How to Download Photos from Google Drive to iPhone?

Google Drive is a convenient place to store photos online, accessible from any device. However, you may want to download photos from Google Drive to your iPhone for offline viewing or to save storage space. Thankfully, it's easy to download Google Drive photos to your iPhone in just a few steps.

Prerequisites for Downloading Google Drive Photos to iPhone

Before downloading Google Drive photos, ensure:

• You have a Google account - This is required to access Google Drive
• The Google Drive app is installed on your iPhone

  

• You have enough free storage space on your iPhone for the photos
• Your iPhone and Google Drive photos are connected to the internet - WiFi or mobile data will work

Once you meet these prerequisites, you're ready to download Google Drive photos to your iPhone.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive App and Log In

The first step is to open the Google Drive app if it's not already open:

• Tap the Google Drive app icon on your iPhone's home screen to launch the app
• If prompted, log into your Google account with your username and password

Logging into your Google account on the app gives you access to all the Google Drive content for that account, including the photos you want to download.

Step 2: Navigate to the Photos Folder in Google Drive

Once logged into the Google Drive app, the next step is to navigate to the folder containing the photos you want to download:

• Tap the hamburger menu icon (3 horizontal lines) in the top-left corner
• Tap My Drive to open the root folder
• Navigate into the folders where your Google Drive photos are stored
• Tap the specific photo folder to open it

Alternatively, you can use the Google Drive search bar to search for and open the photo folder directly.

Step 3: Select the Photos to Download

With the desired photo folder open in the Google Drive app, you can now select the photos to download:

• Tap the select button (icon with checkboxes) in the top-right
• Tap each photo you want to download so a checkmark appears on it
• Tap the download icon (downward arrow) at the top

This adds the selected photos to the download queue to be downloaded to your iPhone.

Selecting Multiple Photos

To select many photos in bulk:

• Tap Select All after tapping the select button to choose all photos
• Untap any photos you don't want included in the download

This speeds up the selection process for large photo folders.

Step 4: Confirm the Download on Your iPhone

After selecting the photos and tapping download, a pop-up will appear to start the download process:

• Tap Download to confirm the download to your iPhone
• The selected photos will start downloading as seen by a progress indicator

The number of photos and total file size will also be shown so you know how much space is required.

Step 5: Find and View Downloaded Photos on Your iPhone

Once the download is complete, you can find and view the photos on your iPhone:

• Open the Photos app on your iPhone
• Navigate to the Albums tab if not already selected
• Scroll down and tap the Google Drive album containing the downloaded photos
• Tap a photo to view it at full size

The photos will also be accessible in the Files app in the Google Drive folder if you prefer that location.

Saving Photos to Camera Roll

To save the downloaded Google Drive photos to your main iPhone camera roll:

• Open the Google Drive album in the Photos app
• Tap Select in the top-right and select the photos
• Tap the share icon (box with arrow), then Save to Camera Roll

The photos are now saved alongside your iPhone's main photos and videos.

How to Download Only Some Google Drive Photo Sizes to Save Space

Google Drive stores multiple sizes of the same photo - full size, medium, and thumbnail. Instead of downloading all sizes, you can choose to only download specific sizes to save storage space on your iPhone:

• When selecting photos to download, tap the settings icon (3 dots in top-right)
• Tap Size to download
• Select only the sizes you want, like Medium or Small instead of Original

This will skip downloading full size images if you only need smaller versions of the photos on your iPhone.

Troubleshooting: Photos Won't Download from Google Drive to iPhone

If your Google Drive photos won't download to your iPhone, try the following troubleshooting tips:

• Check your internet connection - Connect to WiFi or mobile data
• Restart the Google Drive app - Force quit and relaunch the app
• Update the Google Drive app - Install the latest app update
• Ensure you have enough free storage space on your iPhone
• Check if Google Drive is blocked on your network
• Toggle iCloud Photo Library off/on under iPhone Settings

If issues persist, contact Google Drive support for further help troubleshooting download issues.

Google Drive Photo Download FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about downloading Google Drive photos to iPhone:

Where do downloaded Google Drive photos save on my iPhone?

Downloaded Google Drive photos save to the Google Drive album in the Photos app on your iPhone. They are also accessible from the Files app in the Google Drive folder.

Can I download photos using mobile data, not just WiFi?

Yes, you can download Google Drive photos using both WiFi and mobile data - useful when no WiFi network is available. Large downloads may incur mobile data charges from your carrier.

Do downloaded photos still count against my Google Drive storage?

Yes, downloaded Google Drive photos will continue to occupy space in your overall Google Drive storage quota. Deleting them from your iPhone doesn't free up Google Drive space.

Does downloading photos allow offline access on my iPhone?

Yes, downloading caches a copy of the photos on your iPhone allowing you to view them without an internet connection. Useful when traveling without WiFi.

Can I download entire Google Drive folders?

Unfortunately, you cannot download entire Google Drive folders directly to iPhone. You have to select specific photos to download rather than bulk folder downloads.

How do I delete photos I've downloaded to my iPhone?

To delete downloaded Google Drive photos from your iPhone, open the Google Drive album in Photos app, select the photos, and tap the trash icon. This only deletes them locally, not from your Google Drive account online.

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to ever lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. Simply Download PicBackMan (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Conclusion

Downloading photos from Google Drive to your iPhone only takes a few taps and provides offline access to your entire Google photo library. By navigating to the photo folder, selecting images to download, and confirming the transfer, you can save Drive photos for portable viewing. Just ensure you have enough local storage space on your iPhone. With the robust integration between Google Drive and iPhone, you'll never be without your favorite photos again!