Quick Answer
To export all photos from Google Photos: (1) Go to takeout.google.com, (2) Deselect all → Select only Google Photos, (3) Choose "Original" quality and preferred file size/delivery, (4) Create export, (5) Download ZIP files when notified (usually 2-48 hours), (6) Extract to access full-resolution originals with metadata intact.

Why Export from Google Photos?

Common reasons to download your Google Photos library:

Backup: Keep local copies independent of Google account
Switch services: Moving to iCloud, OneDrive, or other platforms
Account closure: Deleting Google account or losing access
Storage limit: Free 15GB full, need to free space
Privacy concerns: Want photos off Google servers
Editing workflow: Need originals in desktop editing software
Print/archive: Creating physical backups or prints

Understanding Google Photos Storage Quality

Storage Tiers (As of June 2021)

Before June 1, 2021:

High Quality (Free Unlimited): Photos compressed to 16MP, videos to 1080p
Original Quality: Exact originals, counted against storage

After June 1, 2021:

All uploads count against 15GB free Google storage
Can still choose "Storage saver" (compressed) or "Original" quality
Photos uploaded before June 2021 in "High Quality" don't count (grandfathered)

What This Means for Export:
When you export, Google Takeout gives you the quality you originally uploaded:
• "Original quality" uploads → Full-resolution originals
• "High Quality/Storage saver" uploads → Compressed versions (still good quality)
• You get what's stored, can't upgrade compressed photos to originals

Method 1: Google Takeout (Complete Export)

1 Access Google Takeout

Google Takeout is Google's official data export service that lets you download all data from any Google product.

Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Open web browser (any device)
2. Go to takeout.google.com
3. Sign in to Google account (if not already)
4. You'll see list of all Google products with checkmarks

First-Time Users:
• Takes 5-10 minutes to complete setup
• Export process happens in background (2-48 hours)
• You'll receive email when ready
• No need to keep browser open during export

2 Select Google Photos Only

By default, Takeout exports ALL Google data. For photos only:

1. Click "Deselect all" at top (unchecks everything)
2. Scroll to find "Google Photos"
3. Check ONLY the Google Photos box
4. Click "All photo albums included" to customize:
• By default, ALL albums exported
• Can deselect specific albums if you want
• Most users keep "All photo albums included"
5. Click "OK"
6. Scroll to bottom and click "Next step"

What Gets Exported:

All photos and videos
Album organization (in separate folders)
Metadata (date, location, camera info)
Edited versions if you edited in Google Photos
Google Photos creations (collages, animations, etc.)

3 Configure Export Settings

Choose how you want to receive your photo archive.

File Type:
• .zip (recommended) - Widely compatible
• .tgz - Unix/Linux archive format
→ Choose .zip for universal compatibility

File Size:
Large libraries split into multiple files:
• 1 GB - Many small files (more downloads)
• 2 GB - Balanced (recommended)
• 4 GB - Fewer files
• 10 GB - Very large files
• 50 GB - Maximum size
→ Choose 2 GB for easy management

Delivery Method:
1. Send download link via email (recommended)
• Get email when ready
• Download from Google servers
• Available for 7 days
2. Add to Drive
• Saves to Google Drive
• Counts against Drive storage
• Download from Drive when ready
3. Add to Dropbox/OneDrive
• Direct transfer to other cloud services
• Requires account connection

Frequency:
• Export once (most common)
• Export every 2 months for 1 year (automatic backups)

Select options and click "Create export"

Storage Considerations:
• Exporting to Drive counts against 15GB free quota
• Email link doesn't use Drive storage
• Large libraries (50GB+) may require Google One subscription if using Drive
• Email link expires after 7 days, so download promptly

4 Wait for Export Completion

Google processes export in background. Time varies by library size.

Typical Wait Times:

Under 5GB (1000 photos): 2-6 hours
5-20GB (5000 photos): 6-12 hours
20-100GB (20,000+ photos): 12-48 hours
Over 100GB: Up to 72 hours

Check Export Status:
• Go back to takeout.google.com
• Click "Manage exports" at top
• See progress and estimated completion
• You'll receive email when ready for download

5 Download Export Files

Once export completes, download your photo archive.

