iCloud Photos is a fantastic service for automatically storing your precious memories in the cloud, making them accessible across all your Apple devices. However, there are times when you need to download your photos and videos from iCloud to your device for offline access, backup purposes, or to free up iCloud storage. Whether you’re using an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a PC, getting your photos back from iCloud is a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through all the methods to easily download your photos and videos from iCloud.
Downloading via the Photos App Settings
One of the simplest ways to download your entire iCloud Photos library is through the settings of your Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This method is ideal if you want to keep original, high-resolution versions of all your photos and videos directly on your device.
On Your iPhone or iPad
If you want to download all your iCloud Photos to your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Open Settings: Locate and tap the “Settings” app icon on your home screen.
- Tap Your Name: At the top of the Settings menu, tap on your Apple ID name.
- Navigate to iCloud: Select “iCloud” from the Apple ID menu.
- Access Photos Settings: Tap on “Photos” within the iCloud settings.
- Choose Download and Keep Originals: Under the “iCloud Photos” section, you will see an option labeled “Download and Keep Originals.” Select this option.
iPhone settings to download iCloud photos and videos
Once you select “Download and Keep Originals,” your iPhone or iPad will begin downloading the original, full-resolution versions of your photos and videos from iCloud to your device’s local storage. Please note that this process may take a significant amount of time and storage space depending on the size of your iCloud Photos library. Ensure you have enough free space on your device before starting the download.
On Your Mac
To download your iCloud Photos library to your Mac using the Photos app settings, follow these steps:
- Open the Photos App: Launch the “Photos” application on your Mac.
- Access Settings (or Preferences): In the top menu bar, click on “Photos” and then select “Settings” (or “Preferences” in older macOS versions).
- Go to the iCloud Tab: In the Photos Settings window, click on the “iCloud” tab.
- Select Download Originals to this Mac: Check the box next to “Download Originals to this Mac.”
By selecting this option, your Mac will download the original, high-resolution photos and videos from iCloud Photos to your Mac’s photo library. Similar to iPhones and iPads, the download time will depend on the size of your library. Ensure you have sufficient storage space on your Mac.
Downloading from Shared Albums
Shared Albums in iCloud Photos offer a way to share photos and videos with others and collaborate on albums. You can also download photos and videos directly from Shared Albums to your devices. This is particularly useful if you only need specific photos from shared albums rather than your entire library.
On Your iPhone or iPad
To download photos or videos from Shared Albums on your iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Photos App: Launch the “Photos” app on your device.
- Navigate to Shared Albums: Scroll down to the “Shared Albums” section in the “Albums” tab.
- Select a Shared Album: Tap on the Shared Album from which you want to download photos or videos.
- Select Photo or Video: Tap on the specific photo or video you wish to download.
- Use the Share Button: Tap the “Share” button (the square with an upward arrow) located at the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Choose Save Image or Save Video: From the share sheet options, select “Save Image” to download a photo or “Save Video” to download a video.
The selected photo or video will be downloaded and saved to your device’s Camera Roll or Photos library.
On Your Mac
Downloading from Shared Albums on a Mac is also straightforward:
- Open Photos and Select Shared Album: Open the Photos app and select the “Shared Albums” from the left-hand menu.
- Choose Photo or Video: Select the photo or video you want to download from the Shared Album.
- Control-Click and Import: Control-click (right-click) on the selected photo or video.
- Select Import: From the context menu, choose “Import.”
The photo or video will be imported and saved to your Mac’s Photos library.
Downloading via iCloud.com
iCloud.com provides a web interface to access your iCloud Photos and download them to any device, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and PCs. This method is versatile and allows you to download photos and videos from any web browser.
On Your iPhone or iPad
To download photos and videos from iCloud.com using 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.
- Tap Select: Once logged in, tap “Select” in the top right corner.
- Choose Photos or Videos: Tap on the photos or videos you want to download. You can tap “Select All” to select your entire library.
- Tap the More Button: Tap the “More” button (three dots in a circle) at the bottom right corner.
- Choose Download: Select “Download.”
- Choose Download Options (Optional): In the “More Download Options” menu, you can choose:
- Unmodified Originals: Downloads the photos and videos in their original format as captured or imported.
- Highest Resolution: Downloads the best quality version for your device, typically in HEIC or H.265 format.
- Most Compatible: Downloads in JPEG or MP4/H.264 format for maximum compatibility with different devices and software.
- Tap Download: After selecting your desired options, tap “Download.”
The selected photos and videos will be downloaded as a ZIP file to your device. You may need a file management app to unzip the file and access your photos and videos.
On Your Mac or PC
Downloading photos and videos from iCloud.com on a Mac or PC is very similar:
- Go to iCloud.com: Open your web browser and go to iCloud.com/photos.
- Sign in to Your Apple Account: Sign in with your Apple ID credentials.
- Select Photos or Videos: Click on the photos or videos you wish to download. Use the Command key (on Mac) or Control key (on PC) to select multiple items.
- Click the Download Button: Click the “Download” button (cloud icon with down arrow) in the upper-right corner.
- Choose Download Options (Optional): Click “More” and then “More Download Options” to see the download options:
- Unmodified Originals
- Highest Resolution
- Most Compatible
- Click Download: Click “Download” to start the download process.
Similar to downloading on iPhone or iPad via iCloud.com, the photos and videos will be downloaded as a ZIP file to your computer. You can then unzip the file to access your downloaded media.
By using any of these methods, you can effectively download your photos and videos from iCloud and ensure you have local backups or access to your memories whenever you need them. Choose the method that best suits your device and the amount of photos and videos you need to download.
