For many smartphone users, Google Photos is one of the best methods to back up our videos, photos, and other media. With Google Photos, you can access all your pictures, including photos from several years back as long as you still use the same Google account.
But what happens when you switch devices and need to download all Google Drive photos on your new device? Can you download all photos from Google Drive at once?
The good news is you can download all Google Drive photos as long as you have enough space on the receiving device. This guide offers you complete instructions on how to download all Google Drive photos on different devices, including your Android phone, iPhone, and computer.
In this article
Can You Download All Photos from Google Drive at Once?
Yes, you can download all photos from Google Drive at once using the Download feature in your Google Drive account.
There is a checkbox next to each picture folder or album in Google Drive. When you click on the checkbox, you select all the images in that folder or album, and you can click on any of them to download all images at once to your device.
However, downloading all your photos at once from Google Drive to your device is more of a “should you” question than “can you.” This is because Google Photos doesn’t just contain the images on your current device. Instead, Google Photos stores all your images from every device ever signed in with your Google account.
For most users, this means several years of photos and videos, and downloading them all to one device should only be done when you have enough storage on your device. If not, you risk your device OS running slow or hanging.
How to Download All Google Drive Photos
There are different possible reasons to want to download all your photos from Google Drive. You may want to switch devices, organize your image album, share throwback pictures with friends and family, back up and protect your Google photos, and lots more.
That said, here are the top methods to download all Google Drive photos on different devices:
How to Download All Google Drive Photos to iPhone
Want to download all pictures from Google Photos to your iPhone? There are two ways to do this.
Method 1: Download All Google Drive Photos to iPhone via Google Drive App
The Google Photos app is a subsidiary of Google Drive that stores images and videos from all devices signed in to your Google account. However, Google Photos doesn’t have a download feature, so you can’t download all Google Photos to your iPhone directly but you can go through the Google Drive app.
- Download the Google Drive App on your iPhone and sign in to your Google account. Also, connect your iPhone to a stable Wi-Fi network.
- Once signed in, all the images stored in your Google Drive will be displayed on the screen. Navigate to the folder that contains all your Google Drive photos. Tap and hold to select multiple folders.
- Tap on the Ellipsis icon (the three-dot symbol) at the top-right of your screen and click on Download from the options.
- Google Drive will automatically download all the selected images to your iPhone but this will take some time since you are downloading all Google Drive photos.
Method 2: Download All Google Drive Photos on iPhone via Files App
While the Google Drive app allows you to download all photos at once, you may notice the download paused midway due to iOS restrictions, poor network, or any other problem. As such, downloading all Google photos via the iPhone Files App is a better alternative.
- Open Files on your iPhone and click on Browse in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Select Google Drive and turn on Google Drive if you haven’t done so already.
- Next, navigate to the folder that contains your photos in Google Drive. Then select the Google photos you wish to download to your iPhone and click on Share.
- Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network and select Save Images.
- The Files App will automatically save all the selected images on your iPhone and you can browse them via your iPhone Photos App.
Next, let’s check out how to download all pics from Google Drive to an Android phone.
How to Download All Pics from Google Drive to Android Phone
Downloading all pics from Google Drive to Android Phone is similar to downloading all pictures on an iPhone. You can’t download all pictures from the Google Photos app either, so you have to go through Google Drive or a third-party photo transfer app.
How to Download All Pics from Google Drive to Android Phone:
- Open Google Drive on your Android phone and sign in to your Google Account. The app should be pre-installed on your Android device.
- Go to the folder containing the pictures you want to download. You can tap and hold to select multiple folders.
- Click on Options at the top-right corner of your screen and select Download.
Automatically, Google Drive will download all the selected pictures to your Android phone from your Google Drive folder.
Method 1: How to Download All Google Drive Photos to Android Phone via Files by Google
If you find it difficult to download all Google photos to your Android device via Google Drive, you can use the Files by Google app to access your Google Drive photos and download them from there.
Files by Google is an Android device application that allows you to access, manage, and download your files both from your Android device’s internal storage and cloud storage services.
Download the Files by Google app on your Android phone, and follow the steps below to download all Google Drive photos:
- Launch the Files by Google app. The app should automatically load the files in your device's internal storage.
- Scroll down to the Storage Devices tab and select Other Storage. Click on Google Drive. You’ll be redirected to your Google Drive folders. Sign in to Google Drive.
- Select the image folders you want to download from Google Drive to your Android Phone. Click on Options and Download.
Method 2: How to Download All Google Photos to Android Phone via My Files App
The Files by Google App is an alternative to the default My Files app on most Android phones. If your device has the My File app, you can also use the app to download all Google Drive photos at once to your Android Phone.
- Open My Files on your device and click on Google Drive.
- Sign in to your Google Account and wait for the app to load the storage info.
