How to Download a Photo Album in Google Photos

Google Photos is one of the most versatile photo and video storage and sharing services around. It allows you to upload photos or entire albums and also add comments and tag locations.

But most importantly, Google Photos leaves more storage space on your phone or computer. However, sometimes you may need to download an album so you can access it in offline mode.

In this article, we’ll explain how to save a Google Photos album and answer some of the most common questions related to the process.

How to Download an Album in Google Photos

In the sections below, we’ll show you how to download Google Photos separately for Windows and Mac PCs, as well as for iOS and Android devices.

Note that saving a Google Photos album on your computer is a lot simpler than doing so on your mobile device, but it’s still relatively fast.

How to Download an Album in Google Photos on iPhone

When it comes to downloading the entire album, things aren’t as simple with Google Photos. You can’t simply tap the album and select the option to download it because Google Photos doesn’t provide it for the mobile app.

Fortunately, there is a workaround solution. Every Google Account user can access the Google Dashboard for their account and download all their data via Google Takeout.

This is an official data retrieval platform from Google. Here’s how all the steps to downloading an album from Google Photos to iPhone go:

1. Open Safari on your iPhone and go to your Google Dashboard.
   
2. You will see the list of all the Google Services you use, including Google Photos. Tap on the downward arrow next to Google Photos.
   
3. The dashboard will show exactly how many photos and albums you have. Tap on the three vertical dots at the bottom of that window and select “Download Data.”
   
4. You will be redirected to Google Takeout. There you can tap on the “All photo albums included” option.
   
5. Select albums from a specific year or a particular album, and tap “OK.”
   
6. Tap on “Next Step” and proceed to choose file type and size. You can select either zip or tgz file.
   
7. Finally, tap on “Create Export.”
   

When the export process is finished, you will receive a notification email. Depending on your album or album size, this process can take a while, sometimes even hours.

How to Download an Album in Google Photos on Android

If you want to download a single photo from Google Photos on your Android device, that’s super easy. All you need to do is open your Google Photos app and:

1. Select the photo you want to download.
2. Tap on three vertical dots in the right corner of the top of the screen.
3. Select “Download” from the pop-up window.

That’s all there is to it. Keep in mind that if a photo already exists in your Android, you won’t see the “Download” option.

If you want to download a Google Photos album to Android, you’ll need to follow the same steps we’ve explained for iOS devices. You might want to use Google Chrome mobile browser instead.

Also, when the Google Photos album downloads to your Android or iOS device, it will be in a compressed folder. You will have to find it on your phone and extract the files in order to see them in the Google Photos app.

How to Download an Album in Google Photos on Windows

If you’re a Windows user, accessing your Google Photos and managing them is relatively straightforward. You get an excellent overview of pictures, videos, and albums.

Sharing and commenting is also made simple – as is downloading an album or multiple albums. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open Google Photos on your web browser of choice. Chrome, as a Google product, is the most compatible.
   
2. On the left side, you’ll see a panel with the list of folders. Click on the album you want to download.
   
3. When the album loads, click on the three vertical dots in the browser’s upper right corner.
   
4. Select “Download All.”
   

Your Windows computer will automatically compress the album into a zipped folder. All you need to do is select “Save” and choose the location for your compressed file.

When you want to download another album, just repeat the steps. You can also access the same menu to edit an album or delete it entirely.

How to Download an Album in Google Photos on Mac

Mac users can follow the exact instructions provided above for Windows users. It’s also recommended to use the Chrome browser for maximum efficiency.

But the steps will work regardless of which browser you use. The download might take a while if you’re downloading many files, so make sure you have a stable internet connection.

How to Download Shared Albums in Google Photos

If you have one or several shared albums on Google Photos, you can download these albums as well. The steps are the same as they are with albums that are private.

You need to select the “Sharing” folder on the panel on the left in Google Photos and select the album you wish to download. Remember that if you’re going only to download one or several photos from a larger album, you can download them individually and not as an album.

Additional FAQs

1. How Do I Download Multiple Photos From Google Photos?

If you want to download specific photos from an album, that is something you can easily do if you’re accessing Google Photos on your web browser. Here’s how:

• Open the album in Google Photos.

• Click on the top left corner of the photo you want to download. Then continue to select other images you want to download from the same album.

• When you’ve selected all you wish to download, go click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner and select “Download.” Alternatively, you click “Shift +D.”

You will be able to download the file in a zipped folder. In Google Photos mobile app, this option is not available. You can only download one photo at a time.

2. How Do I Save Photos From Google Photos?

All your photos are safely stored in Google Photos. If you wish to save them to another device, you have several options. You already know how to save albums and single photos on your computer and mobile device.

But you can also transfer downloaded albums to external hard drives or flash drives. You can also move all your Google Photos from one Google account to another, or use another cloud-based storage service to move them there.

3. How Can I Sync My Google Photos to My Desktop PC?

Syncing your smartphone or tablet with the Google Photos app is simple. You have to open the app, tap on your profile image, and select “Turn on backup.”

Having this feature on will ensure all the photos you take with your phone are automatically uploaded on Google Photos.

Not to worry, you can opt-out from having to upload via cell data. But when syncing Google Photos with Windows and Mac computers, you need to use the Backup and Sync app for PCs.

You can find it here, and by clicking “Download,” you’ll be able to run it on your computer in no time. Don’t forget to sign in to your Google account and select specific folders you want to backup from your computer.

4. Can I Make Albums in Google Photos?

Yes, you can. There are two ways to go about it. You can either create an album first or then start uploading photos to it, or you can select specific photos and videos and create an album. If you want to create the folder first, go to Google Photos and select “Create album.”

Enter the name of the album and then start uploading photos. You can also select two or more photos and select the “+” icon at the top of the screen. Then, select “Album” and either add to an existing album or create a new album and name it.

This process is the same for Google Photos in the web browser and app. With the slight distinction that in the mobile app, it’s “New Album” and not “Create album.”

5. How Do I Install Google Photos on PC

Google Photos desktop app is not yet available. But there’s something close to it that you can use. It’s the Google Photos PWA (Progressive Web Application.)

This is a type of app you can download to your computer and load even without an internet connection. These apps are reliable and fast, and, most importantly, easy to install. Here’s how it works:

• Open your Google Photos in Google Chrome.

• In the address bar, click on a “+” symbol next to the bookmark star symbol.

• When a pop-up window appears, select “Install.”

The Google Photos PWA will automatically and quickly install on your computer. You will be able to launch the app and continue uploading and downloading photos and videos.

Managing Your Google Photos With Ease

One of the things users like about Google Photos is that it’s not overwhelmed with features. It has everything you need for a user-friendly photo storage service.

Perhaps it would be good to have a simpler way of downloading albums on mobile devices, but it’s still possible with a few additional steps. In browsers, especially Chrome, downloading Google Photos albums to both Windows and Mac computers is straightforward.

Also, creating and deleting albums in Google Photos is just as quick. And if you want a lightweight desktop version, don’t forget about Google Photos PWA.

How do you manage Google Photos albums? Let us know in the comments section below.