[2022] How to download photos from iCloud: 4 ways (2023)

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iCloud is a great tool for backing up your photos and other data, but it’s not perfect. If you are still wondering how to download all photos from iCloud onto your PC, you might face a few problems you need to know before proceeding:

✘ iCloud Photos aren’t loading on your PC
✘ Dates change when moving iCloud photos to a PC
? Why won’t iCloud for Windows install on my PC?
? Why are my photos taking so long to download from iCloud?

But please don’t worry! We are here to solve all these problems and explain how to get pictures from iCloud.

This article will be helpful if you own a Windows computer. If you own a Mac, follow the official Apple guide on how to download photos from iCloud to Mac.

Choose how to upload photos from iCloud and jump to the method you prefer:

How to download photos from iCloud – CopyTrans Cloudly
Download photos from iCloud – CopyTrans Backup Extractor
How to get photos from iCloud – iCloud.com
How to get pictures from iCloud – iCloud for Windows

Download photos from iCloud

Or check out our comparison table:

	CopyTrans Cloudly	iCloud.com	iCloud for Windows
Downloading all photos	Downloads everything at once	Downloads only 1000 items at a time	Downloads everything at once
Preserving album structure	Yes	No	No (downloads by year)
Downloading originals	Yes	Yes	Not always
The incremental download of new photos (without creating duplicates)	Yes	No	No
Deleting all photos	Deletes everything at once	Deletes only 1000 items at a time	No
Retrieving permanently deleted photos	Yes	No	No
Speed (depends on the Internet connection speed)	15-30 minutes for every 5 GB	Eternity	1,5-3 hours for every 5 GB
Viewing and selecting photos before downloading	No	Yes	No
Using on a Mac	No	Yes	No
Uploading photos to iCloud	Yes	Yes	Yes

! Keep in mind that this is a tutorial for Windows users. If you have a Mac, please refer to the guide for macOS users.

How to download photos from iCloud

with CopyTrans Cloudly

CopyTrans Cloudly is designed as an alternative to iCloud for Windows. This software is intuitive, easy to install, and allows you to recover all your photos and videos saved on iCloud. The best part is that it doesn’t create duplicates, so you can stop and then resume the download at any time!

Advantages

✓ downloads all the photos and videos at once
✓ preserves original format, size, and quality
✓ saves your iCloud album structure
✓ operates faster than both iCloud.com and iCloud for Windows

Disadvantages

✘ doesn’t let you view or select the photos

So, how to download photos from iCloud to PC? Just follow these steps:

Download and install CopyTrans Cloudly

Try CopyTrans Cloudly for free

Run CopyTrans Cloudly. You will see a login screen. Enter your Apple ID and password.

If you have two-factor authentication enabled, make sure to allow the connection on your device. Enter the code you received on your device:
(Video) [3 Ways] How To Download iCloud Photos to iPhone 2022

Wait until your iCloud Photo Library is loaded. You will see the main app screen after. To download iCloud photos to PC, click on Download:

Select which folder you want to download your library to:
TIP: if you have a question: how to backup iCloud photos to an external drive, then CopyTrans Cloudly can help you with it too.

YouTube guide

More useful functions of CopyTrans Cloudly:

✓ Delete all photos from iCloud
✓ Upload photos and videos to iCloud
✓ Rescue deleted photos

Download photos from iCloud

from iCloud backup

If for some reason, you cannot find your photos in iCloud, there is still a chance they might be waiting for you in some backup on or off your PC. To help you here, we developed a product called CopyTrans Backup Extractor. The program will search for iCloud and iTunes backups automatically and download iCloud photos to PC. Here is how to proceed:

Advantages of CopyTrans Backup Extractor

✓ compatible with different backups: iCloud, iTunes, CopyTrans Shelbee, or other programs;
✓ find all the backups automatically;
✓ free version allows you to see what does backup have;

Download and install CopyTrans Backup Extractor:
Try CopyTrans Backup Extractor for free
Choose Log in to iCloud for more backups on the welcome screen.

Enter your Apple ID and password. If you have 2-factor authentication enabled, you will also need to insert a verification code sent to your device.

