> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gumnut.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import from Google Photos or iCloud

> Export your cloud photo library, upload it to Gumnut, and understand which metadata travels with it

You can bring photos into Gumnut even when they are stored only in Google
Photos or Apple iCloud Photos. Export a copy, download the files, then upload
them to your Gumnut library.

This guide covers an export and import, rather than continuous synchronization
with your Google or Apple account. For ongoing phone backup, use the
[Immich mobile app](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/immich/overview.md). On iOS, Immich can also
[download iCloud originals during backup](#icloud-backup-through-immich-on-ios).

## Before you start

* Sign in to the Google or Apple account that holds the photos.
* Have enough local storage for the downloaded media and extracted archives.
* [Create a Gumnut account](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/getting-started/quickstart.md#create-your-account)
  and choose a [library](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/product/libraries.md) you own or can upload to as
  a Collaborator.

## Choose an export route

| Your photos | Export route |
| - | - |
| A Google Photos library | [Google Takeout](#google-takeout) |
| Selected Google Photos items | [Download selected photos](#download-selected-google-photos) |
| iCloud Photos, using a browser | [Download in your browser](#download-icloud-photos-in-your-browser) |
| An Apple Photos library on a Mac | [Export from Photos on Mac](#export-from-photos-on-mac) |
| Selected Apple photos on an iPhone or iPad | [Export originals to Files](#export-from-an-iphone-or-ipad) |
| An Apple account data archive | [Request a copy from Apple](#request-a-copy-from-apple) |

## Export from Google Photos

### Google Takeout

1. Open [Google Takeout](https://takeout.google.com/) and sign in.
2. Choose **Deselect all**, then select **Google Photos**. Review which albums
   or data are included.
3. Select **Next step**, choose a one-time export, and choose your delivery
   method, archive format, and maximum archive size.
4. Create the export. When it is ready, download every archive part.

Keep the accompanying JSON files. Google preserves original embedded metadata,
including capture timestamps, in the media files; additional information from
Google Photos can be exported separately in JSON.

See [Google's export instructions and metadata notes](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190?hl=en).

### Download selected Google Photos

For a smaller selection, open [Google Photos](https://photos.google.com/) on
your computer, select photos or videos, then choose **More → Download**.
See [Google's download instructions](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7652919?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop\&hl=en).

## Export from Apple Photos or iCloud

### Download iCloud photos in your browser

1. Sign in at [iCloud.com/photos](https://www.icloud.com/photos/).
2. Select the photos or videos you want, up to **1,000 at a time**.
3. Open **More Download Options** and choose **Unmodified Originals** to keep
   the format in which each item was captured or imported.
4. Download the selection and repeat for further batches.

See [Apple's iCloud download instructions](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111762).

### Export from Photos on Mac

1. For iCloud photos, open **Photos → Settings → iCloud** and choose
   **Download Originals to this Mac**.
2. Once the originals are available, select the items in Photos.
3. Choose **File → Export → Export Unmodified Original**.
4. To also export assigned IPTC information and keywords, select
   **Export IPTC as XMP**. Choose a destination and export.

Unmodified originals do not include your later edits. To keep the edited
appearance too, export those versions using the regular **Export Photos**
option. Keep any XMP companion files with the originals.

See [Apple's Mac export instructions](https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/pht6e157c5f/mac).

### Export from an iPhone or iPad

Select photos or videos in the Photos app, then tap
**Share → Export Unmodified Originals**. Choose a destination in Files, such
as local storage or an external drive, and tap **Save**.

See [Apple's iPhone and iPad instructions](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111762).

### Request a copy from Apple

Sign in to [Apple's Data & Privacy page](https://privacy.apple.com/), choose
the option to get a copy of your data, and select **iCloud Photos** from the
available categories. Follow the prompts and download the archive when ready.

This requests downloadable files. Apple's separate **Transfer a copy** service
transfers supported content to another service, such as Google Photos; it is
not a direct transfer into Gumnut.

