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The safest migration is a four-stage process: create and preserve a complete Google Takeout export, prepare your self-hosted manager, import through its documented Takeout workflow, and validate the files and metadata before changing anything in Google Photos. Keep the Takeout archive and an independent copy of the actual media until you have checked counts, dates, locations, descriptions, albums, and playback quality.
What a Google Photos migration actually transfers
Google Takeout is an export mechanism, not a live synchronization service. It produces your media plus metadata files that your destination application must interpret. Original capture timestamps generally remain embedded in the image or video metadata. Additional information—such as Google Photos comments and other fields that are not part of the media file—can appear in accompanying JSON sidecars. Downloading and extracting the archive can change filesystem timestamps, so do not use a file’s operating-system date as proof of when it was captured.
Albums require special attention. A Takeout folder structure is not the same thing as an album database, and neither Immich nor PhotoPrism should be assumed to recreate every Google Photos album automatically. Treat album membership as a separate validation item, not as evidence that the import succeeded.
A dependable migration therefore has two outputs:
- A working library in the self-hosted manager.
- A preserved, recoverable copy of the original Takeout archive and the media files.
Plan storage and the recovery path first
Estimate space for every stage
You need room for the downloaded archive, its extracted contents, the destination library, and at least one independent backup. Archives may be split into several files, and extraction can temporarily require roughly the size of the compressed archive plus the size of the extracted media. Google recommends choosing a safe storage location with enough capacity; it does not prescribe a particular device.
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Decide what must remain recoverable
Do not delete Google Photos, cancel access, or reorganize the only copy until validation is complete. Keep the untouched Takeout archives, the extracted media and JSON files, and a backup of the destination’s media. If your destination is Immich, its database backup is not a media backup: the database contains metadata and user information, while images and videos in UPLOAD_LOCATION must be backed up separately.
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Create a complete Google Takeout export
Select only Google Photos
- Open Google Takeout and deselect products you do not need.
- Select Google Photos.
- Choose a one-time archive unless you have a specific reason to create recurring exports.
- Choose the archive format and maximum part size, then request the export.
Google’s export help describes scheduled exports for Google Photos on a two-month schedule for one year, subject to eligibility conditions such as restrictions associated with Advanced Protection. It does not provide arbitrary date-range exports. If you need only a subset, plan to filter or stage files after downloading the complete export rather than expecting Takeout to export a custom date interval.
Download every archive part before it expires
Google may split an archive when it exceeds the maximum size you selected. The download link expires in about seven days and can be used up to five times. Download all parts completely before beginning an import, and verify that every expected part is present. A missing part can produce an apparently successful but incomplete library.
The Immich-Go project recommends ZIP format, selecting the largest available archive size to reduce the number of parts, and using one format consistently. Its warning about not mixing ZIP and TGZ files is a project recommendation for its importer, not a Google requirement.
Preserve the original archive and sidecars
Copy the downloaded files to protected storage before extracting them. Keep the original archive files unchanged. During extraction, keep each JSON sidecar with the media it describes; do not bulk-delete JSON files as “duplicates.” Those files can hold comments, descriptions, locations, capture dates, creation dates, and update dates that are not all embedded in the image or video itself.
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Choose the destination and import route
| Decision point | Immich | PhotoPrism |
|---|---|---|
| Documented Google Takeout route | Current documentation directs Takeout users to the community-maintained immich-go tool. |
Extract media and JSON sidecars together, then index or import the resulting files. |
| Album expectation | Validate albums and tags after import; do not assume folder names prove album membership. | The migration guide says Google Photos albums are not automatically imported; a community script is available for users who need album reconstruction. |
| Filesystem strategy | An external library can scan existing paths, but Immich-only metadata is not written back into those files. | Indexing originals keeps existing names and folders unchanged; optional import can organize transferred files and avoid duplicates. |
| Backup responsibility | Back up the database and the underlying image/video storage separately. | Choose a backup method that covers both the indexed originals and the application’s database. |
Use the route documented for the application version you install. Importers and setup screens can change, so check the current project documentation immediately before running a large job.
Import Google Photos into Immich
Use immich-go for Takeout
Immich’s current Quick Start and CLI documentation point Google Photos users to immich-go for Takeout imports. The ordinary Immich CLI can recursively upload folders and can optionally create albums from folder names, but the documentation distinguishes a Google Takeout migration from a normal folder upload. Follow the immich-go instructions for the release you are running instead of treating a generic recursive upload as an equivalent process.
- Install and configure Immich, confirm that the server is reachable, and create the destination user.
- Make a working copy of the extracted Takeout data while retaining the untouched archive.
- Confirm that all archive parts have been downloaded and extracted without errors.
- Run the immich-go Takeout workflow according to its current command syntax and authentication requirements.
- Start with a small subset before submitting the full collection.
Keep the JSON files in the same relative arrangement expected by the importer. Do not rename media or sidecars in bulk until you know how the importer matches them.
Understand Immich external libraries
If you prefer to leave files in an existing directory tree, Immich can scan an external library. This preserves control of the filesystem, but it changes what the application can write back. Immich-only metadata, including album assignments and descriptions created inside Immich, is not written into the external files. Moving a file within the external library can therefore cause metadata loss on a later rescan. Keep paths stable and include that behavior in your backup plan.
Import Google Photos into PhotoPrism
Extract media and JSON together
PhotoPrism’s Google migration guide instructs users to export Google Photos, extract the archives into the originals or import folder, and keep the media beside the JSON sidecars. Its importer reads fields such as title, caption, location, capture date, creation date, and update date from Google’s JSON.
- Prepare the PhotoPrism originals or import directory with sufficient free space.
