The safest migration is a staged copy, not a delete-and-replace operation: create a Google Takeout export containing only Google Photos, download every archive, extract the media with its JSON sidecars intact, copy the result to ZimaOS, and index it with PhotoPrism or Immich. Keep the Google library and the Takeout archives until you have verified dates, locations, edited files, Live Photos, videos and representative albums.
What the migration actually involves
Google Photos does not provide a single “move to NAS” button. The supported starting point is Google Takeout, which creates downloadable archives of your data. A Takeout download is a copy: downloading your data does not delete it from Google’s servers. That makes a staged migration possible, with the cloud library retained as a fallback while the NAS copy is checked.
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A complete migration has four separate jobs:
- Export: request a Google Photos-only Takeout and download every archive.
- Preserve metadata: keep the JSON sidecar files beside the corresponding photos and videos while extracting and copying.
- Index: install a photo application on ZimaOS and let it build its catalog from the copied originals.
- Validate and protect: check representative files and keep an independent backup before removing anything from Google.
Albums require their own decision. PhotoPrism does not automatically import Google Photos albums, and Immich uses a dedicated Takeout migration workflow. Treat album reconstruction as a separate project rather than assuming that a successful file import recreated every album.
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Reserve space for more than the Takeout archives
Google’s compressed archives are not the final storage requirement. After extraction, the original media occupies its uncompressed size, while the NAS application may also create thumbnails, a database, search indexes and other application data. The extraction workspace can temporarily require another copy of the archive contents. Because the documentation does not establish a universal overhead percentage, measure your downloaded archive size and leave substantial free space for extraction, indexing and future uploads rather than sizing the disk to the compressed files alone.
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A NAS-rated hard drive is a sensible primary medium for a continuously used ZimaOS photo library. Plan a second copy on an external USB hard drive; a single disk in the NAS is not a backup.
Keep the source available
Do not close the Google account, delete Google Photos items or discard the Takeout archives while you are still checking the import. The archives are useful for re-running an import if an index fails or a sidecar was separated from its media file.
Expect a variable migration time
There is no authoritative end-to-end speed benchmark or universal capacity formula. Total time depends on Google’s archive-generation time, your download bandwidth, archive size, disk performance and the indexing workload on the ZimaOS hardware. A large library can continue indexing after all files have been copied.
Step 1: create a Google Photos-only Takeout
- Open Google Takeout while signed in to the account that owns the library.
- In the list of products, clear the selections and select Google Photos only. This avoids creating unrelated archives and makes it easier to identify the media and sidecars.
- Continue to the export settings and choose a one-time export. Select the archive format and split size that fit your download method; Google may create multiple archives for a large library.
- Create the export and wait for Google to prepare it. The notification or email provides the download links when the archives are ready.
- Download every archive to a local computer or directly to storage with enough temporary capacity. Keep the files together in one clearly named folder.
Do not start importing the first archive while later archives are still downloading. A partial set can make the catalog appear complete when it is not, and split archives must be handled as one export.
Step 2: extract the archives without breaking sidecars
Extract all parts into a working folder
Use an archive utility that can report extraction errors. Extract every Takeout archive before indexing. When an export is split, retain the complete set and check that each archive finishes without an error message. If an archive fails, download it again before proceeding.
Keep each JSON file with its media
Google Takeout places metadata in JSON sidecars. PhotoPrism’s migration guidance requires the photo files to remain alongside their JSON files during extraction and import. Do not bulk-delete JSON files as “duplicates,” rename them independently, or flatten the directory in a way that separates a sidecar from its media. Preserve the extracted hierarchy until the photo application has indexed it.
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Make a separate copy of the extracted working folder before experimenting with cleanup. Some Takeout directories contain explanatory files or duplicates created by Google’s export process; removing anything before you understand how your chosen application matches sidecars can discard information you needed.
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- Confirm that the folder contains expected image and video formats, not only JSON files.
- Open a small sample from different years and devices.
- Check that files with unusual names, accented characters and long paths extracted successfully.
- Compare the number of archives downloaded with the number shown in the Takeout download page.
Step 3: put the originals on ZimaOS
ZimaOS presents storage spaces and an App Store for containerized applications. Create or choose a data location with enough capacity for originals, indexes and backups. Copy the complete extracted media tree rather than only the visible image files; the JSON sidecars are part of the migration data.
PhotoPrism’s documented ZimaOS layout
The ZimaOS PhotoPrism package uses /DATA/Gallery on the host as /photoprism/originals inside the application. Copy the extracted library under the host’s Gallery location so PhotoPrism can see the originals through that mapped path. If you change the host folder, verify the application’s volume mapping before copying thousands of files; an incorrect mapping can produce an empty catalog even though the NAS contains data.
