How to migrate Google Photos to a NAS step by step

Are you thinking about migrating Google Photos to a NAS? This is a great way to take advantage of all the benefits and advantages of these devices. Of course, Doing so can be intimidatingSince we're talking about moving your entire life (videos, photos, and memories) to a local server, we've prepared this step-by-step guide to ensure everything goes smoothly.

How to migrate Google Photos to a NAS step by step

Google Photos is the safe and always-available haven for the hundreds (or thousands) of photos and videos captured from an Android device. But it has its limitations, not only in terms of storage space, but also regarding security and privacy. That's why many have considered using other options. a safer, cheaper and more customizable alternative, like a NAS (Network Attached Storage).

Of course, migrating your entire image and video library from Google's servers to a local server can seem like an overwhelming challenge. And it is. To begin with, we're talking about moving a lifetime's worth of memories to a new locationThe fear of damaging or permanently losing them can paralyze anyone.

Furthermore, the migration procedure has its complexity levelGoogle doesn't make it easy for those who want to leave. And in the end, if everything goes well, many fear that the user experience won't be as comfortable and intuitive as it is with Google Photos. Nevertheless, migrating Google Photos to a NAS is an increasingly attractive option. Interested? Then we'll explain how to do it step by step.

Step 1: Preparing the ground in your NAS

To migrate Google Photos to a NAS, the first step is to prepare the future location in the destination environment. Assuming you already have yours, you just need to download a a photo management application that emulates Google'sLeading brands in the sector, such as Synology, QNAP o ASUSTORThey have their own native apps for this.

So the first thing to do is install the photo management application from your NAS operating system's package center. Synology Photos o QNAP QuMagie They offer an experience very similar to Google Photos, including facial recognition and geolocation. It's also important that Make sure you have enough space on your hard drives: at least twice the size of your Google Photos library.

Step 2: Bulk download using Google Takeout

With its new home waiting, your photo library is ready to be downloaded. Migrating Google Photos to a NAS involves a direct and structured download of your hundreds or thousands of photos and videos. The safest way to do it is by Google Takeouta tool with which you can make backups o transfer all your photos to an external hard driveIf you prefer, bulk downloading via Google Takeout is done as follows:

1. See takeout.google.com and log in with the account where your photos are stored.
2. Click on "Deselect all" at the top, as we are only interested in the photo section.
3. Scroll down and check the Google Photos box.
4. You can click on "All included photo albums" to select specific years or albums if you prefer a phased migration.
5. Click on "Next step".
6. In the delivery method, choose "Send download link by email".
7. For the file type, select .zip. Also, choose a large file size, because if you leave it at the default (2 GB), Google will fragment your library into dozens of small files. This makes managing them later much more difficult.
8. Click on "Create export" and wait for Google to finish the process and notify you by email.

Step 3: Metadata and JSON File Management

When you download and extract the Google Takeout .zip files, you'll notice something strange (as we said, Google doesn't make it easy). Next to each image (.jpg or .png) or video (.mp4), there will be a file with the same name but with the .json extension. Why? Because Google separates metadata (dates, coordinates, descriptions, tags) from imagesIf you try to migrate Google Photos to a NAS this way, you'll ruin your timeline.

Solution? There is Merge the .json data back together with its respective photos and videosTo do this, you can use the free tool Metadata Fixer:

1. Discharge Metadata Fixer for Windows or macOS.
2. Drag the unzipped Google Takeout folder into the application.
3. The tool will do the rest: injecting the information from the JSON directly into the image and video files.
4. The result will be a clean folder with your library and timeline intact. All set to migrate Google Photos to a NAS!

Step 4: Migrate Google Photos to a NAS

At this point, you just need to migrate Google Photos to a NAS from your computer's File Explorer. To do this, Connect your NAS as a network drive in Windows or macOS using the SMB protocolNext, open File Explorer and navigate to the shared photo folder on your NAS. Finally, copy the folders organized by year that you created in the previous step and paste them into the NAS directory.

Step 5: Allow the NAS to index and organize

As a fifth step, you have to let the NAS do its job: Index and organize your Google Photos libraryThe device's processor will begin working in the background to read the retrieved metadata and reconstruct your library's timeline. It will also generate thumbnails of the photos and videos and run local AI algorithms to recognize faces and objects. Please give it time.

Step 6: Set up automatic backup from your mobile device

Migrating Google Photos to a NAS isn't very useful if you can't continue backing up your photos to the local server. As a final step, you need to configure the corresponding mobile application, For example, Synology Photos for Android or iOS. Download the app on your mobile device, enter your NAS credentials, and once logged in, activate the Photo Backup function.

This way, you not only migrate Google Photos to a NAS, but any new photos you take will go directly to this new location. While The process requires patienceEspecially during the download of Google Takeout, you're sure to be pleased with the result. You'll manage your photos in a robust, private system with no hidden costs.