- Extract every Takeout part into the chosen staging location.
- Check that media and corresponding JSON files remain together.
- Run PhotoPrism’s index or import operation for that location.
- Review the resulting library before removing the staging copy.
Choose indexing versus importing
PhotoPrism’s general FAQ recommends indexing originals directly for most users who already have a library and want to keep file and folder names unchanged. Its optional import process can organize transferred files and may avoid duplicates, but it changes the way files are arranged. Decide before the first full run whether filesystem continuity or application-managed organization is more important to you.
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Google Photos albums are not automatically imported by PhotoPrism’s documented migration path. If albums matter, plan a separate reconstruction step and verify the result in PhotoPrism rather than inferring success from the extracted directory names.
Run a small pilot before the full collection
A pilot catches mismatched sidecars, unsupported media, incorrect paths, and authentication problems while the data set is still manageable. Select a representative sample rather than a handful of identical recent photos.
- Images with different file types and resolutions.
- Videos, including long videos and formats you know are present.
- Items with locations, descriptions, or edited titles.
- Photos that belong to several important albums.
- Older files and files downloaded from different periods of your Google Photos history.
Record the number of selected items and the number imported. Open representative images at full resolution, play videos from beginning to end, and inspect dates, locations, descriptions, and album membership. If the pilot is wrong, stop and correct the import method before adding thousands of files.
Validate the completed migration
Compare counts, not just thumbnails
Compare the number of source media items with the destination’s count, allowing for a documented explanation of duplicates, unsupported files, or intentionally excluded items. A visually convincing timeline can still be incomplete if a folder or archive part was skipped.
Check metadata in several views
Spot-check capture dates against known events, especially photos whose download date differs from their capture date. Confirm that locations, titles, captions, and descriptions survived where they were present in the JSON. Check videos for correct duration, audio, orientation, and playback. Inspect a few high-resolution images for dimensions and visible quality.
Audit albums separately
Make a list of the albums that matter to you and verify each one in the destination. A folder named after an album may simply be a Takeout export folder, not an imported album object. If album membership is missing, decide whether to recreate albums manually, use the destination’s supported tooling, or retain Google Photos as the reference until the reconstruction is complete.
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Test search and dates after indexing finishes
Wait for background indexing and thumbnail generation to finish before judging the result. Search for known dates, locations, people or labels available in your chosen manager, then open the underlying file when a result looks suspicious. Metadata that appears in a card but is not present after a rescan can indicate that it exists only in the application’s database.
Back up the result independently
Immich backup scope
Immich’s built-in database backup covers metadata and user information. It does not include the image and video files stored in UPLOAD_LOCATION. Back up that storage separately, and test that you can read the copied files from the backup destination.
PhotoPrism and indexed originals
When PhotoPrism indexes originals, the originals remain the authoritative media files. Back up that originals directory and the application’s database or configuration according to the current deployment method. If you use an import process that reorganizes files, back up the resulting layout rather than assuming the original Takeout tree still represents the live library.
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One external disk is useful but is still a single point of failure. Keep the untouched Takeout archive and a separate media copy where practical. Do not overwrite the only archive with a reorganized export, and periodically verify that backup drives can be mounted and that representative photos and videos open correctly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common migration failures
Some files are missing
Check that every Takeout part was downloaded, that extraction reported no errors, and that no files were filtered by an accidental extension or date rule. Re-run the import from the preserved archive rather than trying to reconstruct missing files from the destination.
Dates are wrong
First distinguish capture date from filesystem modification date. Google says original capture timestamps remain embedded in media metadata, while download and extraction can change filesystem timestamps. If the destination still shows incorrect capture dates, inspect the related JSON sidecar and confirm that the importer recognized the file pairing.
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Descriptions or locations are absent
Verify that JSON sidecars were retained and remained in the expected relative location. A plain folder upload may transfer the media but ignore Google-specific sidecar fields; use the destination’s documented Takeout workflow when those fields matter.
Albums did not appear
This is an expected limitation of the documented PhotoPrism migration path and a validation item for Immich-Go. Recreate only the albums you need, using the destination’s supported tools, and keep your source export until the result is confirmed.
The import is slow or unstable
Reduce the job to a smaller batch, confirm available disk space, and check server logs for a specific file or authentication error. Immich-Go guidance discusses different concurrency settings depending on collection size and server conditions; treat those settings as operational guidance, not as guaranteed performance figures. Resume only after the pilot completes consistently.
External-library metadata disappears
With an Immich external library, album assignments and descriptions created by Immich are not written back to the files. Avoid moving files between scans, keep the directory path stable, and back up both the files and the Immich database.
When to delete the Google Photos copy
There is no safe deletion point based only on a completed import message. Delete or alter the Google Photos library only after you have:
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- Confirmed that every Takeout part was downloaded and preserved.
- Compared source and destination counts.
- Opened representative images and played representative videos.
- Checked dates, locations, descriptions, and important albums.
- Created an independent backup of the destination media.
- Verified that the backup can actually be read.
Until those checks are complete, Google Photos remains a useful recovery source as well as the original library.
A practical decision framework
Choose Immich when
- You want the project’s documented immich-go workflow for Google Takeout.
- You are comfortable managing application storage and a separate media backup.
- You may use an external library and can keep its paths stable.
Choose PhotoPrism when
- You want to index an existing folder tree without changing file and folder names.
- You prefer an import option that can organize transferred files and avoid duplicates.
- You accept that Google Photos albums require separate validation and possibly reconstruction.
Choose neither as your only copy
A self-hosted manager is a catalog and viewing layer, not automatically a complete backup strategy. Whichever application you select, retain the Takeout archive and maintain a separate copy of the actual media.
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