Google Photos → Apple Photos / iCloud, with the right dates

Apple Photos sorts by the date stored inside each file. If you import a raw Takeout, photos without an inside date can end up on the import day. Fix the files first, then import.

Open Rollmend – free scan

Steps

Request a Google Photos export in Google Takeout (zip, the largest part size you can handle).
Run the export through Rollmend and save the result.
Unzip the result on your Mac.
In Apple Photos: File → Import, choose the year folders (or drag them in). With iCloud Photos turned on, they sync to your other devices.

What Apple Photos will see

Photos (JPEG/PNG): EXIF date + time-zone offset, GPS and caption
Videos (MP4/MOV): QuickTime creation time and location
Live Photos: the still and the video carry the same date. Whether Apple Photos pairs them again depends on Apple’s own matching; often it does not for re-imported files, and they show up as a photo plus a short video
HEIC: date patched inside; location/caption only in an .xmp sidecar, which Apple Photos may not read

Before you delete anything

Spot-check a few photos from different years in Apple Photos (Info panel shows date and place). Only then delete the copy in Google Photos, if that’s what you want.

Questions and answers

Does Rollmend need a Mac?

No. Any desktop with Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari works. You can fix the files on Windows and import them on a Mac later.

Last updated: 2026-10-26