How to Download Google Photos With Google Takeout

By Josep Mampel Marques, updated November 11, 2026

To download all your Google Photos, go to takeout.google.com, keep only Google Photos selected, choose "Send download link via email", the zip file type and the largest archive size, then create the export. Google emails you when the archive is ready, usually the same day. Download every part within about 7 days. The photos arrive with their dates, places and descriptions in separate .json files, which PhotoFixer can put back for you.

Step by step

1. Use a computer. Google recommends a desktop computer rather than a phone for downloading Takeout archives, and the files are large.
2. Open Takeout and sign in. Go to takeout.google.com. The products you use are preselected.
3. Keep only Google Photos. Uncheck every other product. Exporting one product at a time is also one of Google's own suggestions when exports fail.
4. Choose the albums (optional). Google Photos has a button, shown as "All photo albums included", where you can leave out albums. For a full backup, leave everything selected.
5. Select Next step.
6. Choose the delivery method. The options are a download link by email, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive and Box. "Send download link via email" is the simplest. Adding the archive to Drive counts toward your Google storage, and Box skips files larger than your Box upload limit.
7. Choose the frequency. A one-time archive is what you want for a move. Scheduled exports create an archive every 2 months for a year; with Google Photos as the only product, you can schedule exports of new and updated photos.
8. Choose the file type: zip. Google says zip files open on almost any computer, while tgz files may need extra software on Windows.
9. Choose the archive size. If your library is larger than the size you pick, Google splits it into several archives. Google recommends the 50 GB option to reduce splitting. The smaller sizes on offer may vary.
10. Select Create export. You may be asked for your password or a 2-Step Verification step.
11. Wait for the email. Google says it can take from a few minutes to a few days, and most people receive the link the same day. Accounts in the Advanced Protection Program have exports scheduled two days in the future.
12. Download every part. Select Download archive in the email. Each archive expires in about 7 days and can be downloaded 5 times.

What you get

The parts are named takeout-...-001.zip, -002.zip and so on. Inside, everything sits under Takeout/Google Photos/, with one folder per album and year folders such as Photos from 2022 for photos that are not in an album. Next to the photos are .json files with the metadata, and an archive_browser.html file that Google includes to describe the formats.

Two things surprise most people:

• A photo and its .json can be in different parts. Ente's guide notes that albums and metadata can be spread across several zips, so always keep all parts together. More in Google Takeout multiple zip files.
• Dates look wrong after unzipping. Google says the file timestamp may change to the download date. Photos without a date inside then sort by the export day. See why Takeout photos have the wrong date.

What Takeout does not include

• Changes made after you requested the export, such as photos added or deleted later.
• Items that are still being deleted. Takeout is an export tool, not a way to recover deleted photos.
• A choice of time period: Google says exporting by time range is not supported.

On a work or school account, an administrator may have turned off Takeout downloads.

Just a few photos?

For a handful of photos you do not need Takeout. On photos.google.com, open or select the photos, then use More and Download. Takeout is the official way to export a whole library.

After the download

1. Keep the zip parts as they are. You do not need to unzip or merge them.
2. Open PhotoFixer, choose all parts at once, pick the time zone and the folder layout, and press Fix my photos.
3. Import the result into iCloud Photos, Immich, Synology Photos or a drive. Large exports work best in Chrome or Edge, where the result is written straight to disk.

If the export fails or the download stops halfway, see Google Takeout not downloading.

Related: if you would rather not use Takeout, see your options to download all Google Photos without Takeout; if the reason is a full account, read what to do when Google Photos storage is full; and on a work or school account, your admin controls Takeout.