There you are! After a short search, CopyTrans Backup Extractor will display all your backups, both on PC and in iCloud. iCloud backups are marked with a cloud icon, while PC backups have a folder icon next to them.

Choose the backup that contains your photos. If the backup is encrypted, enter the backup password to proceed. Click on Photos.
(Video) How to Download Photos from iCloud to Your iPhone or PC

Finally, select the folder you want to extract the photos to and wait for the process to complete. Voila! You can now click on Open containing folder to see all of the extracted photos.
Your photos are successfully out of the backup! If you want to have these photos on your iPhone, here is a guide on how to transfer photos from your computer to your iPhone.

If you don’t like your experience with iTunes, there is always an alternative. Check out CopyTrans programs: they can do as much as iTunes, and even more.

Transfer iPhone photos to the PC and back

Transfer photos and videos from iPhone to PC
Move photos and videos from PC to iPhone
Create and edit iPad albums
Organize photos and preserve album structure
Keep EXIF data intact
JPG, HEIC, MOV, Live photos

Download and try for free!

Manage iPhone contacts, messages, notes, and calendars on your PC

Transfer contacts from one iPhone to another
Back up your messages to a PC
Manage your iPhone and iCloud calendars
Save your iPhone notes to the computer

Download and try for free!

Back up your iPhone to the PC without iTunes

Back up and restore iPhone without iTunes
Restore iPhone data selectively
Restore WhatsApp without iCloud
Transfer iOS apps to new iPhone

Download and try for free!

How to get photos from iCloud

via iCloud.com

How to see photos in iCloud? On iCloud.com you can quickly see the overview of the photos you have in iCloud. You can also use it on your Mac, unlike the other two alternatives. However, iCloud.com is of no use to you if you want to download or delete all of your photos and videos and not spend an eternity on them.

Disadvantages

(Video) How to Download ALL of Your iCloud Photos in a Few Easy Steps

✘ no way to download or select all photos at once
✘ has a limit of choosing 1000 items

Advantages

✓ you can view and select photos

Anyway, let’s start with the instructions:

Go to the iCloud browser version and log in using your Apple ID.

Once logged in, click on Photos.

Now you can view all your photos via the browser.
Select each photo and tap on the cloud icon in the top right corner to download images one by one from your iCloud account to the computer.
Note: If you have less than 1000 photos in iCloud, you can easily download all the photos by pressing Ctrl + A, then clicking on the “Download” button. If you have more than 1000 photos, however, it becomes a bit more tricky. You will have to track which 1000 photos you have already downloaded, then select another 1000, and so on. CopyTrans Cloudly you can download everything at once 🙂

You can also select multiple photos in iCloud by selecting moments. Click on the small plus sign in the top right corner of one of the moments. Voila! All the pictures in your moment are selected. You can download photos from iCloud to PC.

Once your photos and videos have been downloaded, you will have to extract them from the folder your browser downloads files to (for me, it is This PC >> Downloads). The browser version of iCloud doesn’t give you the option to download all your photos and videos to a folder of your choice.

TIP:

Once the downloading process is finished, you can delete all your photos from iCloud and forget about them forever or continue using them. I haven’t been a fan of iCloud Photo Library since the time I ran out of space on both my iCloud and iPhone and couldn’t do much about it. I didn’t know about CopyTrans Photo at the time, so I had to manually download each photo to my PC since, back then, iCloud didn’t support selecting multiple photos.

Anyway, to delete all the pictures from your iCloud, you’ll have to select all your photos one by one again (or by selecting entire moments as explained above) and click on “Delete”. Before deleting, make sure all your photos have been saved to your computer.

How to get pictures from iCloud

with iCloud for Windows

iCloud for Windows is a nice tool provided by Apple that lets you download iCloud photos to PC in bulk. It also lets you upload photos to iCloud (in case you’re interested in that).

The drawbacks are:

✘ it doesn’t preserve the album structure of your iCloud Library
✘ cannot boast stability
✘ may not download all the photos in the original quality
✘ iCloud for Windows just doesn’t install or returns unknown errors

It will, however, help you download your photos. So, here are the instructions:

(Video) [4 ways] How to Transfer Photos From iPhone to Laptop - 2022

Download the iCloud for Windows tool and install it onto your computer.
Open iCloud for Windows from the Start menu.

