One downside of the Big Tech walled gardens that have become commonplace is the implicit platform lock-in they create. Switching to a different platform is a daunting task at the best of times, and most people would give up instantly if it meant losing their photo collections. An initiative called the Data Transfer Project, which claims Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter as members, aims to resolve that by encouraging data portability between platforms. As one example of that, Apple has now made it possible to transfer your photos and videos from iCloud to Google Photos. So far, this capability is available only in the United States, Australia, and Europe, and you must use two-factor authentication on your Apple account. What about the reverse direction? Although Google offers direct photo transfers only to Flickr, Google Takeout enables you to download all your Google-related data, including Google Photos, after which it would be simple to import into Photos on the Mac and upload to iCloud Photos.
Subscribe today so you don’t miss any TidBITS articles!
Every week you’ll get tech tips, in-depth reviews, and insightful news analysis for discerning Apple users. For 29 years, we’ve published professional, member-supported tech journalism that makes you smarter.
Registration confirmation will be emailed to you.
