Storing your photos and videos in iCloud ensures they’re accessible across all your devices. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough on how to download your iCloud Photos to your Windows PC.
Setting Up iCloud Photos on Your PC
Before downloading, ensure iCloud is set up on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, iCloud Photos is enabled, and you’re signed in with your Apple ID.
- Install iCloud for Windows: Download and install iCloud for Windows from the official Apple website. Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Enable iCloud Photos: In iCloud for Windows, click the arrow next to “Photos” and enable “iCloud Photos.”
Enabling iCloud Photos in iCloud for Windows. - Choose Download Format (Optional): In iCloud for Windows 14.2 or later, click “Advanced” to select your preferred download format: “Download High-Efficiency format photos and videos” or “Download HDR videos.” This allows you to optimize storage space or maintain high quality.
- Enable Shared Albums (Optional): To access Shared Albums, turn on “Shared Albums.” Note: Shared Albums are stored on your C: drive; external drives are not supported.
- Confirm Settings: Click “Done” to save your settings.
Locating Your iCloud Photos on Your PC
Your iCloud Photos are stored in a specific folder on your PC: C:\Users\[user name]\Pictures\iCloud Photos\Photos.
Accessing iCloud Photos in Windows 11:
- Open the Microsoft Photos app.
- Select “iCloud Photos” in the left-hand pane.
Accessing iCloud Photos in Windows 10 or Later:
- Open File Explorer.
- Click “iCloud Photos” in the Navigation pane.
Downloading Photos and Videos from iCloud Photos
New photos and videos added to iCloud Photos automatically appear on your PC as thumbnails. To download the full-resolution file:
- Double-click a Thumbnail: Double-clicking a thumbnail initiates the download of the full-resolution file from iCloud.
- Keep Photos Permanently on Your PC:
- Open File Explorer and navigate to the “iCloud Photos” folder.
- Select the photos and videos you want to keep permanently on your PC.
- Right-click the selection and choose “Always keep on this device.” This ensures the selected files are always available offline.
Uploading Photos and Videos to iCloud Photos
To upload photos and videos from your PC to iCloud Photos:
- Open File Explorer and navigate to the “iCloud Photos” folder.
- Open a separate File Explorer window and locate the photos and videos you want to upload.
- Drag and drop the selected files into the “iCloud Photos” folder.
Uploaded photos and videos are accessible on iCloud.com and across all your Apple devices. Deleting photos in File Explorer or Microsoft Photos will also remove them from iCloud Photos. Any changes made to your photos or videos on other devices or iCloud.com will automatically sync to your PC.
