How to Move Photos between Two Google Photos Accounts?

Google Photos is one of the most popular cloud storage services for photos and videos. It provides free unlimited storage for high quality photos and videos up to 16MP and 1080p resolution. With Google Photos, you can access your media from any device by signing into your Google account.

But what if you have photos and videos in two different Google accounts and want to consolidate them? Moving photos between Google accounts is easy if you follow the right steps. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of transferring photos between two Google Photos accounts.

Prerequisites for Moving Photos between Google Accounts

Before you start moving photos, make sure you have the following:

• Two Google accounts - You need both the source and destination Google accounts to transfer photos between them. Make sure you can sign into both.

• Google Photos app - Install the latest Google Photos app on your Android, iOS device or computer. You need the app to upload and download photos.

  

• Stable Internet connection - As photos are large files, you need a stable broadband connection for smooth transfer. Use Wi-Fi if moving a lot of photos.

• Enough free storage - The destination account should have enough free space for all the photos you want to transfer. You may need to buy additional storage.

• Time - Moving thousands of photos between accounts can take a long time depending on your connection speed. Make sure you allocate sufficient time.

Once you have all of the above, you are ready to move photos between Google accounts.

Method 1: Export Photos to Computer and Re-upload

One of the easiest ways to move photos is by exporting them to your computer and then re-uploading to the other account. Follow these steps:

Export Photos from Source Account

1. Open the Google Photos app on your computer and sign into the source Google account which contains the photos.

2. Select the photos you want to export. You can choose individual photos or select all.

3. Click on the More options icon and choose ‘Export’. This will export the photos to your computer.

4. Select the image size and quality for export. ‘Original’ is best if you have the storage space.

5. Choose the download folder on your computer to save the exported photos.

6. Hit ‘Export’ and wait for the photos to download. This can take a while depending on the number and size of photos.

Import Photos to Destination Account

Once the photos are exported, it’s time to import them to the destination Google Photos account:

1. Sign out of the source Google account in the Photos app.

2. Sign in to the destination Google account where you want to transfer the photos.

3. Click on ‘Import’ and select the folder containing the photos you exported earlier.

4. Wait for Google Photos to finish uploading all photos to the destination account.

5. Check the Photos app in the destination account to ensure all photos were transferred successfully.

6. You can delete the photos from the source account if not needed anymore.

And you are done! The export and re-upload method makes it easy to move even a large number of photos between accounts. Just make sure you have enough time and storage space.

Method 2: Share Albums between Accounts

If you want to move only a few photos or albums, sharing them is an easier option. Here is how to share albums between Google accounts:

Share Album from Source Account

1. In the source Google account, open the Photos app.

2. Select the album containing the photos you want to move.

3. Tap the three dots menu and choose ‘Share’.

4. Enter the email address of the destination Google account.

5. Set link permissions to ‘Viewer’ so they can only view.

6. Tap ‘Send’ to share the album with the other account.

Save Shared Album in Destination Account

After sharing the album, open the destination Google account to save it there:

1. Open the notification email from the source account containing the shared album link.

2. Click on the album link to open the shared photos in the Photos app.

3. Click on the three dots menu and choose ‘Save’. This saves the album to your account.

4. You can now view the shared album in the Photos app under ‘Shared albums’.

5. Check that all photos moved properly and are visible.

This way you can selectively share albums between Google accounts without having to move all photos. Useful for transferring fewer photos.

Method 3: Sync Partner Sharing

If you regularly need to move photos between two accounts, enable partner sharing:

Turn on Partner Sharing in Both Accounts

1. Open the Google Photos app in the first account.
2. Go to Settings > Partner sharing.
3. Turn on the toggle for Partner sharing and click ‘Invite a partner’.
4. Enter the email address of the other account.
5. Repeat steps in the second account to invite the first account as partner.

Select Photos to Sync

Once partner sharing is enabled between accounts:

1. In each account, choose the photos or albums you want to sync.
2. Tap the three dots menu and select ‘Add to partner library’.
3. This will share the photos with the other account.
4. Open the other account to find synced photos under ‘Partner library’.

Partner sharing automatically transfers photos between accounts. Great if you need continuous syncing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common queries about moving photos between Google accounts:

Does moving photos between accounts delete them from the original account?

No, exporting or sharing photos simply copies them between accounts. Your photos still remain in the source account even after moving. You can delete them manually later if required.

Can I move photos without downloading to my computer?

Yes, you don't need to download photos to your computer for transfer. Sharing albums directly or using partner sharing lets you move photos between accounts online.

What happens to the albums when moving photos?

The album structure does not get transferred when you export photos to your computer. However, sharing full albums or partner sharing syncs the album structure.

Is there a limit on the number of photos I can move?

There is no limit as such. You are only restricted by the storage space in your Google accounts. You can move as many photos as can fit in the destination account storage.

Does Google reduce the quality of photos when moving them between accounts?

No, the original photo quality is maintained as long as you export the full-size original image and re-upload it. Google Photos compression only happens for newly uploaded photos.

How do I move photos faster between accounts?

Use the ‘High quality’ export option instead of ‘Original’ before re-uploading. Also use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data for faster transfers. Enable partner sharing for continuous sync.

Conclusion

Moving photos from one Google account to another is simple with the right technique. Exporting and re-uploading is suitable for large transfers. For fewer photos, share albums directly. If you need continuous sync, turn on partner sharing.

Follow the steps in this guide carefully for successfully transferring photos between accounts. Let your photos be in one place so you can find and manage them easily. Consolidate your Google accounts with these methods for photo transfers.