Google shutting down album archive: Download your data before it is gone

Google is sending emails to users about Album Archive shutting down.

This move will only affect photos shared through Hangouts and there will be no impact on your phone's gallery or drive.

If you use Hangouts, it is important to know that all shared photos are stored in Album Archive.

The shutdown will happen on July 19, and users can back up their photos and videos before the deadline.

After the shutdown, the data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Backing Up Your Album Archive

It is important to make sure you have a full backup of your Album Archive now.

If you are unsure about what is included in the Album Archive, it contains various things like Google Hangout data, background images uploaded in the Gmail theme picker prior to 2018, thumbnail photos, album comments, and more.

To download your data, just follow these simple steps.

1. Go to takeout.google.com.
2. Log in with your account details.
3. After logging in, click the option called "Deselect all.”
4. Select the checkbox for Album Archive.
5. Scroll down and click "Next Step."
6. On the next page, choose to receive the download link by email or add the data to another cloud storage service like Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box.
7. Click "Export" to proceed.
8. Wait for an email with the download link.
9. Click the link to start the download.
10. If you are transferring the data to another cloud service, provide your login credentials for secure transfer.