Facebook logo and Google Photos logo next to each other on smartphonesSource: Joe Maring / Android Central

What you need to know

  • Facebook has rolled out a new tool that will allow its users to transfer their Facebook media directly to Google Photos.
  • The new photo transfer tool is now available for users in Ireland and is planned to be made available to all users worldwide by the second half of 2020.
  • Users can access the new tool n Facebook settings, within Your Facebook Information.

Facebook today began testing a new photo transfer tool, which will let users transfer their photos and videos from Facebook to Google Photos. The new tool is being rolled out in Ireland today and can be accessed in Facebook settings within Your Facebook Information.

Steve Satterfield, Director of Privacy and Public Policy at Facebook, wrote in a blog post announcing the feature:

At Facebook, we believe that if you share data with one service, you should be able to move it to another. That's the principle of data portability, which gives people control and choice while also encouraging innovation. Today, we're releasing a tool that will enable Facebook users to transfer their Facebook photos and videos directly to other services, starting with Google Photos.

While users will initially be able to transfer media files to only Google Photos, Facebook says it plans to add support for more services in the future. The new tool is expected to be rolled out to all Facebook users worldwide by the first half of next year.

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Facebook's new photo transfer tool is part of the open-source Data Transfer Project, which was launched last year as a service-to-service data portability platform. During the initial testing phase, the company says the photo transfer tool will be refined based on the feedback it receives from people and conversations with stakeholders around the world.

Facebook is testing a photos-only mode in its app