Import a Google Photos Library

Importing photos from a Google Photos Library uses Google Takeout, allowing you to download your personal data from your Google account.

1. Download .zip file(s) containing your Google Photos Library using Google Takeout.
   • Go to takeout.google.com in your web browser and log in to your Google Account.
   • Under Select data to include, click Deselect all.
   • Scroll down to Google Photos, and check the box to select it.
   • By default, all your Google Photos albums are selected. If you want to choose specific folders, click the All photo albums included button. Then uncheck any albums you do not want to download and click OK.
   • Scroll down and click the Next step button.
   • Under Choose file type, frequency & destination, review the settings, then click Create export.
   • Once your export is ready (this process may take hours or days), you’ll get an option to Manage your exports. Click the Download button on a computer. Depending on your Google Photos Library size and the number of albums you selected, you may have several .zip files to download. DO NOT UNZIP THE DOWNLOADED FILES.
2. Click the plus icon in the top app bar to open the Add Media dialog.
3. Select Add media from an online service.
4. Select Google Photos Library and click the Continue button.
5. Click the “…” icon in the Pick Google Takeout folder field, then locate your default Downloads folder containing the .zip files and select the Downloads folder. (Do not select individual .zip files.)

!NOTE: When selecting the folder for your Google Takeout data in the Pick Google Takeout download folder field, it’s crucial to choose your default Downloads folder that contains ALL the .zip files from your Google Takeout download rather than picking individual .zip files. This step is vital because Google Takeout does not specify which JSON files correlate with each video and image file within the .zip files. To ensure the metadata in the JSON files matches correctly with the corresponding pictures and videos, all .zip files must be uncompressed by Mylio together into one folder. This process guarantees the integrity and proper pairing of metadata with your media files.

*TIP: If you’re using Safari on macOS, your browser may be set to unzip .zip files automatically. To change this setting, go to Safari > Preferences > General > and uncheck Open “safe” files after downloading.

6. In the Destination Folder field, select the location where you’d like to store your photos. We recommend creating a “Google Photos” folder.
7. Assign relevant categories (if desired) for downloaded media.
8. Click Copy Now to import your Google Photos into Mylio Photos.

*NOTE: Importing from a Google Takeout File into Mylio Photos must be done on a computer and is not currently available on mobile devices.

*TIP: Have more than one Google Photos account? Repeat the instructions above to download and import media from each of your Google Photos accounts.

*NOTE: Google Takeout will only export media for the signed-in user. It will not include any shared media from other users.