How to Download Photos from iCloud to Mac or iPhone 2024

Clare Weaver
Last updated: Jan 3, 2024
Summary: In this post, two ways to download photos from iCloud to Mac and iPhone will be introduced in detail. Just keep reading!

There may be times that you want to download photos from iCloud so that you can delete them and get more free iCloud space. Or you just want to get photos to your device for more convenience.

And here are mainly two ways to download photos from iCloud to Mac and iPhone:

  1. Via the Apple Photos app.
  2. Via icloud.com.

Let's learn how to download photos from iCloud now.

Download Photos from iCloud

Check How Much Space the Photos Take Up on iCloud

Before learning how to download photos from iCloud to Mac and iPhone, it's important to check how much space the photos take up on iCloud and the free storage of your devices, or you may fail to download the photos from iCloud for Mac/iPhone storage full.

  • Check how much space the photos take up on iCloud:

For Mac:

  1. Go to icloud.com in your Safari or Google Chrome and sign in with your Apple ID.
  2. Click your user's icon at the top right corner.
  3. Click iCloud Settings>Switch to Your iCloud Storage.

For iPhone:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap your name at the top>iCloudManage Account Storage.
Check iCloud Storage

After checking how much space the photos take up on iCloud, go to see if your device has enough space to download these photos. If not, clear your storage first.

  • And here is how to check your device storage:

For Mac:

System Settings>General>Storage.

For iPhone:

Settings>General>iPhone Storage.

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How to Download Photos from iCloud

Now that you already checked your iCloud storage and your device's storage, it's time to download photos from iCloud to your Mac or iPhone.

No matter you want to download photos from iCloud to Mac or iPhone, there are two quick ways.

How to Download Photos from iCloud to Mac

The first method to download photos from iCloud to Mac is via the Apple Photos app. And this method will automatically download full-size copies of your photos.

If you want to select a specific photo or photos, skip to the icloud.com way.

  • Here is how to get photos from iCloud to Mac via Photos:
  1. Open Photos app via Spotlight.
  2. Click Photos MenuSettingsiCloud.
  3. Check Download Originals to this Mac.
  • Here is how to download photos from iCloud to Mac via icloud.com:
  1. Go to icloud.com via your Mac's browser and sign in with your Apple ID.
  2. Tap Photos.
  3. Click the photo you want to download. (If you want to download multiple photos, just click one photo>press and hold Command key>select photos you want to download one by one.)
  4. Click the download icon and then Download. (Choose Unmodified Original or Most Compatible according to your needs.)
    Download Photos from iCloud

How to Download Photos from iCloud to iPhone

Downloading photos from iCloud to iPhone is similar to Mac. And there are the same two ways to do it: via the Apple Photos app and icloud.com.

  • Downloading photos from iCloud to iPhone via the Apple Photos app:
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap your name at the top>iCloudPhotos.
  3. Turn on sync this iPhoneDownload and Keep Originals.

Another method to download photos from iCloud to iPhone is via icloud.com. This method allows you to select specific photos.

  • Here is how to get pictures from iCloud to iPhone via icloud.com:
  1. Go to icloud.com via your iPhone's browser and sign in with your Apple ID.
  2. Tap Photos.
  3. Tap Select at the right corner.
  4. Select the photos you want to download>Info button>Download.
Tip
If you want to upload or download photos and videos manually, iCloud Drive is a good choice. Disabling iCloud photo syncing, but turn on iCloud Drive. This allows you to manage your photos and videos with more freedom.

How to Download Photos from Shared Albums

Shared Albums are convenient for users who want to share or invite their friends or families to share photos and videos.

The photos and videos you share stay in iCloud until you or the contributor delete them manually, or until you delete the shared albums completely.

There may be times that you want to store photos your friends or families upload in Shared Albums. And here is how to download photos from Shared Albums:

For Mac:

When you share photos and videos with someone, they can save the shared items to their own library.

  1. Open Photos>select Shared Album from the left-hand menu.
  2. Select the photo or video you want to download,
  3. Control-click a photo or video>click Import.

For iPhone:

  1. Open Photos app>Shared Albums.
  2. Tap the photo or video.
  3. Tap the share button.
  4. Tap Save Image or Save Video.

Final Words

This post covers everything you may want to know about downloading photos from iCloud to Mac or iPhone. Just follow the tutorial to do it!

Clare Weaver

Clare Weaver has been captivated by the world of Apple products since the launch of iconic iPhone in 2007. With a wealth of experience, Clare is your go-to source for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and all things Apple.