Tap on Options and select everything you need. Click on Done to download iCloud photos.

Then click on Apply and close the main window.

Next, open the system tray and click on the cloud icon.

How to back up iCloud photos? Hit Download Photos to initiate the process.
Your photos are now being downloaded to C:\Users\&USER NAME&\Pictures\iCloud Photos\Downloads

If you have iCloud Photo Library enabled on your iPhone or iPad, you can simply select all photos and send a link to download them from your computer. Here’s how:

Go to your iPhone and tap on the Photos app. Click on Select in the top right corner.

Tap, hold, and swipe to select all pictures.
After you’ve selected all the photos you need, click on the Share button in the bottom left corner.

Swipe left on the bottom icons to get to the icon you need, then select Copy iCloud link to get photos from iCloud.

After this, simply paste this link somewhere (send it to your email, for example) and click on it from your PC. Make sure you aren’t signed in to iCloud in your browser. Click on Download and it will transfer iCloud photos to PC
Click on Download again. The photos will be downloaded in a .zip archive. You can extract them to a folder of your choice after the download is completed.

(Video) Top 4 Ways to Transfer Photos From iPhone to External Hard Drive

Conclusion

It is a common problem: you have an iPhone, but you can’t download photos from iCloud to your PC. It seems like there are no solutions on the internet. However, in this article, we have shown you 4 different methods with all their pros and cons, and one of the options is CopyTrams Cloudly – a program that allows users to download all their photos from iCloud with just a few clicks. With CopyTrams Cloudly you don’t need any special skills or knowledge about computers – everything is very easy and intuitive!

Download CopyTrans Cloudly

How to delete all photos from iCloud
How to recover permanently deleted photos from iCloud

FAQs

Why is it so hard to download photos from iCloud? ›

Check that all your connections are good and try restarting or resetting your device. iCloud photo downloads require a stable network connection, so make sure you have a good WiFi signal. Sign out and sign in to iCloud to refresh, then try to download again.

Know More ›

Is there a way to download more than 1000 photos from iCloud? ›

Downloading over 1,000 photos from iCloud to a PC is quite different, as iCloud only allows the transfer of 1000 pictures at a time. To download all photos from iCloud to PC, you'll need to use the new Apple online Data and Privacy website tool that allows users to get a copy of all data on their iCloud.

Learn More ›

How do I retrieve photos from iCloud? ›

How to access iCloud Photos

Open the Photos app.
Tap the Library tab to see your photos.
Tap the Albums tab to see My Albums, Shared Albums, People & Places, Media Types, and Utilities. You can also learn more about content that you share with others.

Jan 13, 2022

How do I Download thousands of photos from iCloud to my computer? ›

On your Mac or PC

On iCloud.com, click Photos and select a photo or video. Hold the command key on your Mac or control key on your PC to select multiple photos or videos.
Click and hold the download button in the upper corner of the window. ...
Click Download.

Jan 20, 2022

Tell Me More ›

How do I Download all data from iCloud? ›

How to Download Your Apple Data:

Sign in to your Apple ID account page at appleid.apple.com on a Mac, iPhone, iPad or PC.
Go to “Data & Privacy” and select “Manage Your Data and Privacy.”
On the following page, go to “Get a copy of your data” and select “Get started.”

More items...

Oct 17, 2018

Explore More ›

Why can't I download photos from iCloud to my iPhone? ›

Make sure iCloud Photos is enabled on your iOS device first of all, and even if it is enabled already, toggle it off and turn it back on again. By doing this, you're essentially forcing iCloud to sync your photos again. In order to do this, head over to Settings -> Photos -> iCloud Photos.

Read On ›

Why won't my pictures download to my computer? ›

To transfer files over Wi-Fi, your computer and the smartphone or other device containing the photos must both be connected to the network. If either is not on Wi-Fi, your PC won't be able to browse your photos. Check the settings on both devices, making sure that each is logged into the same network.

