Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

sleekmason · 2018-06-18 12:31:58

My wife and I backpack a lot, and that means loads of photos and videos. While it's great that I can open Google Photos and look at my stuff, I want to put all of it on my computer to have at my disposal.

Rclone is in the repositories, and works great for this. Per rclone:

Rclone is a program to sync files and directories between the local
file system and a variety of commercial cloud storage providers:
- Google Drive
- Amazon S3
- Openstack Swift / Rackspace cloud files / Memset Memstore
- Dropbox
- Google Cloud Storage
- Amazon Drive
- Microsoft One Drive
- Hubic
- Backblaze B2
- Yandex Disk

To get started:

apt-get install rclone

We are actually going into Google Photos from Google Drive. In Google drive, there is a checkbox to make all of your pics and videos in Google Photos, appear in Google Drive.
So, the first thing to do is open your browser, sign in to Google Drive, and make sure your photos are showing up there.

When you are ready to proceed, open a terminal and:

mkdir remote

This will make a new folder in your /home directory. All of the photos will download to ~/remote.

Now configure Rclone:

rclone config

This will provide you with a series of options to choose from.
Type “n” and choose "new remote"

You will be prompted for a name. Use rclone for the name to keep it simple.

rclone

Upon hitting enter, you will be prompted to choose a number. number 7 is for google drive.
Choose # 7 -Google Drive

Next you will be asked to give the Google Application Client Id.
Leave this blank and hit enter.

and then asked for your Google Application Client Secret.
Leave this blank and hit enter.

You will then be asked if you have a token.
Answer no and hit enter

At this point, you may be redirected to your browser to sign in and allow rclone access. You should be given a line of code to allow access. Place this code in the terminal and hit enter.

Next you will be asked if the current info is okay.
Answer Yes and hit enter

almost finished.
When asked, hit q to quit the config.

You should now be out of configuration and ready to download, so:

rclone copy rclone: ~/remote

This will begin the remote transfer, and you can see the results by opening the folder and watch them roll in, or, you will get a prompt opening your browser and asking you to give permission to begin.

Depending on how many photos, it may take hours to get them all. Doing this before bed is a good idea:)

martix · 2018-06-18 13:34:41

First of all thank you for the post, rclone is a great and useful tool to know about.

In my opinion though that's a truly horrible way of handling personal data like photos or videos or anything else. Of course it's fine by me if someone does not really care about data protection as it's a free choice to use Google or whatever service someone likes. Just to remember what it actually means using the service above here is Google's way of handling someone's personal content:

"When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.”

In other words, after using their services private stuff becomes Google's data and and they can do with it whatever they want.

There are open source projects based on Nextcloud, Owncloud or Seafile providing basically the same service (or p2p like Syncthing). The recent version of rclone works with even more storage services, e.g. also with nextcloud or owncloud.

Edited: In order to clarify I had no intent to say anything against rclone (I'm clearly not a fan of G services though). Meanwhile I also tested rclone and it worked great for me with a nextcloud storage.

Last edited by martix (2018-07-02 02:59:47)

sleekmason · 2018-06-18 13:57:31

In my opinion that's a truly horrible way of handling personal data like photos or videos or anything else.

Are you talking about rclone or Google?

If you already are using Google Photos on your phone/tablet, it's kind of a moot point. They already have access.
The whole point of this is to get your info back off of Google, to use as you wish.

Beyond that, if you truly believe you are protected using ANY online service . . . Don't believe the hype. Using Tor? Great! now they don't have to search for people trying to hide their online porn use. Using a phone? great! now they know precisely where you are, and don't think for a second there isn't a back door into every. thing. you. use. You really think any of this would be allowed without one?

P.S your menu guide is absolutely awesome!

Last edited by sleekmason (2018-06-18 13:58:25)

ohnonot · 2018-06-18 18:12:34

sleekmason wrote:

Beyond that, if you truly believe you are protected using ANY online service . . . Don't believe the hype. Using Tor? Great! now they don't have to search for people trying to hide their online porn use. Using a phone? great! now they know precisely where you are, and don't think for a second there isn't a back door into every. thing. you. use. You really think any of this would be allowed without one?

it's still a little different if you do it "willingly" by clicking the big OK button for google services (goes for the android phone too, but not all the examples you gave).
it's not about "being protected" (by the promise of some online service), it's about actual laws.

hhh · 2018-06-18 18:27:34

Yeah, I'm not worried about Google handling my data. I use Android, they have my search history on record, I use gmail... If I had any money, I might be of interest to them. But I don't, so they can sniff me all they want.

Google is still, after all this time, mainly an advertising company.

