Frequently asked questions
Everything about syncing iCloud Photos to Google Drive with AlbumFlow. Billing questions live on the pricing page.
The basics
What exactly does this do?+
It mirrors the iCloud Photos albums you choose into Google Drive folders, automatically and on a schedule. It is a simple one-way sync: iCloud is the source, Google Drive is the copy.
Is anything ever changed in my iCloud library?+
No. We only read from iCloud. Photos are never deleted, edited, or reorganized on the Apple side, regardless of what happens in Google Drive.
Which albums can I sync?+
Any of your iCloud Photos albums. You choose them per workflow — by exact name or wildcard patterns like "Work - *". Each workflow targets its own Google Drive folder.
Does it handle videos and Live Photos?+
Yes — everything in the album is mirrored: photos, videos, screenshots, and the video part of Live Photos, at original quality.
Setup and requirements
Do I need to install anything?+
No. Everything runs in the cloud and is managed from a web dashboard. There is nothing to install on your phone or computer.
What are the iCloud account requirements?+
Two settings on your Apple account: Advanced Data Protection must be off, and "Access iCloud Data on the Web" must be on (both are Apple defaults). Two-factor authentication is fully supported — it is how you approve the connection.
How long does the iCloud connection last?+
Apple sessions last roughly 60 days. Before yours expires we email you, and the dashboard shows a reconnect reminder — reconnecting is a one-minute, one-code affair.
Can I sync to a Google Shared Drive?+
Yes. Workflows can target folders in your My Drive or in a Shared Drive you have access to.
Security and privacy
How are my credentials stored?+
Your iCloud password and Google tokens are encrypted at rest with a server-side master key. They are used only to run your syncs and are deleted when you disconnect an account.
Do you keep copies of my photos?+
No. Files stream from iCloud to Google Drive and are removed from our servers the moment each upload completes. We store metadata about sync runs (file names and counts), not your photos.
Can I disconnect at any time?+
Yes — one click per account on the Connections page. Disconnecting stops syncing immediately; everything already in your Google Drive stays exactly where it is.
Sync behavior
How often does it sync?+
Depends on your plan: daily on Free, every 6 hours on Plus, hourly on Pro. You can also trigger a sync manually from the dashboard at any time.
What happens when I delete photos in iCloud?+
Your choice per workflow. With mirrored deletions on, the Drive copy follows your album exactly. With it off, Drive keeps everything ever synced. Safety ratios block abnormally large deletions either way.
What about very large albums?+
No problem. File lists are compared before any transfer, so only new files move. The initial sync of a big album takes a while (it is bounded by Apple download speeds); after that, runs are fast.
What if an album is renamed in iCloud?+
A renamed album is treated as a new album and mirrored to a new Drive folder on the next run. The old folder stays in Drive; you can delete or keep it.
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