Selecting hundreds of photos one at a time gets tedious fast. You can select a range with Shift-click on a computer or touch-and-drag on your phone. Google’s Help documents these range-selection methods rather than a one-click, library-wide Select all, so use Google Takeout when your goal is to download everything.
Select a range on your computer
Open Google Photos and sign in to the account containing your pictures.
In the Photos view, hover over the first thumbnail you want and click its Select checkmark.
Scroll to the last photo you want.
Hold Shift and click that thumbnail. Google Photos selects the range between the first and last items, saving you from clicking each picture.
That range covers items within the current view. Google’s instructions don’t publish a maximum range size.
If you cannot select the range you need on the website, try the mobile method below. For a download of your entire library, jump to Google Takeout.
On Android or iPhone, touch and drag
Open the Google Photos app on your Android phone, iPhone, or iPad.
Enter the Photos view, an album, or Search results.
Touch and hold the first thumbnail you want to select.
Without lifting your finger, drag downward through the pictures to the last photo you want. This selects a continuous range.
If dragging does not work, touch and hold the first photo to enter selection mode.
Tap each additional photo you want to include.
Tip: Use individual taps when you want to choose pictures separately instead of selecting a continuous range.
When an album or search leaves photos out
Selecting inside an album or search result leaves other photos out because the selection covers only that view.
On a computer, open the album or Search results containing the pictures you want.
Hover over the first thumbnail and click its Select checkmark.
Scroll to the final result.
Hold Shift and click that result to select the intervening range.
Return to Photos to select across your main photo grid instead. A range selection covers only what that view shows: archived photos are hidden from the Photos view (though they still appear in albums and search results), and Locked Folder items don’t appear in the Photos grid, search, or albums.
On mobile, open the album or Search results you want to work with.
Touch and hold the first thumbnail.
Drag downward to the last picture you want selected.
Include the pictures inside photo stacks
A stack needs an extra choice when you want to share every picture it contains. Choosing Selected items only applies the action only to the stack’s top pick.
On Android, iPhone, or iPad, touch and hold a stack in the Photos view.
Tap Share.
Choose Includes photo stacks when prompted. Google also offers this choice for adding stacks to albums and certain other actions.
This includes the pictures in the selected stacks, not your entire library. Photo stacks require backed-up photos.
For individual selection, open the stack.
Choose Thumbnail menu > Multi-select.
If selecting the whole stack does not give you the selection you need, select only the individual members you want here.
Download your library with Google Takeout
Sign in at Google Takeout with the Google Account containing your photos. Exporting downloads your data without deleting the originals; it does not select pictures for editing, sharing, or deletion.
Leave Google Photos selected.
Uncheck any other products you do not want to export.
Keep all Photos data included instead of restricting the export to a subset.
Select Next step.
Choose Send download link via email as the delivery method.
Choose the archive format.
Set the archive size.
Select Create export.
When the email arrives, choose Download archive.
Download every archive part to get the complete export. Keep all the parts, since an export can span multiple files.
Google notes that an archive may not include changes made between your request and the archive’s creation, such as photos or albums you add or delete, and photos still being deleted aren’t included.
Tip: Download and view your export on a desktop computer, as Google recommends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Ctrl+A or Command+A to select my entire Google Photos library?
Google’s official Help doesn’t document either shortcut for selecting photos. It documents Shift-click range selection on a computer and touch-and-drag on the mobile apps.
Is there a fixed limit on how many photos I can select?
Google does not specify a universal item limit in its range-selection instructions. Treat fixed figures like 500, 1,000, or 10,000 items from older tutorials as unverified.
Does showing dates in the photo grid select photos by day?
No. Show dates in grid displays date headings to help you identify selection boundaries. Turning it on does not select any photos.
Can I export photos from a work or school account?
Yes, if your account has access to Google Takeout. Work or school administrators can restrict exports.
