Download photos

There are two ways to download: pick photos on your timeline, or use the Downloads page for a date range or everything.

Download a few photos from the timeline

1. On your Timeline, click a photo to select it. On a phone or tablet, press and hold the photo instead.
2. Keep choosing. Hold ⌘ (Ctrl on Windows) and click to add or remove a photo.
   • To select a run of photos, hold Shift and click the last one.
   • To select every photo in the view, including ones that haven’t loaded yet, press ⌘A (Ctrl+A) or click Select all. Double-click a photo to open it instead.
   • To select a whole day, click Select day next to the date.
3. Click Download in the bar at the bottom. It keeps its label on a phone, while some other buttons in the bar show only their icon. Less-used actions are under More.

A single photo downloads as it is. Several photos download as one zip file, sorted into folders by date. To clear your selection, click the × in the bar or press Esc.

Selections from the timeline always contain originals. For print-ready copies or other folder options, use the Downloads page.

Download a date range or your entire library

1. On your Timeline, click Downloads at the top.
2. Under What, choose Entire library or Date range. For a date range, set From and To.
3. Under Files, choose:
   • Originals: exactly as they were uploaded. Best for editing.
   • Print-ready JPEG: full resolution, upright and high quality. See What’s inside a download.
4. Under Folders, choose how the files are arranged: By date, By album, or All in one folder.
5. Click Start download.

Download an album

Open the album (see Albums) and click Download album. You get every photo in it. The files in the zip follow capture date order, not the order you set in the album. Small albums download straight away; big ones are prepared in the background like any other big download. You only see Download album if you can download from this library.

Small downloads start right away

Small downloads go straight to your browser as a zip file, and you’ll see “Your download is starting.” The Downloads page shows the current limit on how many photos, and how much data, can download straight away.

Anything bigger, and every Print-ready JPEG download, is prepared in the background. See Big downloads.

If something goes wrong

• “There’s nothing to download in that selection.” No photos match. For a date range, check the dates.
• “You already have a download being prepared.” Only one big download can be prepared at a time. Wait for it to finish, then start the next.
• The Download button is missing. You may not have permission to download from this library. Ask the library’s owner.