# Moving from Google Photos to iCloud Photos without doubles > Moving Google Photos to iCloud Photos? How Google Takeout copies your library, where the doubles come from, and how to clear them with the Duplicates album. Updated November 8, 2026 ยท https://doppelgone.app/guides/google-photos-to-icloud-transfer-duplicates You move Google Photos to iCloud Photos with Google Takeout. Apple's help page says you choose "Apple - iCloud Photos" as the destination, and the photos go straight from Google to iCloud, with nothing to download. Doubles can still arrive when your iPhone already uploaded the same photos to iCloud, when you repeat the transfer, or when an edited copy sits next to its original. The safest order is to tidy Google Photos first, run the transfer once, then clear any doubles in iCloud Photos. Google keeps your originals, so nothing in Google Photos is removed by the move. ## How the move works Google and Apple each document one side of the transfer. - **Google's side.** Google's help page, "Copy your photos & videos to a service outside of Google", says you open the transfer in Google Takeout, pick what to copy (you can untick albums), then choose a destination under "Move to" and sign in to that account. Google says photos and videos are not deleted from your Google Account after you transfer them. Its page doesn't name iCloud as a destination. - **Apple's side.** Apple's help page, "Transfer a copy of your photos and videos to iCloud Photos" (published 16 September 2024), is the one that names the route: Google Takeout, destination "Apple - iCloud Photos". It says the service is shown only if it's available for your Apple Account. So there is a direct route, started from Takeout. Apple's page lists these limits: - iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive must both be on. - You need enough iCloud storage. If a storage error stops the transfer, free up space or buy more, then submit another request. - It isn't available for child accounts or Managed Apple Accounts, and it can't be used while Advanced Data Protection is on. - Only photos and videos move. Motion Photos, Live Photos and Memories don't. - Files iCloud Photos can't accept, such as RAW files, go to iCloud Drive instead. - Transfers take from several hours to a few days. Apple emails you when one starts and when it finishes. Google adds that Locked Folder content, trash content, unsaved memories and creations, and manually edited metadata such as comments aren't copied. Apple says transferred items appear in the Photos app in an album called "Import from Google", dated with the transfer date. If items are missing there, look for an "Import from Google" folder in iCloud Drive. ## Where the doubles come from ### 1. Photos already on your iPhone and in iCloud If your iPhone has been using iCloud Photos, many of your pictures are already in iCloud. Neither help page says the transfer skips photos that are already there. Apple's duplicate note covers repeat requests, not photos that came from your phone. Treat any overlap as likely and check for it afterwards. ### 2. Repeating the transfer The two pages differ here, so it's worth knowing both. Apple says an additional request "won't add duplicate photo or video files to iCloud Photos", in the context of a request that failed on storage and was submitted again. Google says that if you transfer again, "a new copy may be created" and it "may have duplicates from your original transfer". The cautious reading: run the transfer once, and only repeat it after a storage error, then check for doubles. ### 3. Edited copies Neither page explains how edits are handled. If you saved an edited version as its own photo in Google Photos, it's a separate item, so both it and the original are copied. They aren't exact matches, so you'll choose which one to keep. ### 4. Lookalikes you already had Burst frames and retakes are different photos, so they all move and use iCloud storage. ## Before the move: avoid doubles 1. **Clear doubles in Google Photos.** Use the steps in [delete duplicate photos in Google Photos](https://doppelgone.app/guides/delete-duplicate-photos-google-photos), or run a free scan with Doppelgone's Chrome extension on photos.google.com. 2. **Choose what to copy.** Google lets you untick albums in the transfer. Skip anything you already have in iCloud. 3. **Check your iCloud storage.** The transfer needs room for everything it copies. If you're close to the limit, see [iCloud storage full](https://doppelgone.app/guides/icloud-storage-full) before you start. 4. **Turn on iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive.** Apple requires both. If you turn iCloud Photos off mid-transfer, it stops and only the items already moved stay. 5. **Submit one request and wait for Apple's finish email.