-edit- BTW, Google, I will always Skip Ad >

Last edited by hhh (2018-06-18 18:33:18)

DeepDayze · 2018-06-18 23:49:13

Would be cool if something like this was available for iCloud.

hhh · 2018-06-19 05:00:01

Gawd, I don't even know what to think of the Google/Apple war any more. I've never used a Mac, and the only feature of the whole company that I covet is FaceTime, that program is the bomb. Other than that, Android WFM.

sleekmason · 2018-06-19 12:59:33

Google is a powerhouse of features that rock, even if they can be intrusive. I simply quit worrying about any of the issues people have with them. My stuff is all over the web anyway, and if they want to use a pic of me fishing in the nude, more power to them.

When I recently almost bricked my wife's phone and deleted about 2000 pictures and 50 videos of our grand kids and the like, I almost passed out. Hence the above guide:)

If it wasn't for Google Photos, we would have lost a year or more of their life in pictures. It's because everything was automatically uploaded that I'm not black and blue buried in our garden!

I used to set up other alternatives, on top of rooting, and changing the kernel. Unfortunately that doesn't really matter. You can remove SE-linux from your laptop kernel, but try it with android, and you are bricked until you get into recovery and restore boot. The implications there are obvious I suppose.

hhh · 2018-06-19 15:37:04

sleekmason wrote:

It's because everything was automatically uploaded that I'm not black and blue buried in our garden!

Women, amIrite?

ohnonot · 2018-06-20 03:47:31

sleekmason wrote:

Google is a powerhouse of features that rock, even if they can be intrusive.

not sure if intrusive is the right word for "handing over all your data with the permission to use it as google desires".

Here's another example, just yesterday:
i work with children, and protecting their personal data is not only a question of inclination, but required by law and contract.
my colleague is making short presentations for meetings with parents, and yesterday she told me how much more convenient ("a powerhouse of features that rock") it is to use google docs (she kept having problems with Word updates).
i pointed out the issues pointed out by martix earlier, and said: well, as long as you don't include their last names or pictures of their faces...
she said: "oops."

When I recently almost bricked my wife's phone and deleted about 2000 pictures and 50 videos of our grand kids and the like, I almost passed out.

backups, backups, backups... especially before starting to tinker.

sleekmason · 2018-06-20 04:10:42

backups, backups, backups... especially before starting to tinker.

Perhaps even something automatic, . where I wouldn't even have to think about it! Why, I could even forget I installed it, knowing I'd find the photos and videos later and still be able to transfer them back to my computer!

martix · 2018-06-24 19:41:08

@hhh "Google is still, after all this time, mainly an advertising company." - Well, the tech-giant is far away from being an advertising company, this is why the founder's research at Stanford was co-funded through a CIA-NSA program called MDDS (and the research was under their oversight as well). That link is a good read, crowd-funded investigative journalism. I prefer to add some more info on this in an other thread otherwise it'd hijack the original topic.

@sleekmason As I mentioned above it's a free choice to use whatever service someone likes. Also, it's fine by me whatever reasons there are to justify the useage to yourself. However I cannot leave using those arguments in general uncommented as they are just wrong on many levels. I'd start with asking which backdoor you mean on a librebooted x200 and with only FOSS, but I'll write about it in a different thread and stick to the original post here.

The tuto is great (and I always appreciate such posts as these kind of writings helped me countless times) as far as it's about getting off the data from G cloud. However the thread looks more like promoting that horrible service (like any other on rclone's list), instead of getting away the data from G.

Do not intend to convince anyone which service to use, but for the sake of open source software these points deserve to be added: Using Nextcloud (which I mentioned above) seems to be technically superior as it does the syncing automatically with its clients available for all kinds of devices.

Also, there are many descriptions on the net how photo backup/management with Nextcloud works like here or here, pointing out all the bells and whistles available for Nextcloud. It has even photo-specific apps available. Nextcloud works great on Debian, many free providers up to 4 GB available, but preferably someone sets up an own Nextcloud server.

For photo management in general there is also piwigo, which is an open source gallery software with free trials and even demo available. Lychee is also a good open source alternative.

sleekmason · 2018-06-24 20:24:11

Howdy martix,

I make no advocation for using Google on this thread, only for the use of rclone to retrieve your photo's from the google servers.

Your initial rant about Google drew away from the intended purpose of this thread, was without warrant, and frankly, was a bit rude. In other words, there would be no "opinions" for you to "comment on" had you not initially stoked the fire.

Sounds like you have a great system going, foss and all. I have no desire to discuss back doors, or any other security issues. You made a statement about Google and their security issues. I was simply pointing out that security is an illusion, and not to be taken for granted.

Thank you for checking out this guide, and stating your appreciation.

As for netcloud, or any other service you are suggesting above, please write a separate guide. I would be interested in checking it out.

Last edited by sleekmason (2018-06-24 20:26:23)

ohnonot · 2018-06-24 21:43:07

sleekmason wrote:

I was simply pointing out that security is an illusion, and not to be taken for granted.

there seems to be a contradiction in that sentence, but i can't quite figure it out...

martix · 2018-06-24 21:44:12

@sleekmason Yes, that'd be an important part of such a thread in a Linux forum. I mean if we don't care about open source stuff, who will? Your guide is basically Step 1 and Step 2 (changing to an alternative without G) is missing. I'm sorry if the first post looked a bit rude as it wasn't intended to shed bad light on the OP or you but on big G. They are doing a fabulos job selling themselves as a funky, "good-hearted" tech firm, while using dirty tricks for data hamstering and e.g. developing AI based killing machines for military.

