Prepare and use iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos works with the Photos app to keep your photos and videos securely stored in iCloud, and up to engagement on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch on, Mac, Apple TV, and iCloud.com.

iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro showing the same iCloud Photo Memory

  • How iCloud Photos works
  • Turn on iCloud Photos
  • What happens when you edit or delete photos
  • Download copies of your photos and videos
  • Make certain that y'all take enough storage

How iCloud Photos works

iCloud Photos automatically keeps every photo and video you lot take in iCloud, and so you can access your library from any device, someday you want. Any changes you make to your drove on one device change on your other devices also. Your photos and videos are organized into Years, Months, Days, and All Photos. And all of your Memories and People are updated everywhere. That fashion y'all can quickly find the moment, family member, or friend you're looking for.

Depending on your internet speed, the time information technology takes for you to see your photos and videos on all of your devices and iCloud.com might vary.

Turn on iCloud Photos

Make sure that yous fix iCloud and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple tree ID on all of your devices. If you have a PC, you demand Windows 7 or after and iCloud for Windows.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

  1. Get to Settings > [your proper name].
  2. Tap iCloud.
  3. Tap Photos, so plow on iCloud Photos.

On your Mac

  1. Cull Apple menu  > Organisation Preferences.
  2. Click Apple ID.
  3. Click iCloud in the sidebar, and then select Photos.

If yous take an earlier version of macOS, go to System Preferences > iCloud. Click Options next to Photos, so select iCloud Photos.

On Apple tree Tv set 4K and Apple Television receiver HD

  1. Go to Settings > Users and Accounts.
  2. Select iCloud.
  3. Plow on iCloud Photos.

On your Windows PC

What happens when you edit or delete photos

Your photos and videos are stored in iCloud in their original formats at full resolution. This includes HEIF, JPEG, RAW, PNG, GIF, TIFF, HEVC, and MP4 besides every bit special formats you lot capture with your iPhone or iPad, like slo-mo, time-lapse, 4K videos, and Live Photos. The photos and videos you capture with these devices are in HEIF and HEVC format. When yous edit or delete photos or videos, it's reflected across all of your devices.

Edits testify upwards on all of your devices

When you brand edits in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod affect or on your Mac, the photo automatically updates beyond all your devices, including your Apple Boob tube. So when you crop or raise a photograph from your iPhone, you see the changes when you access your library from your Mac. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and you can become dorsum to them at any time, and revert any changes y'all made.

Photos delete from all of your devices

The photos and videos that you delete on one device are deleted everywhere that you utilise iCloud Photos. Photos and videos stay in the Recently Deleted folder for xxx days before they're deleted permanently.

Download copies of your photos and videos

When you turn on iCloud Photos, your photos and videos automatically upload to iCloud. They're non duplicated in your iCloud fill-in, so yous should keep backup copies of your library. Utilise the steps below to download copies of your photos and videos to your Mac or PC. Or yous tin can import your library to your Mac or PC.

Download your photos and videos from iCloud.com

Download photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

  1. Open up the Photos app, then select 1 or more photos or videos.
  2. Tap the share push button.
  3. Tap AirDrop, and then select the device that y'all want to share with. Acquire more than about using AirDrop.

Download photos and videos from your Mac

  1. On your Mac, open the Photos app.
  2. Select i or more than photos or videos.
  3. Drag the content to your desktop, or Control-click and select Share > AirDrop.

Make sure that you have enough storage

The photos and videos that you lot keep in iCloud Photos use your iCloud storage and your device storage. And as long as you take plenty infinite in iCloud and on your device, yous can store as many photos and videos as you like. Acquire more about iCloud storage and device storage.

If you need more iCloud storage

When you sign upwards for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of gratis storage. If y'all demand more space, you can purchase more iCloud storage. Plans showtime at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a calendar month. If you lot choose 200GB or 2TB plans, you lot can share your storage with family. Larn how to buy more iCloud storage.

If y'all need more device storage

iCloud Photos keeps all your photos and videos in their original, loftier-resolution version. To salvage storage space on your device, you lot can turn on Optimize Storage.

If you turn on Optimize Storage, iCloud Photos automatically manages the size of your library on your device. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and space-saving versions are kept on your device. Your library is optimized but when you need infinite, starting with the photos and videos you admission least. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when yous need them.

If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photos keeps your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device.

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

  1. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
  2. Tap Photos.
  3. Choose Optimize [device] Storage.

On your Mac

  1. Open the Photos app and click Photos in the menu bar.
  2. Click Preferences.
  3. Go to the iCloud tab and choose a storage setting.

Suspension library uploads to iCloud

When you turn on iCloud Photos, the time it takes for your photos and videos to upload to iCloud depends on the size of your collection and your internet speed. If yous accept a large drove of photos and videos, your upload might take more time than usual. Y'all can see the condition and break the upload for ane solar day.

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on, open the Photos app, become to the Library tab, and tap All Photos. Then scroll to the lesser of your screen.
  • On your Mac, open the Photos app. Select Library in the sidebar, then click All Photos in the list of tabs in the toolbar. Whorl to the bottom of your photos and click Pause.

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