Migrating Your Photo Library from OneDrive to Ente Photos: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

Backing up your photos and videos is something many of us only think about after we've lost something irreplaceable. While local storage remains the most private and secure option—especially when files are encrypted—it doesn't help when you're away from home and need to pull up a specific image or video on your phone or laptop. That's where cloud services like Google Photos and Microsoft OneDrive come in handy. I relied on OneDrive for years, but as Microsoft aggressively integrated its Copilot AI across its products, I grew concerned about how my media might be used or altered. That concern drove me to find a more privacy-focused alternative.

Migrating Your Photo Library from OneDrive to Ente Photos: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide — Source: itsfoss.com

After evaluating options, I settled on Ente Photos (mascot Ducky, pictured above). Ente is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted photo storage service launched in 2020. Its mission, as described by founder Vishnu Mohandas, is to let people preserve memories without their data being mined. Beyond photos, Ente also offers Auth (a 2FA backup app) and Locker (secure document storage). This tutorial walks you through exactly how I moved over 200 GB of photos and videos from OneDrive to Ente Photos—and why I'm not looking back.

Prerequisites

Before starting the migration, make sure you have the following in place:

An Ente account – Sign up at ente.io. You can start with the free tier (10 GB) or choose a paid plan. I selected the 200 GB plan, which cost roughly ₹4,788 annually (prices vary by region due to USD/EUR conversion).
OneDrive client installed – On Windows (or your OS), install the OneDrive sync app so you can download files locally without using the slow web interface.
Sufficient local storage – Ensure your computer or external drive has enough space to hold all your OneDrive files temporarily.
Stable internet connection – Uploading to Ente will require bandwidth, especially for large libraries.
Patience – For big libraries, both download and upload can take hours to days.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Download Your Files from OneDrive Locally

The first challenge is getting your photos and videos out of OneDrive without losing your mind. The web interface compresses files into a ZIP archive before downloading—a painfully slow process, especially with a 200 GB library. Here's the workaround that saved me hours:

Install the OneDrive desktop app on your Windows 11 (or other OS) computer. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
Configure the app to keep local copies of all files. In the sync settings, choose “Keep files on this device” or ensure the folders you want are marked as “Always keep on this device.” This forces OneDrive to download full-resolution originals to your machine.
Wait for the sync to complete. Depending on your internet speed and file count, this may take several hours. In my case, it finished in a few hours because the client is much more efficient than the web zipper.
Once synced, organise the files. I moved everything except photos/videos to an external hard drive, keeping only the media I wanted to migrate in a separate folder on my main drive.

Pro tip: If you have folders shared with others or nested structures, replicate them locally before proceeding. Ente preserves folder structure during upload.

2. Set Up Your Ente Account and Plan

If you haven't already, create an Ente account. Then:

Log in to the Ente web app or download the desktop client (available for Windows, macOS, Linux). I prefer using the desktop app for large uploads.
Choose a subscription plan. The free tier offers 10 GB, which is fine for testing. For full libraries, I recommend the 200 GB annual plan. Note that Ente bills in USD/EUR, so conversion rates apply—check your payment method for any foreign transaction fees.
After payment, your storage quota will be updated. You can verify it in the app settings.

Ente uses end-to-end encryption, meaning your files are encrypted before leaving your device. The service cannot see your photos—a key privacy advantage over OneDrive and Google Photos.

3. Upload Your Media to Ente Photos

Now comes the central part: transferring your local files to Ente. Follow these steps:

Open the Ente desktop app. On the main screen, click Upload (usually a cloud icon with an upward arrow).
Select the folder containing your photos and videos. You can choose multiple folders; Ente will respect your existing folder structure.
Click Start Upload. The app will begin uploading. You'll see a progress bar with estimated time remaining. For 200 GB, my upload took approximately 8-10 hours over a 100 Mbps connection.
During upload, you can pause and resume—useful if you need to use bandwidth for other tasks.
Once complete, verify by browsing your newly created albums in the Ente app or web interface. Photos and videos appear with original timestamps and metadata.

Note: Ente supports raw formats (e.g., .CR2) and HEIC/HEIF, but check their documentation for any format limitations. Most common photo and video formats are supported.

4. Verify and Organize Your Library in Ente

After the upload finishes, take a moment to:

Check a few random files to ensure they opened correctly and have intact metadata.
Reorganise albums if needed. Ente lets you create custom albums and move files between them.
Set up auto-upload for future photos from your phone: Install the Ente mobile app (iOS/Android) and enable background backup. This ensures new photos go directly to your encrypted vault.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Relying solely on the web download

Don't use OneDrive's web interface to download large libraries—it zips folders first, which is incredibly slow and often fails for gigabyte-sized archives. Always use the desktop sync client for bulk downloads.

Forgetting to check file integrity

Large uploads can have corrupted files. After migration, spot-check a subset of photos and videos. Ente's end-to-end encryption ensures files are not tampered with, but ensure they transferred correctly.

Ignoring storage quotas

Make sure you've selected a plan with enough space. I mistakenly tried to upload 200 GB to the free 10 GB plan—the upload failed midway. Check your quota before starting the bulk transfer.

Not preserving folder structure

If you manually reorganised files before uploading, you might lose the original folder hierarchy. Let Ente mirror your local folder layout by selecting the parent folder.

Overlooking network stability

Uploading for hours on a shaky connection can lead to interruptions. Use a wired connection if possible, and enable pause/resume in the app.

Summary

Migrating from OneDrive to Ente Photos is straightforward once you avoid the web interface's pitfalls. By downloading files locally via the OneDrive sync client, choosing the right Ente plan, and uploading everything through the Ente desktop app, you can move your entire library—even 200 GB—in under a day. The result? An end-to-end encrypted, open-source storage that respects your privacy and gives you full control over your memories. I've been using Ente for months and have no regrets. If you're tired of big tech's data mining or AI meddling, this guide shows you exactly how to make the switch.

Tags: