Before you start
- Your Google account
- Enough disk space for the export
Method 1 Create a Takeout export
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Step 1: Open Takeout
Go to takeout.google.com and sign in.
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Step 2: Choose products
All products are selected by default. Click Deselect all and tick only what you need, for example Mail, Google Photos or Drive. Use All data included to pick specific albums or labels.
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Step 3: Choose format
Click Next step. Choose Export once (or every 2 months for a year), .zip, and a file size (larger exports split into multiple files).
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Step 4: Choose delivery
Pick Send download link via email, or add it straight to Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box.
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Step 5: Create the export
Click Create export. Large exports can take hours or days. You’ll get an email when it’s ready.
Method 2 Download the archive
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Step 1: Open the email
Click the link in Google’s email, or go to takeout.google.com > Manage exports.
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Step 2: Download each part
Download every file. Links usually expire after about a week, and you may need to sign in again.
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Step 3: Unzip
Extract the archive. Gmail comes as an MBOX file (open with Thunderbird), Contacts as VCF, Photos as images with JSON metadata.
Troubleshooting
Download fails partway
Use a stable connection and a download manager, or choose delivery to Drive/OneDrive and download from there.
Export says failed
Try again with fewer products or a smaller file size per archive.
Frequently asked questions
Does Takeout delete my data?
No. It only creates a copy.
How big will it be?
Takeout shows estimated sizes. Photos and Drive are usually the largest.
Summary
Use takeout.google.com, choose the products, set Export once with .zip files, pick delivery, and download every part before the link expires.