1. Check email from Google Takeout
2. Subject: "Your Google data archive is ready"
3. Click "Download your files" in email
4. Or go to takeout.google.com → "Manage exports"
5. See list of ZIP files (e.g., takeout-20231215-001.zip, takeout-20231215-002.zip)
6. Click each file to download individually
7. Or click "Download all" (Chrome/Firefox support batch download)
8. Save to location with sufficient space
9. Files remain available for 7 days, then expire

Download Location:
Choose folder with ample free space (your export size + 20% extra for extraction)

7-Day Expiration:
Download links expire after 7 days. If you miss deadline:
• Go back to takeout.google.com
• Create new export (repeat process)
• Wait again for processing
→ Download promptly to avoid repeating process!

6 Extract Photo Archives

Unzip downloaded files to access your photos.

Windows:
1. Right-click each ZIP file
2. Select "Extract All"
3. Choose destination folder
4. Click "Extract"
5. Repeat for each ZIP if multiple files
6. All photos extract to "Takeout/Google Photos/" subfolders

Mac:
1. Double-click each ZIP file (auto-extracts)
2. Or right-click → Open With → Archive Utility
3. Extracts to same folder as ZIP
4. Merge folders if multiple ZIPs

Linux:
unzip takeout-*.zip -d ~/GooglePhotosBackup/

Folder Structure After Extraction:

Takeout/
  └── Google Photos/
      ├── Photos from 2020/
      ├── Photos from 2021/
      ├── Album Name 1/
      ├── Album Name 2/
      └── Photos from 2023/
              └── IMG_1234.jpg
              └── IMG_1234.jpg.json (metadata)

Method 2: Selective Download (Individual Photos)

Download Specific Photos from Google Photos

For small selections, download directly from Google Photos interface.

Via Web (photos.google.com):
1. Go to photos.google.com
2. Select photos (hold Shift for range, Ctrl/Cmd for multiple)
3. Click three-dot menu (⋮) at top right
4. Select "Download"
5. Photos download as ZIP (if multiple) or individual file

Via Mobile App:
1. Open Google Photos app
2. Long-press photo to select
3. Select additional photos if needed
4. Tap Share icon
5. Choose "Save to device" (Android) or "Save Image" (iOS)
6. Photos save to device gallery/camera roll

Best For:

10-100 photos
Specific albums or events
Quick downloads without full export

Not Ideal For:

Entire library (use Takeout)
1000+ photos (slow, tedious)
Preserving exact folder structure

Understanding Exported Metadata Files

Google Photos exports include .json metadata files alongside each photo.

What Are .json Files?

For every photo, you get two files:

IMG_1234.jpg - The actual photo
IMG_1234.jpg.json - Metadata in JSON format

JSON File Contains:

Photo title and description (if added)
Date and time taken
GPS location coordinates
Camera make and model
Google Photos album associations
URLs and identifiers

Why Separate Files?
Google Photos edits (like location, description) aren't stored in standard EXIF metadata. JSON files preserve ALL data including Google-specific info. Most photo viewers only read EXIF in JPG itself, not JSON.

Do You Need JSON Files?

Keep them if: Want complete backup, may reimport to Google Photos, use specialized backup tools
Can delete if: Only need photos for viewing/printing, disk space limited, EXIF data in photos sufficient

Verifying Export Completeness

Ensure you got all photos from your Google Photos library.

Verification Checklist:

1. Count Photos:
• Google Photos: Settings → Check photo count
• Exported folder: Count files (exclude .json files)
• Windows: Properties → Contains X files
• Mac: Get Info → X items
• Linux: find . -type f -name "*.jpg" -o -name "*.png" -o -name "*.mp4" | wc -l

2. Check File Sizes:
• Original quality: 3-8MB per photo typical
• Storage saver: 1-3MB per photo
• Videos: Varies widely
• If all photos under 500KB, export may have failed

3. Spot Check Quality:
• Open random photos
• Zoom to 100%
• Verify sharp detail
• Check EXIF data present

4. Verify Albums:
• Each album should have corresponding folder
• Photos may appear in multiple folders (if in multiple albums)
• This is normal - Google Photos allows photos in multiple albums

What to Do After Exporting

Organize and Store Exported Photos

1. Create Backup Copies

Copy to external hard drive
Upload to second cloud service (Dropbox, OneDrive)
Follow 3-2-1 backup rule: 3 copies, 2 different media types, 1 offsite

