Apple has debuted a new tool that allows users to transfer copies of their iCloud Photos to another service, with Google Photos being the first integration.
As the company outlined in a new support document, there’s a new “Transfer a copy of your data” option on Apple’s privacy website that can be used to transfer iCloud media content to Google Photos.
The process doesn’t delete any content from iCloud, but transfers a copy of a user’s photos and videos to Google Photos. That could make the tool useful for both transferring services and backup purposes.
However, only the most recent edit of a photo is transferred and duplicates will show up as a single piece of content. Smart Albums, Live Photos, photo stream content, and some other format types aren’t currently supported. Videos are transferred separately, while photos will likely be transferred together in their own albums.
Users will need two-factor authentication locking down their Apple ID and a Google Photos account with enough storage space for their iCloud content. The transfer takes between three and seven days.
The service is available in Australia, Canada, the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S. at launch. The service can be accessed online on Apple’s privacy webpage.
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