Is Google Photos Takeout Helper Safe to Use?

Yes, it is not malware: the scripts are open source and many people have read the code. The practical risks are that they rewrite files with no undo and may lag behind Google's export format, so run them on a copy.

The well-known helper scripts are open source, so anyone can read what they do, and plenty of people have. They are not malware. The risks are practical rather than sinister.

They run from a command line, they usually move or rewrite files in place, and most have no undo. A mistyped path can reorganise the wrong folder. They also go through periods without maintenance, and a script that worked last year may not match Google's current export format.

Always work on a copy, whatever tool you choose. Takeout JSON Metadata Fixer is the same job with a normal interface, a preview before anything is written, and an option to keep the originals in a subfolder. Free for your first 500 photos.