Set up and apply iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos works with the Photos app to keep your photos and videos securely stored in iCloud, and upwards to date on your iPhone, iPad, iPod bear on, Mac, Apple 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
  • Make sure that you take enough storage

How iCloud Photos works

iCloud Photos automatically keeps every photo and video yous have in iCloud, so yous can access your library from whatsoever device, anytime you want. Whatever changes yous make to your collection on 1 device change on your other devices besides. 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 tin can speedily find the moment, family member, or friend you're looking for.

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

Plow on iCloud Photos

Make sure that you prepare iCloud and sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. If y'all have a PC, you demand Windows vii or after and iCloud for Windows.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

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

On your Mac

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

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

On Apple tree Tv 4K and Apple Television receiver HD

  1. Go to Settings > Users and Accounts.
  2. Select iCloud.
  3. Turn 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 as well every bit 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 capture with these devices are in HEIF and HEVC format. When you lot edit or delete photos or videos, it's reflected across all of your devices.

Edits testify up on all of your devices

When yous make edits in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod bear upon or on your Mac, the photograph automatically updates beyond all your devices, including your Apple Tv set. So when y'all ingather or enhance a photo from your iPhone, you run across the changes when you access your library from your Mac. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and you tin can get back 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 you lot utilize iCloud Photos. Photos and videos stay in the Recently Deleted folder for xxx days earlier they're deleted permanently.

Download copies of your photos and videos

When y'all turn on iCloud Photos, your photos and videos automatically upload to iCloud. They're not duplicated in your iCloud fill-in, and then you should keep backup copies of your library. Use the steps beneath to download copies of your photos and videos to your Mac or PC. Or y'all tin 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 the Photos app, then select one or more photos or videos.
  2. Tap the share button.
  3. Tap AirDrop, so select the device that you desire to share with. Learn more about using AirDrop.

Download photos and videos from your Mac

  1. On your Mac, open up 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 you have plenty storage

The photos and videos that yous keep in iCloud Photos use your iCloud storage and your device storage. And as long as you have enough infinite in iCloud and on your device, y'all can store as many photos and videos as y'all like. Learn more nigh iCloud storage and device storage.

If you need more than iCloud storage

When yous sign up for iCloud, you automatically become 5GB of free storage. If yous need more space, you lot can buy more iCloud storage. Plans start at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month. If you lot cull 200GB or 2TB plans, you tin can 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 salvage storage space on your device, you 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 merely when you need space, starting with the photos and videos you access to the lowest degree. You tin can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you 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 bear on

  1. Go to Settings > [your proper noun] > 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.

Pause 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 internet speed. If you take a large collection of photos and videos, your upload might take more than time than usual. You tin see the condition and intermission the upload for 1 twenty-four hours.

  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, open the Photos app, go to the Library tab, and tap All Photos. Then ringlet to the bottom of your screen.
  • On your Mac, open up the Photos app. Select Library in the sidebar, and so click All Photos in the list of tabs in the toolbar. Scroll to the bottom of your photos and click Pause.

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