How to Move Photos from OneDrive to Google Drive Quickly
If you dont know how to transfer photos from OneDrive to Google Drive, then stop worrying. With this guide, you will be able to consolidate all of your photos split across multiple cloud storage.
While moving the entire image library may seem tough at first glance, the truth is quite the opposite. I will tell you multiple methods and also include a specialized tool for those professional scenarios that require a simultaneous multi-account photo transfer.
Let us start by discussing the most common scenarios where such a process is required.
Why People Transfer Photos from OneDrive to Google Drive?
There are quite a few reasons to change one’s cloud storage solution. I have listed some of the most common scenarios where a change becomes almost mandatory.
Lack of storage space in the OneDrive free tier. When we compare the entry-level options of both OneDrive and Google Drive, the difference is quite clear. You get 3 times as much space in the latter. So people feel obliged to switch.
15 GB of storage is available in Google Drive. Although it is a shared space where data from other Google apps, like Gmail, is also present but you can very easily set up an account just for images. Which can accommodate a lot more photos than what you would be able to keep in a similar free-tier OneDrive account with just 5 GB capacity.
Apart from storage, another major advantage that Google Drive brings is the ecosystem. Your Drive has native access to over 60 different Google apps. Many users prefer this smooth intra-app communication over the inter-cloud friction they would otherwise have to deal with by keeping images on OneDrive.
You may frequently face issues where Microsoft OneDrive stops working without warning, and you want to switch over to a more trustworthy platform to keep all your images.
Last but not least, familiarity with the Google Drive UI is also a major reason why people change platforms. Many Google apps, including Drive, are pre-installed in almost all Android devices, so users already know the look and feel of the application. Thus, bringing all photos to the G-Drive from a OneDrive account is preferred by many.
There might be other causes, especially in professional environments, after admins check the OneDrive usage report. Regardless of your reason, the methods I am about to describe work perfectly, so follow them without second thoughts. Let’s first cover what a personal account holder can do to switch.
How to Move Photos from OneDrive to Google Drive on Your Own Personal Accounts
We are going to use the browser apps. However, before you attempt any transfers, it is recommended that you download all data from OneDrive and keep it somewhere safe.
- Step 1. Log in to the OneDrive browser app.
- Step 2. Use the Navigation pane to select the Photos tab.
- Step 3. Hover the cursor over images; you should see a small circle icon appear at the top right, and click it.
- Step 4. Press the download button present at the top ribbon.
- Step 5. Sign in to your Google Drive account from a different browser tab.
- Step 6. Create a new folder (optional)
- Step 7. Put all the images from the desktop to the G-Drive UI.
Soon, all images should appear in Google Drive. If you dont have a PC or only have access to OneDrive and Google Drive from your phone, see the next section.
How to Transfer Photos from OneDrive to Google Drive on Mobile?
The following method does a direct cloud-to-cloud transfer of images in original quality without downloading.
- Step 1. Open the OneDrive App on your Android or iOS device.
- Step 2. Look for the single image or the list of pictures you want to move.
- Step 3. Long-tap on any one to trigger the selection check box.
- Step 4. Mark all the images you want to transfer and tap the share icon.
- Step 5. Choose Google Drive as the destination app and hit Upload.
This method works best for a quick transfer of a few images. If the number of images is quite large, then you should put all of them in a folder and share the folder itself.
If you are an admin in an organization and wish to conduct an inter-cloud photo transfer, then I have an excellent option for you as well.
How to Transfer Photos from OneDrive to Google Drive in Professional Environments
The major challenge at the organizational level is the volume of data. That is why even when regular manual methods can work, they should be avoided.
Instead, admins should choose the SysTools OneDrive to Google Drive Migration Tool. This dedicated tool contains all the features you would need for a successful inter-cloud photo transfer. Try out the demo for free.
You can apply date and user account-based filters. Decide on which accounts get processed first, and also choose the number of simultaneous transfers. Using this feature-packed tool is even easier; See the steps for yourself.
Steps to Use the Tool
Step 1. Launch the tool on your system, then select Microsoft 365 as the source and G Suite as the destination. Scroll down to the workload area and only mark the “documents” option. Apply the date filter if you feel the need for it. Once the setup is complete, press Next.
Step 2. On the Source screen, you have to type in the M365 admin details and validate them. Follow the same process for Destination G Suite (now Google Workspace Account).
Step 3. Map the user list in any one of the three available ways. Direct Fetch, Import a pre-made CSV, or download a template, fill it, and upload it.
Step 4. View the user list, mark the members whose photos you need to transfer, prioritize the most critical accounts, validate, and then start migration.
This is all you have to do; this tool will complete the rest.
Conclusion
Readers now know what they have to do to transfer photos from OneDrive to Google Drive. The process is fairly straightforward: you log in, you download, and you upload. The real challenge is to ensure that every image that you wish to transfer gets processed. Using a bole device, which has both OneDrive and Google Drive, works best for on-the-go transfers. Moreover, if an organization needs to move thousands of photos spread across thousands of user accounts, the tool I explained earlier is the best possible choice.
FAQs
Q. Can I drag and drop images from OneDrive to Google Drive?
No, it’s not possible to move images via a simple drag and drop on the browser apps. However, if you set up the desktop versions of both Google Drive and OneDrive on your desktop, then you can drag and drop items, including images, between the two. With sync enabled, all your images will exist in both platforms.
Q. Are there any image file formats I can store in OneDrive but not in Google Drive?
No, both platforms support the storage of all major and minor image file extensions. Although there might be some restrictions on the native preview of certain Microsoft-specific formats, like EMF or WMF, in Google Drive.
Q. Photos on my phone back up to OneDrive by default. How to change it to Google Drive?
It’s quite simple; simply visit the gallery settings and switch the default backup app from OneDrive to Google Drive. Note that some phones may only allow Google Photos as the backup option, so check carefully before applying any changes.
Q. If I transfer photos from OneDrive to Google Drive, will they disappear from OneDrive?
No, the photos remain in their original location. Only a copy of the image moves. So if you ever want to go back to Microsoft OneDrive, you can do that, no problem.