Set and use iCloud Photos

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

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

  • How iCloud Photos works
  • Plough on iCloud Photos
  • What happens when you edit or delete photos
  • Download copies of your photos and videos
  • Brand sure that you accept enough storage

How iCloud Photos works

iCloud Photos automatically keeps every photograph and video you accept in iCloud, then you can access your library from any device, anytime y'all want. Whatsoever changes you make to your collection on one device modify on your other devices too. 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 you lot can quickly detect the moment, family unit member, or friend you're looking for.

Depending on your internet speed, the time it takes for y'all to see your photos and videos on all of your devices and iCloud.com might vary.

Plough on iCloud Photos

Make sure that you lot ready up iCloud and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. If you accept a PC, yous need Windows vii or later and iCloud for Windows.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

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

On your Mac

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

If you have an before version of macOS, become to Organization Preferences > iCloud. Click Options next to Photos, and then select iCloud Photos.

On Apple tree Idiot box 4K and Apple Tv Hard disk drive

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

On your Windows PC

What happens when y'all edit or delete photos

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

Edits testify up on all of your devices

When you make edits in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod bear upon or on your Mac, the photo automatically updates across all your devices, including your Apple tree Television receiver. Then when you crop or heighten a photo from your iPhone, you run into the changes when you access your library from your Mac. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and yous can get dorsum to them at whatsoever 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 you use iCloud Photos. Photos and videos stay in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days earlier they're deleted permanently.

Download copies of your photos and videos

When you plough on iCloud Photos, your photos and videos automatically upload to iCloud. They're not duplicated in your iCloud backup, so you lot should keep backup copies of your library. Utilise the steps beneath to download copies of your photos and videos to your Mac or PC. Or you lot 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 up the Photos app, so select ane or more photos or videos.
  2. Tap the share button.
  3. Tap AirDrop, then select the device that you want to share with. Learn more virtually 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. Drag the content to your desktop, or Control-click and select Share > AirDrop.

Make certain that yous have enough storage

The photos and videos that y'all keep in iCloud Photos employ your iCloud storage and your device storage. And as long equally you take enough space in iCloud and on your device, y'all tin can store as many photos and videos as yous like. Learn more nearly iCloud storage and device storage.

If you demand more iCloud storage

When you sign upwards for iCloud, you lot automatically become 5GB of free storage. If you need more space, y'all tin buy more iCloud storage. Plans first at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month. If you lot choose 200GB or 2TB plans, you tin share your storage with family. Learn how to buy more than iCloud storage.

If you need more than device storage

iCloud Photos keeps all your photos and videos in their original, high-resolution version. To save storage space on your device, you can plough 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 only when you need infinite, starting with the photos and videos you lot admission least. You tin 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, total-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device.

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod impact

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

On your Mac

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

Pause library uploads to iCloud

When yous plough on iCloud Photos, the time information technology takes for your photos and videos to upload to iCloud depends on the size of your collection and your cyberspace speed. If y'all have a large collection of photos and videos, your upload might take more fourth dimension than usual. You tin can see the status and pause the upload for one day.

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, open the Photos app, go to the Library tab, and tap All Photos. Then curlicue to the bottom 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. Ringlet to the bottom of your photos and click Pause.

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