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Many of us store our precious photos in our Photos app. Years and years of holidays, family gatherings, and memorable events sitting there in our iCloud storage.
Sooner or later, you’ll want to know how to download all photos from iCloud for offline use. Whether you’re backing up, freeing cloud space, or just want local access, the process is simple. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to download photos from iCloud to your iPhone or Mac, step by step.
Here's a quick overview of how to download photos from iCloud, depending on your device. For more detailed instructions, keep reading the sections below.
| I want to download photos… | Do this: |
| From iCloud to iPhone | Sync your iPhone > Go to iCloud.com > Photos > Open a photo > Three dots > Download. |
| From iCloud to Mac | Sync your Mac > Go to iCloud.com > Photos > Select a photo > Three dots > Download. |
| All photos at once | Go to iCloud.com > Photos > Press Command + A > Download > Choose a folder. |
Want an easy way to download videos? Check out the All Video Downloader assistant on ChatGPT — it’s super handy for quick downloads.
If you’re wondering how to download photos from iCloud to your iPhone for offline use, you’ll first need to sync your device with iCloud.
To do this:
Note: When you choose "Download and Keep Originals," your photos are stored locally on your device in full resolution, not as compressed versions.
If you don’t want to sync all your photos across your Apple devices but prefer to download specific images to your iPhone, you can do that, too.
Here’s how to download specific photos manually:
If you want to do an iCloud Photos download to your MacBook, the process is straightforward. Similar to what you did with your iPhone, you need to sync your Mac with iCloud so that all your new photos will automatically upload to your cloud storage. From there, you can extract them at any time.
Here’s how to do this:
All your iCloud photos will appear and download to your Mac automatically through iCloud sync.
If you’re trying to download specific photos from iCloud to your Mac, this is how you do it:
I personally use a variety of cloud storage services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, and so do many other people. When it comes to sharing files, things can get a little tricky sometimes, especially with large file sizes on my Mac. Dropshare, a secure file-sharing platform, helps me tackle those issues head-on. All you need to do is use the drag-and-drop functionality, and you can share all kinds of images and files with people using a secure, password-protected link.
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Let’s say you have a small selection of photos up on the cloud and you want to download all of them to your device.
Here’s how to download all iCloud photos at once on a Mac:
Note: Downloading large numbers of photos may take some time, depending on your internet speed, so be patient.
Sometimes cloud-only storage isn't enough, and heres; why:
Knowing how to get photos from iCloud gives you full control over your media library, which you'll be able to access even without internet access.
Now you know how to download photos from iCloud to Mac and iPhone like a seasoned pro! Whether you’re downloading all your iCloud photos or specific ones, it only takes a few clicks to do so.
And with third-party tools like CloudMounter, CleanMy®Phone, and Dropshare, you can make everything from managing your files in the cloud to keeping your Photos storage organized a breeze.
These three apps are available on Setapp, a platform that gives you access to 250+ Mac and iOS apps for a single monthly subscription. There’s also a free 7-day trial, so you can explore how it can make your digital life simpler and more productive.
To download all your photos from iCloud, go to iCloud.com and sign in. In the Photos tab, choose photos and download.
There are a couple of reasons why you can’t download photos from iCloud:
To download everything from iCloud storage, first make sure iCloud is turned on on your device. Then, follow these steps:
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