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 might be times when you need to download these photos and videos back to a specific device for offline access, backup purposes, or simply to free up iCloud storage. Whether you’re looking to retrieve a single photo or your entire library, this guide will walk you through several straightforward methods to get your photos back from iCloud.
Downloading Photos Using the Photos App Settings
One of the simplest ways to download your iCloud Photos is directly through the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, or the Photos app settings on your Mac. This method is ideal if you want to download your entire iCloud Photo Library to one device.
On Your iPhone or iPad
- Begin by opening the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on your Apple ID name at the top of the Settings menu.
- Select iCloud, then proceed to Photos.
- Under the “Download and Keep Originals” option, ensure it is selected. This setting will download the original, full-resolution versions of your photos and videos from iCloud to your device.
Settings app navigation to download iCloud photos on iPhone
It may take some time for all your photos and videos to download, depending on the size of your library and your internet connection speed. Once downloaded, these photos will be stored directly on your device’s storage, allowing for offline access.
On Your Mac
- Open the Photos application on your Mac.
- In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click on Photos and then select Settings (or Preferences in older macOS versions).
- Click on the iCloud tab.
- Choose Download Originals to this Mac. Similar to the iPhone setting, this will initiate the download of your original, high-resolution photos and videos from iCloud to your Mac’s hard drive.
Ensure you have enough storage space on your Mac to accommodate your entire photo library before initiating the download. Like on iPhone, the download time will depend on your library size and internet speed.
Downloading Photos from Shared Albums
If you are only interested in downloading photos from specific Shared Albums, you can do so directly from within the Photos app as well. This is a great option for saving photos that have been shared with you or that you have shared with others.
On Your iPhone or iPad
- Launch the Photos app and navigate to the Shared tab at the bottom of the screen to access your Shared Albums.
- Select the Shared Album you wish to download photos from.
- Tap on the specific photo or video you want to save.
- Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing upwards).
- From the Share Sheet options, choose Save Image or Save Video to save the selected item to your device’s photo library.
On Your Mac
- Open Photos and find Shared Albums in the sidebar menu on the left.
- Select the desired Shared Album.
- Control-click (right-click) on the photo or video you want to download.
- Choose Import from the context menu. This will save the selected photo or video to your main Photos library, which, depending on your iCloud settings, may also sync back to iCloud.
Downloading Photos Directly from iCloud.com
For more control over download options, or if you are using a device that isn’t directly linked to your iCloud account, iCloud.com provides a web interface to access and download your photos. This method is versatile and works across iPhones, iPads, Macs, and even PCs.
On Your iPhone or iPad
- Open a web browser and go to iCloud.com/photos.
- Sign in using your Apple ID and password.
- Tap Select, then choose the photos and videos you want to download. For downloading your entire library, tap Select All.
- Tap the More button (three dots in a circle).
- Select Download. You may also see More Download Options, which allows you to choose between:
- Unmodified Originals: Downloads the photos in their original format as captured.
- Highest Resolution: Downloads in the best quality for your device, often HEIC or H.265 formats.
- Most Compatible: Downloads in JPEG or MP4/H.264 formats for broader compatibility.
- Tap Download to begin the download process.
On Your Mac or PC
- Navigate to iCloud.com/photos in a web browser.
- Log in with your Apple ID credentials.
- Click to select one or more photos or videos. Use the command key (⌘) on Mac or control key (Ctrl) on PC to select multiple items.
- Click the Download button (cloud icon with a downward arrow) in the top-right corner. Alternatively, click More (three dots) for More Download Options to choose your preferred format:
- Unmodified Originals
- Highest Resolution
- Most Compatible
- Click Download to start downloading your selected photos and videos.
iCloud.com provides flexibility in choosing download formats, especially useful if you need to ensure compatibility with devices or software that may not fully support Apple’s native formats like HEIC.
By following these methods, you can easily get your photos back from iCloud to any of your devices. Regularly downloading your photos is a good practice to ensure you have local backups and control over your valuable photo library.