- My Files will display all the folders and files in Google Drive. Select the folder that contains all your Google Photos and click on Move at the bottom of the screen.
- Go back to the My Files Home Page and click on Internal Storage. Tap on Move Here at the bottom right of your screen to move the selected pictures to your Android device's internal storage from Google Drive.
Moving all your Google Photos to Android device internal storage will take several minutes and may pause midway if you don’t have sufficient storage space on your phone. You should also know that the images will be downloaded in their original formats.
How to Download All Photos in Google Drive to PC
One great location to download all Google photos at once is your computer. This is because your PC has more storage space than your Android phone and iPhone, so you can download all Google Drive photos without running out of storage space. It’s also easier to extract and organize your Google Photos on your PC than on your mobile phone.
Method 1: Download All Photos in Google Drive to PC via Google Drive Web
You can sign in to Google Drive on your PC and download all google photos by following the steps below:
- Open your PC and connect to a stable Wi-Fi network or router. Go to the Google Drive website and sign in to your Google account.
- Browse through your files to select all Google Photos. Then right-click or click on Options and select Download.
Google Drive will automatically download all the selected photos to your PC’s Download Folder where you can access them anytime.
Method 2: How to Download all Google Drive Photos via Google Takeout
Google Takeout is a platform that allows you to export and import data such as photos from different Google services including Google Chrome, Play, and Google Drive. You can use Takeout to download all Google Photos at once to your PC. Here’s how:
- Go to Google Takeout on your device browser and click on Deselect All, so you are not downloading data from your entire Google account.
- Scroll down and select Google Photos. Click on the All Photo Albums Included option below Google Photos to download all and click OK.
- Scroll down and click on Next Step. Choose your preferred download frequency, size, and options. The best option here is to Send Download Link via Email.
- Next, click on Create Export and wait. This process may take several hours or days depending on how much data you have in Google Photos.
- You’ll receive an email notification that contains the download link once export is complete. Click on Download Your Files and confirm Download.
Google Takeout will download and compress all the exported photos to your PC’s internal storage as zip64 files. You can go to Downloads on your PC and click to extract the images to your picture folder.
Why Can’t I Download Photos from Google Drive?
Here are possible reasons you can’t download photos from Google Drive:
- Insufficient storage space on your device - Since you are downloading all your Google Photos, you need sufficient storage space on your device to accommodate the images in their original formats. This is why downloading all Google Photos to a PC is the best option.
- Poor Network - Your Google Photos download may pause or cancel due to poor WiFi.
- Unauthorized Access - Google usually sends a notification via your Gmail when it receives a prompt to access and download all your Google Photos. If you don’t grant access via email, you can’t download the pictures from Google Drive.
Other reasons include restrictions on your Google account and software errors.
[Bonus]: Back Up Photos to PC in One-Click
Do you know that there is an easier way to download all your photos from a backup folder? When you back up all your photos to your PC, you can easily access and download these images to any device later in the future using different methods such as via email, USB transfer, or even instant messaging like WhatsApp.
Wondershare MobileTrans - Backup & Restore is a user-friendly backup tool designed to store all your photos on your PC in just one click. MobileTrans allows you to download all types of pictures including JPEGS, PDFs, TIFF, PNG, and lots more in seconds over a secure USB connection.
Wondershare MobileTrans
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4.5/5 ExcellentDownload Wondershare MobileTrans on your PC and follow the steps below to back up all photos to your PC in one click:
- Launch MobileTrans and connect your phone to your PC via USB.
- Choose Backup & Restore and select Phone Backup & Restore from the MobileTrans dashboard.
- Select Photos and choose all the pictures you want to back up to your PC. Then click Start.
- MobileTrans will back up all your images within minutes. Keep your phone connected to the computer until MobileTrans notifies you that your phone backup is complete.
You can also restore all your photos to any device via MobileTrans. Simply connect your device via USB, click on Phone Restore from the MobileTrans dashboard, and follow the onscreen prompts.
Final Words
In summary, it’s easy to download all Google Photos to your device, but the process may seem tricky at first because there isn’t a download feature in Google Photos.
However, you can download all photos from Google Drive using the Google Drive app or web version, Google Takeout, Files by Google, My Files App on your device. Ensure to back up all your photos to your computer for easier access and downloads later.
4.5/5 Excellent
safe & secureFAQ
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Where are downloaded Google Drive photos stored?
The downloaded Google Drive photos are stored in your device's Download folder. You can also find the pictures in your device gallery. Sometimes, the downloaded pictures may be stored in a compressed zip folder, so you won’t find them until you extract the images from the folder. -
How Do I Download All Photos from a Google Drive link?
For methods like Google Takeout, simply click on the Google Drive download link and select Save All or choose the pictures to download. If the link is unresponsive, you should check your network connections.
