Facebook has released a tool that allows users in the United States and Canada to transfer their photos and videos straight into Google Photos.
Users who want to use it simply have to navigate to the ‘Your Facebook Information’ section in the settings menu, select ‘Transfer a Copy of Your Photos or Videos,’ and choose Google Photos from the dropdown menu that appears.
After you confirm the transfer and type in the Google Photos password, the process will begin. You will receive a notification on Facebook and also on email as soon as the transfer process completes.
Facebook stated that this new feature comes from its work on the Data Transfer Project, which is a collaborative program aiming to create data portability tools that enable users to move content between various online services.
“For almost a decade, we’ve enabled people to download their information from Facebook,” explains Steve Satterfield, director of privacy and public policy at Facebook. “The photo transfer tool we’re starting to roll out today is based on code developed through our participation in the open-source Data Transfer Project.”
Other Services Will Also Be Included
The social media giant also stated that it would provide more options for users to be able to transfer their data through, but it will start with Google Photos for now.
“We believe that if you share data with one service, you should be able to move it to another. That’s the principle of data portability, which gives people control and choice while also encouraging innovation,” Facebook notes.
This Data Transfer Project includes other participants such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and others. As we mentioned above, Facebook said it is currently starting with Google Photos, but other services could be included in the near future.
Facebook is now testing the new tool in Ireland, and it intends to improve it based on feedback from users.
