Transfer all your photos and videos from Google Photos to PixelUnion

Want to switch from Google Photos to PixelUnion? Good news: it’s very easy to bring your entire photo and video archive with you. On this page, we’ll explain step by step how to export all your media from Google Photos and import it into PixelUnion.

There are two ways to do this:

• Method 1 – Quick and easy:
  This method is easier, but you risk that some dates and album structures may not be transferred perfectly.

• Method 2 – A bit more technical, but more accurate:
  This approach requires a few more steps, but it preserves dates and albums. We’ll explain exactly how it works.

Method 1: Simple import

Step 1: Export your photos from Google Photos (via Google Takeout)

1. Go to Google Takeout.
2. Click ‘Deselect all’.
3. Scroll down and check only Google Photos.
4. Click ‘All photo albums included’ (optional) to select specific albums.
5. Click Next step.
6. Choose:
   • Export frequency: one export
   • File type: .zip
   • File size: for example 10 GB
7. Click Create export.

🔔 Note: The export may take some time, depending on the number of photos. You’ll get an email when it’s ready.

Step 2: Download your export

• You’ll receive an email when the export is ready.
• Download the .zip file(s).

Step 3: Prepare your photos for PixelUnion

• Unzip the .zip files on your computer.
• Navigate to the Google Photos/ folder, where you’ll usually find your photos by year or album.

Step 4: Upload to PixelUnion

• Go to your PixelUnion domain in your browser. Your domain is your server address, which always ends in .pixelunion.eu.
• Log in and click Upload.
• Select the photos or folders you want.

Method 2: Import with dates and albums (recommended)

This method uses Immich Go to upload your Takeout files while keeping metadata like album names and photo dates.

Immich Go is a tool that lets you easily import photos and videos from Google Takeout into PixelUnion, keeping important metadata like original dates and album names. This way, your photos stay organized and your memories appear in the right place and order in PixelUnion.

Here’s how to use this tool:

Step 1: Export your photos with Google Takeout

Follow step 1 from method 1. Download the Google Takeout zip files, but you don’t need to unzip them.

Step 2: Download and set up Immich Go

Immich Go isn’t a program with a normal installer. It’s a standalone file you put on your computer and can use directly, without installation. In this step, we’ll set it up.

1. Go to the Immich Go releases page.

2. Download the right version for your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).

   Choose the file that matches your computer:

   • For Windows, choose the .exe file
   • For Mac, choose the file with darwin in the name
   • For Linux, choose the file with linux in the name

3. Unzip the .zip file.

4. Put the immich-go file in a new folder.

5. Add your Takeout .zip files to that same folder.

Step 3: Connect your domain and API key

1. Go to your PixelUnion domain.
2. Click your profile at the top right and choose Account settings.
3. Go to API Key.
4. Click New API key, give it a name, and copy the generated key.

Step 4: Run a command in the terminal

1. Open a terminal in the folder where immich-go and your Takeout files are.
   • Windows: right-click the folder → “Open in terminal”
   • macOS: Open the Terminal app (find it via Spotlight or in Applications > Utilities). Type cd followed by a space, drag the folder with immich-go into the terminal window, and press Enter.
2. Paste the following command in the terminal, replacing the server and API key with your own PixelUnion server address and API key:
   • Windows

     ./immich-go.exe --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false upload from-google-photos takeout-*.zip
     

   • macOS

     ./immich-go --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false upload from-google-photos takeout-*.zip
     

3. The tool will automatically upload all your photos, with albums and dates, to PixelUnion.