#TechBytes: How to transfer Facebook photos, videos to Google Photos
A few months ago, Facebook announced a tool to let select users port their photos/videos to Google Photos. The announcement came as part of the social network's effort to build user trust, and now, building on that same goal, the company is expanding the novel media transfer service to every Facebook user. Here's how to use it.
The Data Transfer Project
The Facebook-built tool was launched as the first step of the "Data Transfer Project" - an alliance between some of the biggest tech companies to enable ways to move files across their platforms. It works seamlessly to let you move all your photos/videos - starting from the time you created your Facebook account to the present day - to the popular Google-built service.
How to use the tool?
Using the tool is pretty straightforward and requires just a couple of steps. First, log in to your Facebook account on a desktop or the mobile app and head over to Settings. Next, head over to "Your Facebook Information", select the "Transfer a Copy of Your Photos or Videos", and enter your Facebook account password (for security purposes) when prompted by the service.
Then, you can select Google Photos for transfer
After entering the password, Facebook will open a page to choose the destination of the data transfer. Here, you just have to click the "Choose Destination" drop-down, click on Google Photos, and select what you want to transfer: Photos or Videos. Once you make that selection, simply click on "Next" to authenticate your Google account and initiate the transfer.
You will be notified after once transfer is complete
As and when the transfer is completed, Facebook will notify you through an email as well as on its app. However, it must be noted that once the transfer is done, Facebook's rules and policies will not be applicable to that information. Instead, it will become subject to Google Photos' data handling terms and policies.
More services to be added soon
In the future, the transfer project may also see the integration of other cloud storage services with Facebook. "We believe that if you share data with one service, you should be able to move it to another," the company said while announcing the feature. "That's the principle of data portability, which gives people control and choice while also encouraging innovation," it added.
