How to Backup Google Photos to Google Drive Automatically (2026)

Back in 2019, Google officially severed the automatic sync integration between Google Drive and Google Photos. Previously, checking a simple box in Google Drive settings created a synchronized "Google Photos" folder inside your My Drive, allowing users to organize, backup, and copy photos effortlessly.

Today, Google Photos and Google Drive operate as two completely separate storage silos. If you want to keep an organized backup of your precious family photos in a structured Google Drive folder—or transfer them to a separate backup Google account or Workspace Shared Drive—Google's official web UI offers no direct "Copy to Drive" button.

If you have 100GB of photos, downloading them to your computer just to re-upload them to Google Drive takes hours and requires massive local disk space. In this guide, we reveal the fastest cloud-to-cloud methods to backup your Google Photos library directly into Google Drive with zero local download.

Method 1: The Google Takeout "Direct Cloud Delivery" Method (Best for Full Archives)

The most reliable, zero-bandwidth method to migrate your entire Google Photos library into Google Drive is by utilizing Google Takeout's native cloud routing feature:

Method 2: Multi-Account Photos Migration via SaveInDrive

What if your primary Google Photos account is running out of its 15GB free limit, and you want to transfer your photos into a second Google Drive account or an educational Workspace Shared Drive with unlimited storage?

Google Takeout can only deliver files to the same Google account that owns the photos. To bridge photos across two different Google accounts, you can use SaveInDrive's Drive-to-Drive Cloud Bridge:

1. Once your Takeout archives land in your primary Drive, right-click the Takeout folder and select Share.
2. Share the folder with your secondary Google account or set link sharing to "Anyone with the link can view".
3. Open SaveInDrive and log in with your destination Google account.
4. Paste the shared Takeout folder link and click Stream to Drive.
5. SaveInDrive executes a direct server-side clone (files().copy) in seconds, placing permanent independent copies into your second account with zero local download!

Method 3: Continuous Cloud Sync via Google Photos API (For Developers)

For technical users seeking automated daily or weekly synchronization between Photos and Drive without manual Takeout exports, you can deploy a Python script utilizing Google's official REST APIs:

import requests
from googleapiclient.discovery import build

# Connect to Google Photos Library API
photos_service = build('photoslibrary', 'v1', credentials=creds)
drive_service = build('drive', 'v3', credentials=creds)

results = photos_service.mediaItems().list(pageSize=50).execute()
items = results.get('mediaItems', [])

for item in items:
    # Append =d parameter to base URL to get original full-resolution byte stream
    download_url = f"{item['baseUrl']}=d"
    file_metadata = {'name': item['filename'], 'parents': ['TARGET_FOLDER_ID']}
    
    # Stream bytes directly into Google Drive via Resumable Upload
    # Zero local disk buffering required!

Method Comparison: Which Photo Backup Method Fits Your Needs?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Backing up your Google Photos library to Google Drive no longer requires clogging your computer's hard drive or babysitting slow manual downloads. By using Google Takeout's direct cloud delivery alongside SaveInDrive, you can establish an automated, zero-bandwidth backup pipeline that safeguards your memories forever.