See [Apple's data and privacy overview](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102283).

## Upload the exported files to Gumnut

1. Extract downloaded archives before using the web uploader. Keep the export's
   folder structure and companion metadata files.
2. In the [Gumnut web app](https://app.gumnut.ai), select the destination
   library. Start with a small selection so you can check the result.
3. On the Photos page, open **Photos actions** (the three-dot menu), then
   choose **Upload to …** for files or **Upload folder** for
   an extracted folder. An empty library also shows upload buttons directly.
   Folder uploads include nested folders.
4. Let the upload finish and allow time for
   [background processing](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/product/uploads.md#what-happens-after-upload).
5. Check representative photos and videos: do they open, have the expected
   capture dates, and show location where the exported file contains it?
   Continue with the remaining files once the sample looks right.

Check the [supported formats](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/product/uploads.md#supported-files-and-limits)
before a large import. For example, camera RAW files need to be exported to a
supported format such as JPEG, HEIC, or TIFF. Uploading original and edited
versions can create separate assets because their file contents differ;
[exact-file deduplication](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/product/duplicate-detection.md) only reuses
identical files in the same library.

> [!NOTE]
>
> The web uploader does not apply Google Takeout JSON or Apple XMP sidecar
> metadata to your photos. It reads metadata embedded in the uploaded media;
> information stored only in companion files will not be restored by a folder
> upload. Exported folder names also do not automatically recreate your source
> albums in Gumnut.

### Advanced imports with immich-go

If you use command-line tools, see Gumnut's
[immich-go connection guide](https://github.com/gumnut-ai/immich-adapter/blob/main/docs/guides/importing-with-immich-go.md).
Use `https://immich.gumnut.ai` as the server URL and create a
[Gumnut API key](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/authentication/api-keys.md) using the **View, add, and edit**
preset in the Gumnut web app. For Google Takeout, follow immich-go's
[`upload from-google-photos` instructions](https://github.com/simulot/immich-go/blob/main/docs/commands/upload.md#from-google-photos);
the connection guide's `from-folder` example is for ordinary media folders.

When the **Library** setting appears under **Settings → Immich**, choose your
destination before importing. This is separate from the library you are
browsing in the web app. If you own a library and have no saved choice, Immich
defaults to the oldest one you own; the setting is hidden for a single owned library with no
shared libraries or saved choice.

A key limited to selected libraries requires an explicit Immich destination
covered by that key, rather than **Default**. If the setting is hidden, use
the browser upload route instead of a selected-library key import. Check a
sample import for the metadata you need: Gumnut's
[compatibility layer](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/immich/compatibility.md) does not provide every
feature of a standard Immich server.

## Understand dates and location

A downloaded file can have a new filesystem timestamp while its embedded
capture date remains unchanged. Compare the photo's capture metadata, rather
than the file's download date.

Location is a separate field: a photo can retain dates and camera information
without GPS coordinates. The camera may never have recorded location, or it
may have been omitted when the photo was shared. If location is missing after
import, first check whether it exists in the exported file. Exporting cannot
recover information absent from that source. Apple documents
[controls for omitting location during sharing](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/ips0d7a5df82/web).

## iCloud backup through Immich on iOS

If you use an iPhone or iPad with iCloud Photos, you may not need a desktop
export. After [connecting Immich to Gumnut](https://docs.gumnut.ai/guides/immich/overview.md#getting-started),
check **Settings → Immich** in the Gumnut web app. If the **Library** setting
appears, choose the destination before enabling backup. Otherwise, your one
owned library is used automatically. Immich temporarily downloads iCloud
originals for selected backup albums, uploads them, then clears its temporary
copies.

This can use additional network data and temporary device storage. It is an
iOS backup path; selecting albums in Immich on Android does not download a
cloud-only Google Photos or iCloud library. Use an export route above for
those files. See [Immich's iCloud backup documentation](https://docs.immich.app/features/mobile-backup/#icloud-backup).


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