How Do I Get My Photos From iCloud? A Simple Guide

iCloud Photos is a fantastic service for keeping your precious memories safe and accessible across all your Apple devices. But what if you want to download those photos and videos to your computer or another device for backup, editing, or simply to have them locally? It’s a common question for many Apple users: How do I get my photos from iCloud? Fortunately, Apple provides several straightforward methods to download your photos and videos from iCloud, ensuring you have access to your memories whenever and wherever you need them.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different ways you can download your photos and videos from iCloud, whether you’re using an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a PC. We’ll cover using the Photos app settings, Shared Albums, and iCloud.com, giving you all the information you need to retrieve your photos and keep them exactly where you want them.

Downloading Photos from iCloud: Three Main Methods

There are three primary ways to download your photos and videos from iCloud. Each method is simple and effective, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your device and needs. Let’s explore each of these methods in detail.

Method 1: Using the Photos App Settings

This method is ideal if you want to download your entire iCloud Photos library directly to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. By changing a simple setting, you can ensure all your original photos and videos are stored locally on your device.

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app. This is the grey app with gears, typically found on your home screen.

2. Tap your name at the top. This will take you to your Apple ID settings.

3. Tap iCloud. This section manages all your iCloud settings.

4. Tap Photos. Here you’ll find settings related to iCloud Photos.

5. Select “Download and Keep Originals”. By default, “Optimize iPhone Storage” might be selected, which saves device space by storing smaller, optimized versions of your photos and keeping originals in iCloud. Selecting “Download and Keep Originals” ensures full-resolution versions are downloaded to your device.

   iPhone settings showing iCloud Photos options, with "Download and Keep Originals" highlighted, illustrating how to download iCloud photos from settings

   This image is a thumbnail from an Apple support video and visually represents the process of accessing iCloud Photo settings on an iPhone, leading to the option to download original photos.

After selecting “Download and Keep Originals”, your iPhone or iPad will begin downloading the original, full-resolution versions of your photos and videos from iCloud. The time this takes will depend on the size of your library and your internet connection speed.

On your Mac

1. Open the Photos app. This app is pre-installed on your Mac and has a multicolored pinwheel icon.

2. Choose “Photos” > “Settings” from the menu bar. (In older macOS versions, this might be “Photos” > “Preferences”).

3. Click the “iCloud” tab. This will bring you to the iCloud Photos settings within the Photos app.

4. Select “Download Originals to this Mac”. Similar to the iPhone and iPad setting, this option ensures that full-resolution versions of your photos and videos are downloaded and stored on your Mac’s hard drive.

   iPhone settings showing iCloud Photos options, with "Download and Keep Originals" highlighted, illustrating how to download iCloud photos from settings

   This image, again a thumbnail from the Apple support video, illustrates the steps within the Mac Photos application to reach the iCloud settings and select the option for downloading original photos to the computer.

Once you select this option, the Photos app on your Mac will start downloading your iCloud Photos library. Ensure you have enough free storage space on your Mac to accommodate your entire photo and video library.

Method 2: Using the Photos App with Shared Albums

If you only want to download specific photos or videos from Shared Albums, this method is the most efficient. Shared Albums allow you to share photos and videos with others, and you can also use them to selectively download content you’ve shared or that has been shared with you.

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Photos app.

2. Scroll down to “Shared Albums”. This section is usually found at the bottom of the Albums tab.

3. Select an album. Tap on the Shared Album from which you want to download photos or videos.

4. Tap the photo or video you want to download.

5. Tap the Share button. This is the square icon with an arrow pointing upwards, usually located in the bottom left corner.

6. Choose “Save Image” or “Save Video”. This will download the selected photo or video to your device’s Camera Roll or Photos library.

   iPhone settings showing iCloud Photos options, with "Download and Keep Originals" highlighted, illustrating how to download iCloud photos from settings

   This thumbnail image visually represents the process of navigating to a Shared Album within the iPhone Photos app, selecting a photo, and using the share button to access the “Save Image” option for downloading.

On your Mac

1. Open the Photos app.

2. Select a Shared Album from the left-hand menu. Shared Albums are listed in the sidebar of the Photos app.

3. Select the photo or video you want to download.

4. Control-click (right-click) on the photo or video.

5. Choose “Import”. This will download the selected photo or video and add it to your main Photos library on your Mac.

   iPhone settings showing iCloud Photos options, with "Download and Keep Originals" highlighted, illustrating how to download iCloud photos from settings

   This thumbnail visualizes the steps on a Mac, showing the selection of a Shared Album in the Photos app sidebar, the selection of a photo, and the use of a control-click to reveal the “Import” option, which initiates the download.

Method 3: Using iCloud.com

iCloud.com provides web access to your iCloud Photos library, allowing you to download photos and videos from any web browser on any device, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and PCs. This is particularly useful for downloading photos to a PC or when you need more control over download options.

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Go to iCloud.com/photos in Safari or your preferred browser.

2. Sign in to your Apple Account. Use the same Apple ID and password you use for iCloud.

3. Tap “Select”, then tap one or more photos or videos. To download your entire library, tap “Select All”.

4. Tap the More button. This is usually represented by three dots or a similar icon.

5. Choose “Download”.

   iPhone settings showing iCloud Photos options, with "Download and Keep Originals" highlighted, illustrating how to download iCloud photos from settings

   This thumbnail shows the iCloud.com Photos interface as seen on an iPad, highlighting the selection of photos and the “More” button, which is the gateway to the download options when using iCloud through a web browser on a mobile device.

6. Choose your download options if prompted. You may see “More Download Options” which lets you choose between:

   • 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, often in HEIC or H.265 format for newer photos and videos.
   • Most Compatible: Downloads in JPEG or MP4/H.264 format for maximum compatibility with older devices or software.

7. Tap “Download”. The selected photos and videos will be downloaded as a ZIP file to your device. You may need to use a file management app to unzip the file and access your photos and videos.

On your Mac or PC

1. Go to iCloud.com/photos in your web browser.

2. Sign in to your Apple Account.

3. 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.

4. Click the Download button in the upper-right corner. It’s usually an icon of a cloud with a downward arrow.

   iPhone settings showing iCloud Photos options, with "Download and Keep Originals" highlighted, illustrating how to download iCloud photos from settings

   This thumbnail represents the desktop view of iCloud.com Photos, emphasizing the selection of photos and the download button located in the upper right corner, which is the primary action for downloading photos from iCloud via a web browser on a computer.

5. Choose your download options if prompted. Similar to mobile, you may be presented with “More Download Options” to select the format: Unmodified Originals, Highest Resolution, or Most Compatible.

6. Click “Download”. The selected photos and videos will be downloaded as a ZIP file to your computer. Your browser will usually ask you where you want to save the file.

For PC Users: If you are using a PC regularly with iCloud Photos, consider setting up iCloud for Windows. This allows for automatic syncing and downloading of your iCloud Photos library directly to your PC, making photo management even easier.

Conclusion

Downloading your photos and videos from iCloud is a straightforward process, offering multiple methods to suit your needs. Whether you want to download your entire library, specific albums, or just a few cherished photos, Apple provides user-friendly options via the Photos app and iCloud.com. By following these simple steps, you can easily access your iCloud memories and keep them safely stored wherever you choose.