Anyway, the hints with Nextcloud for "Step 2" are actually available here on the forum and in this thread mentioned above. If you start without an own server, simply choose a Nextcloud provider from the list and register for an account. After that you can use that account with Nextcloud's android app, which has an instant photo and video upload feature. Nextcloud also works with CloudGallery, which let's you browse your photos without downloading them. For #BĹ (see thread) you just have to install the Nextcloud client and set the folders to synchronize. It's surely not harder to figure out than using rclone.

sleekmason · 2018-06-24 22:10:44

Anyway, the hints with Nextcloud for "Step 2" are actually available here on the forum and in this thread mentioned above. If you start without an own server, simply choose a Nextcloud provider from the list and register for an account. After that you can use that account with Nextcloud's android app, which has an instant photo and video upload feature. Nextcloud also works with CloudGallery, which let's you browse your photos without downloading them. For #BĹ (see thread) you just have to install the Nextcloud client and set the folders to synchronize. It's surely not harder to figure out than using rclone.

I will check this out, thank you:)

Rclone is just a means to an end. Eventually Google is removing drive (I think), so there will no longer be the option to use rclone to retrieve your media off the server.

I certainly would prefer to use open source when available.

there seems to be a contradiction in that sentence, but i can't quite figure it out...

You are absolutely correct Had to stare at it for a sec myself.

johnraff · 2018-06-25 01:46:13

@Martix would you like to start a dedicated thread for discussion of alternative open-source web services? Your discussion of Google here, while interesting, is off-topic in a thread titled "Just short linux/distro-related questions not worth a whole thread", being neither short nor a question. The same could be said of your contributions on this thread.

Maybe in future you could confine off-topic comments to a link to such a thread where you can expand without derailing the discussion?

martix · 2018-06-25 18:20:59

That's a good idea to consider regarding a thread for open source software/services as replacement for closed source offerings. Although there are already several well made sites available dedicated to this topic.

In this thread my remark regarding protection of private data does not feel like off topic as the OP describes how to get off files from Google Photos, leaving out a good reason for doing so or adding a hint how better solutions for the original task might be possible. However we also discussed this in the comments, adding relevant info to the thread and the topic.

Otherwise feel free to move the post about Google, why it may considered more than an ad company, to off-topic or whatever thread it may fit in as I just did not wanted to start a whole new thread for those remarks and links (and that thread was a mixed bag with parts cut out already).

sleekmason · 2018-06-25 19:42:43

In this thread my remark regarding protection of private data does not feel like off topic as the OP describes how to get off files from Google Photos, leaving out a good reason for doing so or adding a hint how better solutions for the original task might be possible.

Okay, we are at a point where you pretty much just need to stop.

1. Again for the tenth time; this thread is not about Google, it is about retrieving media from Google servers.
2. I don't need to state reasons for doing so, as it's right there in the title.
3. This is a thread about using rclone, not Google, and I do not need to offer ANY alternatives or anything else, for any reason, to anybody.

We are at a point where I would rather you just not bother posting here anymore, as you have made this thread uncomfortable with your paranoia. Just, quit it. Please.

martix · 2018-06-25 20:55:21

@sleekmason I'm sorry that you take it that personally although I even pointed out that I did not intend to criticize your post, on the contrary, I appreciate such tutorials. While the OP don't need to state reasons or care about anything else, after a post on a public linux forum users may add whatever come to their minds - be it iclouds, data security or backups. I made my points with no harm intended - disagree, ignore or consider, that's how it is on a forum. Sometimes I may not agree with a comment - even in a thread I started - but there is no reason to take comments in general personally or in the wrong way.

#1 2018-06-18 12:31:58

Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#2 2018-06-18 13:34:41

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#3 2018-06-18 13:57:31

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#4 2018-06-18 18:12:34

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#5 2018-06-18 18:27:34

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#6 2018-06-18 23:49:13

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#7 2018-06-19 05:00:01

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#8 2018-06-19 12:59:33

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#9 2018-06-19 15:37:04

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#10 2018-06-20 03:47:31

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#11 2018-06-20 04:10:42

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#12 2018-06-24 19:41:08

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#13 2018-06-24 20:24:11

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#14 2018-06-24 21:43:07

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#15 2018-06-24 21:44:12

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#16 2018-06-24 22:10:44

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#17 2018-06-25 01:46:13

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#18 2018-06-25 18:20:59

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#19 2018-06-25 19:42:43

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

#20 2018-06-25 20:55:21

Re: Copy all photos and videos from Google Photos to your computer

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