Ready and use iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos works with the Photos app to continue your photos and videos securely stored in iCloud, and up to date on your iPhone, iPad, iPod affect, Mac, Apple Goggle box, 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 yous edit or delete photos
  • Download copies of your photos and videos
  • Make sure that you lot have enough storage

How iCloud Photos works

iCloud Photos automatically keeps every photo and video you take in iCloud, so yous can access your library from any device, someday you want. Any changes you make to your collection on 1 device change on your other devices likewise. Your photos and videos are organized into Years, Months, Days, and All Photos. And all of your Memories and People are updated everywhere. That way yous can quickly find the moment, family unit fellow member, or friend yous're looking for.

Depending on your net speed, the fourth dimension it 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 you set up iCloud and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. If you take a PC, you need Windows 7 or after and iCloud for Windows.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod impact

  1. Go to Settings > [your name].
  2. Tap iCloud.
  3. Tap Photos, then turn on iCloud Photos.

On your Mac

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences.
  2. Click Apple ID.
  3. Click iCloud in the sidebar, then select Photos.

If yous have an earlier version of macOS, become to System Preferences > iCloud. Click Options next to Photos, then select iCloud Photos.

On Apple TV 4K and Apple Tv set Hard disk drive

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

On your Windows PC

What happens when yous 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 every bit well as special formats you lot capture with your iPhone or iPad, like slo-mo, fourth dimension-lapse, 4K videos, and Alive 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'due south reflected across all of your devices.

Edits show up on all of your devices

When y'all make edits in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod affect or on your Mac, the photo automatically updates across all your devices, including your Apple Telly. And then when y'all crop or enhance a photo from your iPhone, you run across the changes when you lot admission your library from your Mac. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and you can go dorsum to them at any time, and revert any changes you made.

Photos delete from all of your devices

The photos and videos that you delete on one device are deleted everywhere that y'all use iCloud Photos. Photos and videos stay in the Recently Deleted binder for thirty days before they're deleted permanently.

Download copies of your photos and videos

When you lot turn on iCloud Photos, your photos and videos automatically upload to iCloud. They're not duplicated in your iCloud backup, and then you should keep backup copies of your library. Use the steps below to download copies of your photos and videos to your Mac or PC. Or you 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 bear on

  1. Open the Photos app, then select one or more photos or videos.
  2. Tap the share button.
  3. Tap AirDrop, and so select the device that yous want to share with. Learn more than well-nigh using AirDrop.

Download photos and videos from your Mac

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

Brand sure that y'all have enough storage

The photos and videos that you keep in iCloud Photos use your iCloud storage and your device storage. And as long as you have plenty space in iCloud and on your device, you tin can shop equally many photos and videos every bit you lot similar. Learn more about iCloud storage and device storage.

If you need more iCloud storage

When y'all sign up for iCloud, you automatically go 5GB of free storage. If you need more infinite, yous tin can purchase more than iCloud storage. Plans offset at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month. If yous choose 200GB or 2TB plans, you tin share your storage with family. Acquire how to purchase more than iCloud storage.

If y'all need more device storage

iCloud Photos keeps all your photos and videos in their original, high-resolution version. To relieve storage infinite on your device, you can turn on Optimize Storage.

If y'all 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 just when you need space, starting with the photos and videos you access least. Y'all can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you lot 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. Become to the iCloud tab and choose a storage setting.

Intermission library uploads to iCloud

When yous 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 net speed. If y'all have a large collection of photos and videos, your upload might take more than fourth dimension than usual. You tin can come across the status and pause the upload for one solar day.

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, open the Photos app, get to the Library tab, and tap All Photos. And so scroll to the bottom of your screen.
  • On your Mac, open up the Photos app. Select Library in the sidebar, then click All Photos in the listing of tabs in the toolbar. Curl to the lesser of your photos and click Pause.

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