Cloud services like iCloud Photos offer a convenient way to store and access your precious memories across all your devices. But what if you want to download those photos and videos to your computer or an external drive for backup, editing, or simply to have them readily available offline? This guide will walk you through the simple steps to get your photos from the cloud, ensuring you have a local copy whenever you need it.
Downloading Photos and Videos Using the Photos App
The Photos app, whether on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, provides seamless integration with iCloud Photos and offers straightforward download options.
On Your iPhone or iPad
If you’re looking to download your original, full-resolution photos directly to your iPhone or iPad, here’s how:
- Open Settings: Launch the Settings app from your home screen.
- Tap Your Name: At the top of the Settings menu, tap on your Apple ID name.
- Access iCloud Settings: Select “iCloud” from the Apple ID menu.
- Navigate to Photos: Tap on “Photos” within the iCloud settings.
- Choose Download and Keep Originals: Under the “iCloud Photos” section, select “Download and Keep Originals”. This ensures that the full-resolution versions of your photos and videos are downloaded and stored on your device.
Settings screens on iPhone showing steps to select Download and Keep Originals in iCloud Photos settings
By selecting this option, any new photos and videos, as well as the original, full-resolution versions of your existing iCloud Photos library, will be downloaded to your device when it’s connected to Wi-Fi and power. Keep in mind that this process can take a significant amount of time and storage space depending on the size of your iCloud Photo Library.
On Your Mac
For Mac users, downloading your iCloud Photo Library is just as easy through the Photos app:
- Open Photos App: Launch the Photos application on your Mac.
- Access Photos Settings: In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click “Photos” and then select “Settings” (or “Preferences” in older macOS versions).
- Go to iCloud Tab: Click on the “iCloud” tab in the Settings window.
- Download Originals to this Mac: Select the checkbox next to “Download Originals to this Mac”.
Once you’ve checked this option, your Mac will begin downloading the original, high-resolution versions of your photos and videos from iCloud. Like on iPhone and iPad, ensure you have enough storage space on your Mac and a stable internet connection for this process.
Downloading Photos and Videos from Shared Albums
Shared Albums in iCloud Photos provide a way to share photos and videos with others. If you want to save photos or videos from a Shared Album to your device, follow these steps:
On Your iPhone or iPad
- Open Photos App and Go to Shared Albums: Open the Photos app and scroll down to the “Shared Albums” section.
- Select a Shared Album: Tap on the Shared Album from which you want to download photos or videos.
- Select Photo or Video and Share: Tap on the specific photo or video you wish to download. Then, tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing upwards) located in the bottom-left corner.
- Save Image or Save Video: From the Share Sheet that appears, choose “Save Image” to download a photo or “Save Video” to download a video to your device’s Camera Roll.
On Your Mac
- Open Photos and Select Shared Album: Open the Photos app and select the desired Shared Album from the left sidebar menu.
- Select Photo or Video. Choose the photo or video you want to download.
- Control-Click and Import: Control-click (or right-click) on the selected photo or video. In the context menu, choose “Import” to save the item to your Photos Library.
Downloading Photos and Videos from iCloud.com
iCloud.com offers a web interface to access your iCloud Photos from any computer or even a browser on your mobile device. This is particularly useful when you are using a device that isn’t your own or if you prefer to manage your photos through a web browser.
On Your iPhone or iPad
- Go to iCloud.com: Open Safari or your preferred web browser and navigate to iCloud.com/photos.
- Sign in to Your Apple Account: Log in using your Apple ID and password.
- Select Photos and Videos: Tap “Select” and then tap on the photos and videos you wish to download. To select your entire library, tap “Select All”.
- Tap More Button and Choose Download: Tap the “More” button (represented by three dots in a circle). Select “Download”.
- Choose Download Options (Optional): Tap “More Download Options” if you want to choose the format. You’ll typically see options like:
- Unmodified Originals: Downloads the photos and videos in their original format as captured or imported.
- Highest Resolution: Downloads in the best quality for your device, often in HEIC or H.265 format.
- Most Compatible: Downloads in JPEG or MP4/H.264 format for broader compatibility.
- Tap Download to Confirm: After selecting your options (if any), tap “Download” to start the download process.
On Your Mac or PC
- Visit iCloud.com in a Browser: Open your web browser and go to iCloud.com/photos.
- Sign In with Apple ID: Enter your Apple ID credentials to sign in.
- Select Photos and Videos for Download: Click to select the photos or videos you want to download. Use the command key (⌘) on Mac or control key (Ctrl) on PC to select multiple items.
- Click Download Button: Click the “Download” button, which looks like a cloud with a downward arrow, located in the upper-right corner.
- Explore More Download Options (Optional): For more control over file formats, click “More” and then “More Download Options” before downloading. You’ll see the same format options as on iPhone and iPad: Unmodified Originals, Highest Resolution, or Most Compatible.
- Click Download to Begin: Finally, click “Download” to start downloading your selected photos and videos to your computer.
Downloading your photos from the cloud is a crucial step in managing and backing up your digital memories. Whether you’re using the Photos app or iCloud.com, these methods ensure you can access and save your photos and videos locally, giving you peace of mind and control over your visual content.
