To use Google Takeout, go to takeout.google.com and sign in. Click Deselect all, check only the Google products you want to export (such as Google Photos, Gmail, or Drive), and click Next step. Choose a delivery method (a download link by email, or adding the files to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box), pick Export once, choose the file type and size, and click Create export. Google emails you when the archive is ready, which can take minutes to days, and you then download the files before the link expires.
This guide covers every step, how to choose formats for each product, how to handle very large exports, what to do with the files once you have them, and fixes for downloads that fail.
What Google Takeout does
Takeout lets you download a copy of your data from Google services, including Photos, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Contacts, YouTube, Maps, Chrome, and more. It’s useful for backups, moving to another service, or keeping an archive before deleting an account. Exporting doesn’t delete anything from your Google account.
Step 1: Choose your data
- Go to takeout.google.com in a web browser and sign in to the Google account you want to export.
- Click Deselect all so you only export what you need.
- Check each product you want.
- For products with options, click All … data included or Multiple formats to limit the export (for example, choose specific photo albums or Gmail labels) or change file formats.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Next step.
Common formats
| Product | Export format |
|---|---|
| Gmail | MBOX (opens in Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and other email apps) |
| Google Photos | Original photo and video files, with JSON files holding dates, descriptions, and locations |
| Google Drive | Docs, Sheets, and Slides as Microsoft Office files or PDF (you choose); other files as-is |
| Calendar | ICS |
| Contacts | vCard or CSV |
Step 2: Choose delivery, frequency, and file type
- Destination – choose Send download link via email, or add the archive to Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box. Cloud options need enough space in that account.
- Frequency – choose Export once, or Export every 2 months for 1 year for regular backups.
- File type – .zip works everywhere. .tgz can hold larger files but needs extra software on Windows.
- File size – choose the size of each part (from 1 GB up to 50 GB). Large exports are split into several files. Choose a larger size to get fewer files, if your download connection is reliable.
- Click Create export.
Step 3: Download the files
- Wait for the email from Google saying your export is ready. You can check progress on the Takeout page under Manage exports.
- Click Download your files in the email or on the Takeout page, and download each part. Google may ask you to sign in again.
- Download links expire after a limited time (typically about a week), and the number of download attempts may be limited, so download soon.
- Unzip the files. On Windows, right-click and choose Extract All. On a Mac, double-click.
Tips for large exports
- Export one product at a time, like Photos separately from Drive.
- Use a wired connection and a download manager if your browser keeps failing.
- Make sure the destination drive has at least twice the export size free, for the archive and the extracted files.
- For Google Photos, tools exist that merge the JSON metadata back into the photos, because dates can look wrong without it.
What to do with your data
- Back it up to an external drive and another cloud service.
- Move to another service – import MBOX into another email client, contacts into another address book, and calendars into another calendar app.
- Direct transfers – for some services, Google offers direct transfers (for example, Google Photos to another photo service) that skip downloading.
Troubleshooting
- Export failed or is missing files – try again with fewer products, or check the export’s details for errors.
- “Takeout is not available” – work and school accounts may have Takeout turned off by the administrator.
- Download keeps stopping – choose smaller file sizes, try another browser, and pause VPNs.
- Photos have the wrong dates – the original dates are in the matching .json files. Use a metadata tool or photo app that reads them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Takeout free?
Yes. Exporting is free. You only need storage space where you save the files.
How long does Google Takeout take?
Small exports can be ready in minutes. Large exports, especially Photos and Drive, can take hours or several days.
Can I use Takeout on my phone?
Yes, in a mobile browser, but large downloads are easier on a computer with plenty of storage.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.