2. Clean Up Duplicates

Photos in multiple albums appear multiple times in export
Use duplicate finder tools: dupeGuru (free), Gemini (Mac), Duplicate Cleaner (Windows)
Or manually organize by keeping originals only

3. Import to New Service

iCloud Photos: Drag into Photos app on Mac, syncs to iCloud
OneDrive: Upload to OneDrive folder
Amazon Photos: Unlimited original quality with Prime subscription
Flickr: 1000 photo free tier

4. Decide on Google Photos

Keep using: Exported photos remain in Google Photos (export doesn't delete)
Free up space: Delete from Google Photos after confirming successful backup
Delete account: Can now safely delete Google account with photos backed up

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: Export stuck at "Preparing export"

Solution: Large libraries take time (up to 48 hours). If over 72 hours, cancel export (takeout.google.com → Manage exports → Delete) and try again. May need to split into smaller exports (select specific albums).

Problem: Downloaded ZIP files won't extract

Causes: Incomplete download, file corruption, insufficient disk space.
Solutions:

Re-download the specific ZIP file
Free up disk space (need 2x ZIP file size free)
Use 7-Zip (Windows) or The Unarchiver (Mac) if built-in extractor fails
Check ZIP file size matches what's shown in Takeout (incomplete downloads smaller)

Problem: Missing photos in export

Causes: Shared albums not included, archived photos skipped, recent uploads not processed.
Solutions:

Check "Archive" in Google Photos - archived photos stored separately
Shared albums: Export from each album owner's account
Recent uploads: Wait 24 hours after upload before exporting
Check Trash: Recently deleted photos not exported

Problem: Photos have wrong dates after import to new service

Cause: EXIF date missing or corrupted, new service using file modified date.
Solution: Use tools to restore dates from JSON files: exiftool, Google Photos Takeout Helper, Photos Takeout Processor.

Problem: "Failed to create export" error

Causes: Too many exports requested, account issue, temporary Google error.
Solutions:

Wait 24 hours and try again
Clear browser cache and cookies
Try different browser
Check Google Account status isn't suspended

Frequently Asked Questions

Does exporting photos delete them from Google Photos?

No. Export creates a copy for download. Original photos remain in Google Photos unchanged. After verifying successful export, you can manually delete from Google Photos if desired to free storage.

How long does Google Photos export take?

1,000 photos: 2-6 hours. 10,000 photos: 12-24 hours. 50,000+ photos: 24-72 hours. Varies by library size, server load, and selected options. You'll receive email when ready, no need to wait on page.

Can I export someone else's shared album?

No. You can only export photos YOU own/uploaded. For shared albums, original uploader must export from their account. You can save individual photos from shared albums to your library, then export those.

Will exported photos include edited versions?

Yes. If you edited photos in Google Photos (filters, crops, etc.), export includes both original AND edited version. Edited photos have filename like "IMG_1234-edited.jpg". You get both versions.

Do I need Google One subscription to export?

No. Export is free regardless of library size. However, if exporting to Google Drive (not email link), archive counts against storage quota. Large libraries may require Google One if Drive is delivery method. Email link delivery has no storage cost.

Best Practices Summary

Google Photos Export Checklist:

Before Exporting:
✓ Verify sufficient disk space (2x your Google Photos library size)
✓ Check export includes all desired albums
✓ Note photo count in Google Photos for verification
✓ Choose appropriate file size (2GB recommended)

During Export:
✓ Use "Send download link via email" (doesn't use Drive quota)
✓ Select .zip format for compatibility
✓ Allow 24-48 hours for large libraries
✓ Don't create multiple exports simultaneously

After Download:
✓ Download all files within 7 days
✓ Extract and verify photo count matches Google Photos
✓ Spot check quality and metadata
✓ Create backup copies (external drive + cloud)
✓ Organize into folders by year/event if desired
✓ Only delete from Google Photos after confirming backup

For Safety:
✓ Keep at least 2 copies in different locations
✓ Test restoring from backup occasionally
✓ Consider annual exports for ongoing backup
✓ Use "Export every 2 months" option for automatic backups

Export Photos from Google Photos