Moving data between ZimaOS storage spaces
ZimaOS includes a Data Migration tool that can move Docker images, Docker application data and user folders such as Photos and Backup between storage spaces. Its choices include how to handle conflicts and whether to retain the source. Use source retention during the migration and remove the old copy only after the new location has been opened and verified. Moving application data is different from merely moving originals: keep the PhotoPrism or Immich database and configuration in the location expected by the app, or perform the move through the tool’s Docker application option.
Step 4: choose and install a photo application
| Consideration | PhotoPrism on ZimaOS | Immich on ZimaOS |
|---|---|---|
| Installation path | Documented in the ZimaOS App Store. | ZimaOS documents installation through its App Store. |
| Takeout metadata | Reads Google JSON sidecars for title, caption, coordinates and multiple date fields. | Uses the Immich Takeout workflow with immich-go. |
| Google albums | Not automatically imported; separate community-script work is required. | Album handling is part of the Takeout migration procedure and should be checked against the current Immich instructions. |
| Original-file location | ZimaOS’s documented default maps host /DATA/Gallery to /photoprism/originals. |
Use the storage path configured by the ZimaOS Immich app and keep it consistent with the migration tool. |
| Backup warning | Back up originals and the application data/database. | Immich warns that a database backup does not contain image and video files; those files need separate backup coverage. |
| Performance expectations | No universal indexing speed or hardware requirement is established by the cited documentation. | No universal indexing speed or hardware requirement is established by the cited documentation. |
When PhotoPrism is the simpler first import
PhotoPrism has the clearest ZimaOS-specific path in the available documentation: install it from the App Store, place the extracted files in the mapped Gallery location, and start an index from its Library tab. It is a practical choice when preserving Takeout JSON metadata with minimal migration tooling is your priority. Its important limitation is that Google Photos albums are not automatically recreated.
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When Immich is the better fit
Immich is an alternative when you prefer its Google Photos-like web and mobile experience and are willing to use its Takeout migration process. Immich’s quick-start guidance points Google Photos migrants to Takeout plus immich-go. Follow the current Immich instructions for that utility and match its input to the fully extracted Takeout set; do not feed it only the first split archive. Plan file backups as well as database backups because restoring only the database cannot restore the media.
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PhotoPrism migration: copy, index and verify
Install and map the library
- Open the ZimaOS App Store and install PhotoPrism.
- Confirm that the host folder
/DATA/Galleryis mounted as/photoprism/originalsin the application. - Copy the complete extracted Takeout tree, including JSON sidecars, into the Gallery storage.
- Wait for the file copy to finish before starting a full index. Copying while indexing can leave a misleadingly incomplete catalog.
Start the index explicitly
PhotoPrism does not automatically make a newly copied library searchable merely because the files exist on disk. Open the PhotoPrism interface, go to the Library tab and start an index. Let the first pass finish; a large library can require considerable time and disk activity.
Understand what the sidecars contribute
PhotoPrism’s Google migration documentation says it can read these values from Google Takeout JSON sidecars:
- Title
- Caption
- Latitude and longitude
- Date and time taken
- Date and time created
- Date and time updated
Those fields are why deleting or separating the JSON files before indexing is risky. The application may still display an image without its sidecar, but the displayed date, caption or location can then be incomplete or different from the Google Photos view.
Immich migration: use the Takeout workflow deliberately
Install Immich from the ZimaOS App Store and create the storage layout requested by the current Immich and ZimaOS documentation. For a Google Photos migration, Immich directs users to export with Takeout and use immich-go. Work from the complete, extracted archive set, keep the original files available, and monitor the migration for errors rather than assuming that a successful upload page proves every sidecar and video was accepted.
Immich’s backup model deserves special attention. Its project documentation warns that database backups do not include the image and video files. A restorable plan therefore includes the media directory and the database/application configuration. Test that the file copy and database backup can be recovered independently; a database-only backup is not a complete Google Photos replacement.
Metadata validation: a checklist that catches silent errors
Do not judge the migration by whether the home screen shows thumbnails. Select representative items and compare them with Google Photos before deleting the source.
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- Capture dates: check original photos from several years, including scans and images whose file-system date differs from the capture date.
- Locations: open photos with known GPS data and confirm that the map or location fields are present and plausible.
- Captions and titles: inspect items that had edited titles or descriptions in Google Photos.
- Edited images: compare an edited photo with its original and confirm that both expected files exist.
- Live Photos: test both the still image and motion component where your library contains them.
- Videos: play short and long videos, including less common formats, and check their dates.
- Duplicates and bursts: inspect a burst or near-duplicate set to ensure the import did not silently omit members.
- Recent items: verify the newest media, not only older files from the first archive extracted.
