---
title: Install Google Photos Sync on Arch Linux using the Snap Store | Snapcraft
description: Get the latest version of Google Photos Sync for on Arch Linux - Google
  Photos Sync
url: https://snapcraft.io/install/gphotos-sync/arch
---

[Canonical Snapcraft](https://snapcraft.io/)

# Install Google Photos Sync on **Arch Linux**

# Google Photos Sync (gphotos-sync)

[Alan Pope (popey)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/popey "View all snaps from Alan Pope (popey)")

* [Alan Pope (popey)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/popey "View all snaps from Alan Pope (popey)")
* [Photo and Video](https://snapcraft.io/search?categories=photo-and-video)
* [Utilities](https://snapcraft.io/search?categories=utilities)

[Install](https://snapcraft.io/install/gphotos-sync/arch#install)

#### Google Photos Sync

\*\* Google Photos Sync.\*\*

Google Photos Sync is a command-line utility which downloads your Google Photos to the local file system. It will backup all the photos the user uploaded to Google Photos, but also the album information and additional Google Photos 'Creations' (animations, panoramas, movies, effects and collages).

In order to work, gphotos-sync first needs a valid client id linked to a project authorized to use the 'Photos Library API'. It is not provided in the distribution. Each client id is given a (large) limited number of free API calls to Google Services. If this distribution shared the client id, all users would share this resource limit. This is a little fiddly but only needs to be done once.

* Create a project on Google Developer Console - <https://developers.google.com/console/> , following the Creating a project procedure - <https://cloud.google.com/resource-manager/docs/creating-managing-projects>
* Authorize it to use the 'Photos Library API', following the Activating and deactivating APIs procedure - <https://cloud.google.com/apis/docs/enable-disable-apis>
* Create a Client ID by following the setting up oauth 2.0 procedure with application type set to **Other** - <https://support.google.com/cloud/answer/6158849?hl=en>
* Once the client ID is created, download it as client\_secret.json and save it under the application configuration directory
  `~/snap/gphotos-sync/current/.config/gphotos-sync`

Find out more from the upstream developer repo at: <https://github.com/gilesknap/gphotos-sync>

Built with ♥️ from the source at <https://github.com/gilesknap/gphotos-sync>

### Package name

* gphotos-sync

---

### License

* MIT

---

### Last updated

* 13 May 2020 - latest/stable
* 5 May 2022 - latest/edge

This snap hasn't been updated in a while. It might be unmaintained and have stability or security issues.

---

##### Report a Snap Store violation

* [Report this Snap](https://snapcraft.io/install/gphotos-sync/arch#report-snap-modal)

---

## Enable snaps on Arch Linux and install Google Photos Sync

Snaps are applications packaged with all their dependencies to run on all popular Linux distributions from a single build. They update automatically and roll back gracefully.

Snaps are discoverable and installable from the [Snap Store](https://snapcraft.io/store), an app store with an audience of millions.

### Enable snapd

On Arch Linux, snap can be installed from the [Arch User Repository (AUR).](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/snapd/)
The [manual build process](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository#Installing_packages) is the Arch-supported
install method for AUR packages, and you’ll need the [prerequisites](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository#Prerequisites)
installed before you can install any AUR package. You can then install snap with the following:

```
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/snapd.git
cd snapd
makepkg -si
```

Once installed, the *systemd* unit that manages the main snap communication socket needs to be enabled:

```
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket
```

If [AppArmor](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/AppArmor) is enabled in your system, enable the service which loads AppArmor profiles for snaps:

```
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.apparmor.service
```

To enable *classic* snap support, enter the following to create a symbolic link between `/var/lib/snapd/snap` and `/snap`:

```
sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snap
```

Either log out and back in again, or restart your system, to ensure snap’s paths are updated correctly.

### Install Google Photos Sync

To install Google Photos Sync, simply use the following command:

```
sudo snap install gphotos-sync
```

### Other popular snaps…

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[See more in Featured](https://snapcraft.io/search?categories=featured)

### More things to do…

#### [Get the snap store](https://snapcraft.io/snap-store)

Browse and find snaps from the convenience of your desktop using the snap store snap.

#### [Learn more about snaps](https://snapcraft.io/docs)

Interested to find out more about snaps? Want to publish your own application? Visit [snapcraft.io](https://snapcraft.io/) now.

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