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Migrate from iCloud Photos

Transfer all your photos and videos from iCloud Photos to PixelUnion

Want to switch from iCloud 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 iCloud Photos and import it into PixelUnion.

There are two ways to do this:

Method 1: Simple import

Step 1: Export your photos from iCloud Photos

  1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
  2. Click on Photos.
  3. Select the photos and videos you want to export:
    • To select all photos: Press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac), or click the Select button and choose Select All.
    • To select specific photos: Click individual photos while holding Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac).
  4. Click the Download button (cloud icon with arrow pointing down).
  5. Wait for the download to complete. Your photos will be downloaded as a .zip file.

🔔 Note: If you have a large photo library, you may need to download in smaller batches. The export may take some time, depending on the number of photos.

Step 2: Prepare your photos for PixelUnion

  • Unzip the downloaded .zip file(s) on your computer.
  • Your photos will be in the extracted folder, typically organized by date or album.

Step 3: 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.

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

Immich Go is a tool that lets you easily import photos and videos from iCloud 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 from iCloud Photos

  1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
  2. Click on Photos.
  3. Select the photos and videos you want to export:
    • To select all photos: Press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac), or click the Select button and choose Select All.
    • To select specific photos: Click individual photos while holding Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac).
  4. Click the Download button (cloud icon with arrow pointing down).
  5. Wait for the download to complete. Your photos will be downloaded as a .zip file.
  6. Unzip the downloaded file(s) on your computer. You don’t need to organize them further—Immich Go will handle the structure.

🔔 Note: For very large libraries, you may need to export in multiple batches. Immich Go can process the unzipped folders directly.

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 (or immich-go.exe on Windows) in a new folder.

  5. Add your unzipped iCloud export folder(s) to that same folder, or note the path to where you unzipped them.

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 is located.
    • Windows: right-click the folder → “Open in terminal” or “Open in PowerShell”
    • 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, API key, and folder path with your own values:
    • Windows (if your iCloud export is in the same folder):
      ./immich-go.exe --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG upload from-icloud .
    • Windows (if your iCloud export is in a different folder):
      ./immich-go.exe --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG upload from-icloud "C:\path\to\your\icloud\export"
    • macOS (if your iCloud export is in the same folder):
      ./immich-go --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG upload from-icloud .
    • macOS (if your iCloud export is in a different folder):
      ./immich-go --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG upload from-icloud "/path/to/your/icloud/export"
  3. The tool will automatically upload all your photos, with albums and dates, to PixelUnion.

Optional: Include iCloud Memories as albums

If you want to import iCloud Memories as albums in PixelUnion, add the --memories flag to your command:

  • Windows:
    ./immich-go.exe --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG --memories upload from-icloud .
  • macOS:
    ./immich-go --server=https://<user.name>.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=APIKEY --pause-immich-jobs=false --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG --memories upload from-icloud .

Need help?

If you encounter problems, this often solves the issue:

  • Work in smaller batches For very large iCloud libraries, export and upload in smaller batches. For example, export photos from one year at a time, or select specific albums to export.

  • Check if everything is in the correct location Make sure immich-go (or immich-go.exe) is in a folder you can access, and that your terminal is opened in that folder. If your iCloud export is in a different location, use the full path in the command.

  • Check your command carefully Note:

    • Your server URL is your PixelUnion domain and ends with .pixelunion.eu
    • Use --server=https://<yourname>.pixelunion.eu (without extra spaces/typos)
    • Use the correct --api-key (copied from Account settings → API Key) and ensure there is no space between = and the API Key.
    • The --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG option helps organize HEIC and JPEG versions of the same photo

  • Use the correct file on Windows On Windows, you usually use ./immich-go.exe (not ./immich-go).

  • HEIC file handling iCloud Photos often stores photos in HEIC format. The --manage-heic-jpeg=StackCoverJPG option ensures that if you have both HEIC and JPEG versions of the same photo, they are properly organized (stacked together with the JPEG as the cover image).

If you still encounter problems during the migration process, we are here for you! When contacting our support team, please include the following:

  1. A screenshot of the error message or problem you are encountering
  2. The logs from immich-go - Immich Go automatically creates a log file at the start of each run in the same folder where you executed the command. The log file is named immich-go YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM-SS.log (e.g. immich-go 2024-01-15 14-30-45.log). Look for files with this name pattern in that folder. If you can’t find a log file, you can also copy the output from your terminal window where you ran the immich-go command.
  3. Command that you entered in the terminal (replace your API Key for security.)

You can reach our support team via the Contact Us page. We will contact you as soon as possible to resolve any issues.

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