Keep a written list of any missing or misdated examples. If a problem is limited to a folder, inspect its sidecar pairing and re-run the application’s index after correcting the files. If many items are missing, stop cleanup and verify that every Takeout archive was downloaded and extracted.
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Albums are a separate migration task
PhotoPrism states that Google Photos albums are not automatically imported. Its documentation points to a community bash script for transferring albums, but a community script is not the same as a guaranteed feature of every PhotoPrism release. If albums matter, read the script, check its compatibility with your current PhotoPrism version, test it on a small copy and review the resulting album membership before applying it to the whole library.
Album names can also include automatically generated groupings that you do not want to reproduce. Decide which albums are meaningful, record that decision, and treat the script as an optional second phase after media and metadata validation. Do not let an album experiment modify your only extracted copy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Backup and retention after the import
Maintain two kinds of backup
- Media backup: copy the original photo and video files, including their JSON sidecars, to an external USB drive or another independent storage target.
- Application backup: back up the PhotoPrism or Immich database, configuration and application data using the method appropriate to that application.
For Immich, the separation is explicit: the database backup excludes image and video files. For PhotoPrism, backing up only the database is likewise insufficient if the originals are lost. A recovery plan must include both the catalog data and the original media.
Use ZimaOS Data Migration carefully
If you move Photos, Backup or Docker application data between ZimaOS storage spaces, use the Data Migration tool’s conflict and source-retention choices deliberately. Retain the source until the destination application opens normally, the library path is correct and the external backup is readable. Only then consider reclaiming the old space.
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When is it safe to delete Google’s copy?
There is no shortcut: wait until the NAS catalog has completed indexing, the metadata checklist passes, videos and Live Photos work, representative albums have been addressed and an independent backup has been checked. Retain the Takeout archives for another recovery window even after the NAS looks correct. Google’s copy is the final fallback until you are satisfied that the NAS and its backup can replace it.
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Troubleshooting common failure modes
The NAS catalog is empty
- Confirm that files were copied to the host path actually mounted into the container.
- For PhotoPrism, verify the
/DATA/Galleryto/photoprism/originalsmapping. - Start an explicit index from the Library tab after the copy completes.
- Check permissions and that the application account can read the files.
Dates or locations are missing
- Look beside an affected media file for its matching JSON sidecar.
- Check whether the sidecar was moved, renamed or deleted during extraction.
- Verify that all archives were extracted, then re-index after restoring the sidecar.
Only part of the library appears
- Count the downloaded archives and confirm that none failed extraction.
- Search the extracted folder for media from the newest period and from older years.
- Ensure the application was not indexed while later files were still being copied.
Albums are absent
This is expected in PhotoPrism’s documented Google workflow. Handle album transfer separately with the current, reviewed community script, or recreate selected albums manually after the underlying media has been validated.
Immich restores the catalog but not photos
Restore the original image and video files as well as the database. Immich’s database backup does not contain the media, so a database-only restore cannot rebuild the library.
PhotoPrism or Immich: a practical decision
Choose PhotoPrism when a documented ZimaOS App Store installation, the default Gallery mapping and direct reading of Google JSON sidecars are the deciding factors. Choose Immich when its web/mobile experience is more important and you are comfortable adding immich-go to the Takeout process and managing separate media backups. Neither choice eliminates the need to validate dates, locations, videos and representative albums. The cited documentation does not establish a universal speed winner, capacity formula or hardware benchmark, so base the decision on workflow and backup requirements rather than an assumed indexing time.
A completion checklist
- Google Takeout contains Google Photos only, and every archive is downloaded.
- All archives extract without errors into a retained working copy.
- Media files remain beside their JSON sidecars.
- The ZimaOS storage path has room for originals, extraction, thumbnails, database and future growth.
- PhotoPrism or Immich is installed through the ZimaOS App Store and points to the intended storage.
- The full library is indexed or migrated from the complete extracted set.
- Dates, GPS data, captions, edited images, Live Photos and videos have been spot-checked.
- PhotoPrism albums have been handled separately, or the decision to omit them is deliberate.
- Original media and application data have independent backup coverage.
- The Google library and Takeout archives remain available until all checks pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does downloading Google Takeout delete my Google Photos library?
No. Downloading the Takeout data creates a copy and does not delete the data from Google’s servers. Keep the cloud library until the NAS and its backup have been verified.
Will PhotoPrism automatically recreate my Google Photos albums?
No. PhotoPrism’s documented Google workflow imports media and metadata, but Google Photos albums require separate handling, such as a carefully reviewed community script or manual recreation.
Is an Immich database backup enough to restore the library?
No. Immich states that database backups do not include image and video files. Back up the media directories separately.
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