Transfer Photos from Google Photos to an External Hard Drive, SSD, or USB on PC! [Windows / Mac]

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of transferring photos and videos from Google Photos to an external storage device such as a USB flash drive, hard drive, or SSD using a Windows or Mac PC. Following these steps will help you easily back up your media and free up space in your Google Photos account.

Step 1: Sign In to Google Photos and Select Photos for Transfer

1. Open your web browser and navigate to Google Photos.
2. Sign in with your Google account credentials.
3. Once logged in, browse your library to find the photos or videos you want to transfer.

Select the items by

• Clicking on each photo or video individually.
• Holding down the Shift key to select a range of items.
• Using the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) key to select multiple non-adjacent items.

Step 2: Download and Extract Photos from Google Photos

1. After selecting the desired photos and videos, click on the three-dot menu icon located in the top right corner.
2. Choose the "Download" option.
3. The selected files will be downloaded as a ZIP file (if multiple items are selected).

To extract the files

• Locate the ZIP file in your downloads folder.
• Right-click on the ZIP file and select "Extract All" (Windows) or double-click to open the ZIP file (Mac) and drag the contents to a folder of your choice.

Step 3: Transfer Photos and Videos to External Drive

1. Connect your external storage device to your computer (USB flash drive, hard drive, or SSD).
2. Open the folder where you extracted the photos and videos.
3. Select the files you want to transfer.

Copy the selected files by

• Right-clicking and selecting "Copy," or pressing Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac).
4. Open your external storage device by navigating to it in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
5. Paste the copied files into the external drive by right-clicking in the drive window and selecting "Paste," or pressing Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac).

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can successfully transfer your photos and videos from Google Photos to an external storage device, ensuring your media is safely backed up. Remember to periodically repeat this process to keep your files up to date. If you encounter any issues, check your internet connection or ensure that your external drive has enough space for the files. Happy transferring!