How to Download All Your Photos from iCloud Easily
Storing your iPhone and iPad photos in iCloud is a simple way to make a backup of your precious memories. This guide shows you how to download those pictures.
iPhone Photography | Learn | By Ana Mireles
If you’re trying to learn how to get pictures from iCloud, you’re in the right place.
In this article, I’ve compiled a guide that explains how to access and download photos from iCloud with an iOS device, a Mac computer, and a PC.
I also answer some of the most common questions about iCloud photos, so keep reading!
How to Download All Photos from iCloud in 4 Simple Steps
Step 1: Log in
The first thing to do if you want to download photos from iCloud is to sign in to iCloud.com. You can do this using any browser from any device.
Step 2: Open the Photos app
Once you sign in with your Apple ID, you can access many apps – calendar, mail, etc.
Find the Photos app and click on it – tap if you’re on a mobile device.
Step 3: Select
This step differs depending on the device you’re working on.
On a mobile device – iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Tap Select > Select All to download all the iCloud photo library, or tap and hold to select multiple photos if you prefer to choose which ones.
On a computer – Mac or PC. Hold the Command key and click the photos. You can click and drag the mouse to select all of them – or as many as you want.
Step 4: Download
Again, the download button is different according to the device.
On a mobile device – iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Tap on the three dots. Choose Download from the menu. Then, tap on Download to confirm.
On a computer – Mac or PC. Click the Download button on the upper right corner- it’s the one with a cloud and an arrow pointing down. It will start downloading iCloud photos. Otherwise, you can click and hold to choose if you want to Download Originals or the edited versions.
Once you download iCloud photos to your computer, you’ll have to extract the zip file, and you’ll be able to see all your photos and videos.
How do you Access iCloud Photos?
If you’re wondering how to access or view iCloud photos on your iPhone, here’s the method:
Start by checking if you’re using iCloud Photos on your iPhone. To do this, go to Settings and tap on your name. Then, tap iCloud, and tap Photos. Make sure the switch is On.
This means that all your iPhone photos get uploaded to the iCloud photo library and are synced across your devices.
Then, you can access and view your photos with the Photos app.
- Can you check iCloud photos online?
Yes, you can access and see the iCloud photos using a web browser on any device as long as you have an internet connection.
Simply log in using your Apple ID on iCloud.com.
- How do I view my iCloud photos on my PC?
One way to see photos from iCloud on your PC is by logging into iCloud.com using your Apple ID.
Otherwise, you can use iCloud for Windows if you have it installed on your computer. Use it to see photos and videos from iCloud on your PC. To do this, choose the operating system you have and follow these steps:
- Windows 11: On the Start menu, click on iCloud. If you can’t see it, go to All Apps.
- Windows 10: Go to the Start menu > iCloud.
- Windows 8.1: On the Start screen, click on the down arrow you’ll find in the bottom left corner. Then, click iCloud.
- Windows 8: On the Start screen, click on the iCloud tile.
- Windows 7: Open the Start menu, then click on All Programs > iCloud > iCloud.
How do you Download iCloud photos to Windows 10?
To transfer photos from iCloud to a Windows PC, you need to download them to your computer. You can do this using iCloud for Windows.
First, you need to download and install iCloud for Windows on your computer from the Apple website.
Once you’ve done that, launch iCloud on your PC. You’ll find it in the Start menu – if not, head to All Apps and look for it.
You’ll need to sign in using your Apple ID the first time you use it.
Look for the Quick Access section on the left side of the iCloud screen. Here, you’ll find iCloud Photos – click on it.
Now, click on the button Download photos and videos. This will open a dialogue box.
Here, select All if you want to download all the photos from the iCloud library. Otherwise, select only the ones you want.
Then, click Download.
Now you’ll find all the images in the Downloads folder. It might take some time, depending on how many photos you have and whether or not you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection.
FAQs about iCloud Photos
When you delete photos from your iPhone, are they deleted from iCloud?
Whenever you delete a photo using the Photos app on your iPhone, it’s also deleted from the iCloud Library if you’re signed in. However, you can restore photos in the first 30 days -after that, they are permanently deleted from the iCloud storage.
How do I access my iCloud photos from another device?
If you want to access your iCloud photos on any of your synced devices, simply open the Photos app.
Instead, to see and manage your iCloud photos on other devices, you can use the browser to access iCloud.com. There, you can find all your photos and videos.
Does iCloud save photos on all devices?
If you have two or more Apple devices, you can sync your photos and videos using iCloud to access them from all your devices.
Make sure the iCloud Photos feature is enabled on your devices. You can do this in the Settings.
If you can’t see all the photos and videos on every device, you might not have enough iCloud storage. So, it stopped synchronizing.
To fix that, you need to increase the storage space or delete files to free up some storage space. Make sure you make an iCloud backup before you delete anything important.
Also, empty the Recently Deleted album. Otherwise, your photos will still be there for the next 30 days.
Can I see my iCloud backups on my computer?
Yes, you can see and manage your iCloud backup on a Mac and a PC.
On Mac, go to the Apple menu > System Settings / System Preferences > Your name / ID > iCloud > Manage > Backups.
On Windows, open iCloud > Storage > Backups.
How do I know if my photos are on iPhone or iCloud?
iCloud is a synching service. So, if you enable iCloud photos on your iPhone, all your photos are on the iCloud photo library and your iPhone storage. If you delete an image on your iCloud account, it gets deleted from the iPhone automatically and vice-versa.
Does deleting photos from iCloud delete them from all devices?
Yes, iCloud syncs across multiple devices. So, when you delete photos from iCloud, they’ll be deleted in all the devices you’re logged in with the same Apple account.
To prevent this from happening, you need to disable iCloud on your device. Then, you can manage iCloud photos without affecting the ones on your device. Keep in mind that once you log back in, it will sync again.
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