, if you are already signed into Google Photos on Android, you also can upload the selected photo directly from your Gallery to Google Photos.

Step 1. Browse your Gallery or Photos app and select the images you want to transfer.

Step 2. Tap "Upload to Photos" to send the photos.

Step 3. Confirm your account and click "Upload" to start the process.

Step 4. Wait for the upload to complete and verify that the selected photos appear in Google Photos.

Extra Tips: Transfer Photos from Other Clouds to Google Photos via MultCloud

Up to this point, you've learned how to upload Samsung gallery or other iPhone device galleries to Google Photos. For many users, years of photos are already stored in other cloud services such as iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Downloading thousands of photos back to your phone or computer before uploading them again to Google Photos can take hours or even days and may quickly consume local storage and bandwidth.

If you're dealing with a large photo library in multiple cloud accounts, a multiple cloud management service – MultCloud can offer addition flexibility and efficiency. MultCloud provides a centralized way to manage and migrate photos between cloud services without downloading them to a computer or phone first.

Step 1. Download MultCloud on your Android or iPhone from its official website. Create a MultCloud account and sign in.

Step 2. Select "Add Cloud" in the left sidebar, add the cloud service that currently stores your Gallery photos (here we take iCloud Photos as an example) and add your Google Photos account.

Step 3. Navigate to "Cloud Transfer", choose the iCloud Photos as the source location and set Google Photos as the destination.

Step 4. Click "Options", you can customize transfer settings, enable email notifications, and even filter files to only transfer specific file types. Moreover, tap the "Schedule" button, you can schedule transfer tasks to run daily, weekly, or monthly automatically.

Step 5. Configure transfer options, then click "Transfer Now" to start the process.

The End

Transferring photos from your device’s Gallery to Google Photos is an essential step for protecting your memories and accessing your photos across multiple devices. Whether you choose automatic backup, manual upload, each method offers a practical way to ensure your images are safely stored and well-organized.

For users managing large photo libraries across multiple cloud services, MultCloud significantly streamlines the process by transferring files directly between clouds like from iCloud Photos to Google Photos, reducing device storage consumption and saving time.

FAQs

Q1: Why are my gallery photos not in Google Photos?

Your photos may not appear in Google Photos if automatic backup is disabled, your internet connection is unstable, or your Google account storage is full. Ensure backup is turned on and the app is updated.

Q2: Why isn't my gallery syncing to Google Photos?

Syncing may fail due to insufficient storage, outdated Google Photos app, or disabled backup for specific folders. Check your account storage, app version, and folder settings to resolve the issue.

Q3: Do I need both Google Photos and Gallery on my phone?

You don’t need both, but keeping the Gallery allows offline access and basic editing. Google Photos is optional for cloud backup, cross-device access, and advanced organization features.

Q4: How do I backup my entire gallery to Google Photos?

Enable Google Photos’ automatic backup, select all camera folders, and confirm upload quality. The app will gradually upload all photos and videos to your Google account.

Q5: Can I delete photos off my phone but keep them in Google Photos?

Yes. Once photos are fully backed up to Google Photos, you can safely delete local copies, keeping them stored in the cloud. Conversely, if you delete backed-up files in Google Photos, the photos will be removed from both Google Photos cloud storage and your local device.

Q6: How do I upload photos from my iPhone to Google Drive?

Open the Google Drive app, tap "Settings" > "Backup" > "Photos and Videos" > "Back up to Google photos. Then, select "Start Backup" to start the process.