** Apple says its email can arrive some time after Google reports completion. ## After the move: clear the doubles in iCloud Photos ### Option 1: Apple's Duplicates album (free) 1. On an iPhone with iOS 16 or later, open Photos, tap Collections, scroll to Utilities and tap Duplicates. 2. On a Mac, open Photos and click Duplicates under Utilities in the sidebar. If you don't see it, hover over Utilities and click the arrow. 3. Select the sets and merge them. On the Mac, Apple says one original stays where the duplicates were, and the others go to Recently Deleted for 30 days. Apple says the album appears only after the iPhone has indexed your library and found duplicates, which can take up to a few days. The album is part of the Photos app, so it isn't on icloud.com. It's built for exact copies. It won't pick the best frame from a burst, and it won't choose between an original and an edit. More in [how to delete duplicate photos in iCloud Photos](https://doppelgone.app/guides/delete-duplicate-photos-icloud). ### Option 2: Doppelgone 1. **Scan.** In Chrome on any computer, [add Doppelgone](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/pabeloccfbcecmhfagdjmdiekfcfadgb), open icloud.com and start a scan. Or use the [iPhone app](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6824153182), or the Mac app from [doppelgone.app/download](https://doppelgone.app/download) for the Apple Photos library. 2. **Review.** It groups exact duplicates, similar shots and burst photos. In each set it keeps the best shot and says why. Sets it is less sure about are marked "Your call". 3. **Approve.** Nothing moves until you approve it. Removed photos wait 30 days in iCloud's Recently Deleted, with one-click Undo on the extension. Favourites, videos and Live Photos are never touched. Your photos never leave your device. Doppelgone doesn't clean videos, so check any doubled videos by hand. The free plan scans everything and covers 200 clean-ups in total. [Pro](https://doppelgone.app/pricing) is one payment of $9.99, with no subscription. Going the other way? See [iCloud to Google Photos transfer: avoid and clear duplicates](https://doppelgone.app/guides/icloud-to-google-photos-transfer-duplicates). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I transfer Google Photos straight to iCloud Photos? Yes, through Google Takeout. Apple's help page says you choose "Apple - iCloud Photos" as the destination, and the photos move directly from Google to iCloud. The option appears only if the service is available for your Apple Account. ### Will the transfer delete my photos from Google Photos? No. Google says photos and videos aren't deleted from your Google Account after you transfer them, and Apple says the originals stay in Google Photos. ### Will the transfer create duplicates in iCloud Photos? It can. Apple says an additional request won't add duplicate photo or video files, but Google says a repeat transfer may create a new copy with duplicates. Photos already in iCloud from your iPhone may also overlap, so check the Duplicates album afterwards. ### Where do my photos appear after the transfer? Apple says they appear in the Photos app in an album named "Import from Google", dated with the transfer date. Items that couldn't go to iCloud Photos, such as RAW files, are in iCloud Drive. ### How do I remove duplicates after moving from Google Photos? Open the Duplicates album under Utilities in Photos and merge the sets. For similar shots and bursts, which the album doesn't handle, scan icloud.com with Doppelgone's Chrome extension or use its iPhone or Mac app. ### Does Doppelgone clean duplicate videos? No. Doppelgone doesn't include videos in clean-ups, so check video doubles by hand. ## Sources Checked 8 Nov 2026: - Apple: [Transfer a copy of your photos and videos to iCloud Photos](https://support.apple.com/120924), checked 8 Nov 2026 - Apple: [If you can't find the Duplicates album for duplicate photos and videos on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/102260), checked 8 Nov 2026 - Apple: [Remove duplicate photos and videos on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/remove-duplicates-pht5a3157c1d/mac), checked 8 Nov 2026 - Google: [Copy your photos & videos to a service outside of Google](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9666875), checked 8 Nov 2026 *Google Photos is a trademark of Google LLC; iCloud is a trademark of Apple Inc. Doppelgone is not affiliated with Google or Apple.* --- **Clear the duplicates in Google Photos and iCloud Photos.** Doppelgone finds exact duplicates, similar shots and bursts and keeps the best one. Removed photos wait 30 days, so you can undo. It works on Google Photos and iCloud Photos in Chrome, and as an app for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. Your photos never leave your device. https://doppelgone.app/download