Google Takeout File Size: Which Zip Size, Zip or TGZ?
Google Takeout file size is the size of each zip part, from 1 GB to 50 GB (2 GB default). Which to pick, zip vs tgz, and how to unpack every part.
The Google Takeout file size is the largest size of one archive in your export. You choose it on the Takeout page, from 1 GB to 50 GB, and 2 GB is the default. An export larger than that size arrives in several numbered parts: takeout-…-001.zip, -002.zip and so on. For Google Photos, pick 10 GB or 50 GB if your connection is stable, and .zip unless you work on Linux.
The file size does not change what is exported or the photo quality. It only changes how many parts you download.
Where you set the file size
On takeout.google.com, after you select the data and click Next step, you see three settings:
- Delivery method: a download link by email, or Add to Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box.
- Frequency: export once, or every 2 months for a year.
- File type & size: .zip or .tgz, and a size of 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 10 GB or 50 GB.
Google fills one archive up to the size you chose, then starts the next. It does not care about album or year boundaries, so one album can be split across two or three parts.
Which file size to pick
| Size | Parts for a 200 GB library | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB or 2 GB | 200 or 100 | Unstable connections, FAT32 drives, small libraries |
| 4 GB | 50 | A middle choice for slow connections |
| 10 GB | 20 | Most people |
| 50 GB | 4 | Fast, stable connections and plenty of disk space |
Small parts mean many clicks and more chances to miss one. Large parts mean that one failed download costs more, because browsers do not resume Takeout downloads reliably. A 50 GB part that fails at 90 percent usually starts again from zero.
A USB stick or drive formatted as FAT32 cannot hold a file larger than 4 GB. If you download straight to such a drive, pick 2 GB, or reformat the drive as exFAT.
Zip or tgz for Google Takeout?
Both contain the same files and the same folder structure. The differences are practical:
- .zip opens with a double-click on Windows and Mac. Programs can list or extract single files without reading the whole archive. This is the right choice for most people.
- .tgz (a compressed tar file) is the native format on Linux and opens with Archive Utility on a Mac. Current Windows 11 versions can open it, and 7-Zip always can. A tgz must be read from start to end, so opening one file inside it is slow.
Neither format compresses photos and videos noticeably, because JPEG, HEIC and MP4 are compressed already. The total size is about the same.
Why is my Google Takeout zip file so large?
Because it contains the original files, plus copies. Takeout puts each photo into its year folder (Photos from 2019) and again into every album folder that contains it. A photo in three albums can appear four times. Every photo also gets a small .json file. How much disk space a Google Takeout export needs has the numbers for the unpacked folder too.
How to unpack every part
These are ordinary zips, not a multi-volume archive. Each part opens on its own. Every part has the same layout inside, Takeout/Google Photos/<folder>/, so the parts must be unpacked into the same place to merge the folders. A photo and its .json file can be in different parts.
On Windows
- Put all parts into one folder.
- Install 7-Zip. The built-in extractor is slow with tens of thousands of small files.
- Select all parts, right-click, choose 7-Zip, then Extract Here.
- When asked about files that already exist, choose Yes to All. These are album
metadata.jsonfiles, and the copies are the same.
On Mac
- Put all parts into one folder.
- Select all and double-click. Archive Utility unpacks each one.
- If you get
Takeout,Takeout 2,Takeout 3, drag the contents of eachGoogle Photosfolder into the first one and choose Merge.
On Linux
for f in takeout-*.zip; do unzip -o -q "$f" -d .; doneFor tgz parts, use for f in takeout-*.tgz; do tar -xzf "$f"; done.
Check that nothing is missing
Count the parts against the number on the Takeout page. The parts are numbered, so a gap between -011 and -013 means -012 never arrived. Check sizes: every part except the last should be close to the size you chose. A part at 3.1 GB among 10 GB parts is probably cut off and will not open, or will open with errors.
Download links are valid for 7 days. If a part is bad and the week has passed, you must request the export again, so check on the first day. Why did my Google Takeout download link expire? covers that case.
Working from the zips directly
Takeout JSON Metadata Fixer takes the zips as input on Windows and Mac, so you can skip the unpacking.
Pick one part and it finds the other parts in the same folder. If a number is missing, it tells you before it starts, while the links still work. It checks the free space on the destination drive, then reads all parts as one library, pairs each photo with its .json file even when they are in different parts, and writes the real date and GPS into each file. The first 500 photos are free. If you prefer free tools, unpack as above and run GooglePhotosTakeoutHelper or exiftool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Google Takeout file size?
10 GB for most people. 50 GB if your connection is fast and stable. 2 GB if downloads often fail.
Does the file size change the photo quality?
No. Every size contains the same original files. Does Google Takeout reduce photo quality? explains what decides quality.
Do I have to extract the parts in order?
No. Extract them in any order into the same folder.
Can I change the size after the export is ready?
No. Request a new export with the other size. It takes as long as the first one.
Why are there more files in Takeout than photos in Google Photos?
Album copies and the .json files. See Takeout duplicates and edited versions.
The whole download, from the first click: how to download all your Google Photos.