Open Finder . In the sidebar, click on “Google Drive.” You’ll see a folder named “Google Photos.”
At the bottom, click “Next step.”
Find the zip in your “Downloads” folder, double-click to unzip, then drag the photos into the Photos app or a Finder folder. Warning: Google strips metadata (like location and original date) when downloading individual photos. For archival purposes, use Method 1. Method 4: Using an iPhone Sync (If You Still Have Original Photos on Your Phone) If your photos are still on your iPhone and you use Google Photos only as a backup, you can bypass Google entirely. how to transfer google photos to macbook
Select “Download.” Google Photos will zip the selected items into a single .zip file.
Open the app and sign into your Google account. Open Finder
Drag this folder to your Mac’s local hard drive (e.g., Pictures folder). This will copy all photos down to your Mac. Method 3: Direct Download from Browser (Best for Small Batches) If you only need a few albums or recent photos, downloading directly from the Google Photos website is the fastest method.
Go to photos.google.com on your Mac’s browser. For archival purposes, use Method 1
Below are the to transfer your library, ranging from official Google tools to manual downloads. Method 1: Using Google Takeout (Best for Large Libraries) Google Takeout is the official way to export all your data. It’s perfect for transferring thousands of photos without breaking the link between albums and metadata (like dates and locations).