Get More Info Here ›

Why are my photos not downloading to my computer from iCloud? ›

If you find that iCloud photos not syncing to PC, you might get the wrong Settings in iCloud for Windows, so you can't use it download iCloud photos. Open iCloud client, check Photos, and then click Options. Check Upload to My Photo Stream and do remember to check Download new photos and videos to my PC.

What is the limit for iCloud photo library? ›

Uploads to My Photo Stream per hour: 1000 photos. Uploads to My Photo Stream per day: 10,000 photos. Uploads to My Photo Stream per month: 25,000 photos.

Tell Me More ›

What is the easiest way to Download photos from iPhone? ›

First, connect your iPhone to a PC with a USB cable that can transfer files.

Turn your phone on and unlock it. Your PC can't find the device if the device is locked.
On your PC, select the Start button and then select Photos to open the Photos app.
Select Import > From a USB device, then follow the instructions.

Keep Reading ›

How do I Download my entire iCloud photo library to PC? ›

Download and view iCloud Photos on your Windows computer

On your Windows computer, open File Explorer, then click iCloud Photos in the Navigation pane. If you don't see iCloud Photos, click Pictures in the Navigation pane, then double-click iCloud Photos.
Double-click a thumbnail to download and view it.

Tell Me More ›

How do I Download everything from iCloud to my computer? ›

Enter your Apple ID and Password to log in to your iCloud account.

Once logged in, click on the files you want to transfer to the PC, i.e., "Photos."
Click on the first photo once the Photos tab opens.
You'll then need to select all the files (photos) you want to download. ...
Transfer Files from iCloud to PC by Program.

More items...

Sep 22, 2022

Why is my phone not downloading from iCloud? ›

Try going to System Preferences/iCloud and stop syncing by unchecking the box. Wait a couple of minutes, then check syncing. Last resort - have you tried signing out of iCloud and then sign back in?

Find Out More ›

Why are my apple photos not downloading? ›

Connect the iPhone to power and a strong internet connection. If you Use Low Data Mode on your iPhone and iPad, turn this feature off as it could pause iCloud Photos updates. Confirm that you have enough space in iCloud for your photos to upload following Check your iCloud storage online or on any device.

Learn More ›

Why can't I access my iCloud photos on my phone? ›

Check Your Settings

If you're already signed in to the correct Apple ID, the second step is to ensure that iCloud Photos is enabled on your device. Tap your Apple ID name at the top of the screen, go to iCloud > Photos, and check that Sync this iPhone is toggled on.

Does iCloud photos expire? ›

iCloud Links automatically expire after 30 days, but you can stop sharing them sooner.

Get More Info ›

Can I download Photos directly from my iPhone? ›

You can easily transfer photos from your iPhone to PC by importing them into the Windows Photos app, dropping them directly into the default Pictures folder, or uploading via the iCloud Photos Library. Images can be imported from iPhone to Mac using the photo transfer feature in the Photos app, or by using AirDrop.

How long does it take for 1000 photos to upload to iCloud? ›

It might take up to 12 hours to upload. If you don't see them by then, try turning the iPad and iphone off and on once the upload is complete.

Why are photos stuck on uploading? ›

The quickest way to fix Google Photos backup stuck issue on Android is by removing its cache. You can just go to your phone's Settings > Apps > Google Photos > Storage and Cache and choose to clear the cache on Google Photos app. You can later restart the app and check if you are able to upload your photos or not.

Get More Info ›

How do I force my iPhone to download photos? ›

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Go to Settings > [your name].
Tap iCloud, then tap Photos.
Select Download and Keep Originals.

Jan 20, 2022

View Details ›

Why are the pictures not downloading? ›

Clear your cache and cookies – Sometimes problems with apps or photos can arise due to old data being stored in your cache and cookies. Clearing these files can help solve some issues. Reset your phone – If none of these tips work, it might be time to try a factory reset.

Discover More Details ›

How do I get my iPhone to download pictures? ›

How to Save a Photo as a PDF on iPhone

Open the Photos app and make sure you're on the Library tab.
Tap Select.
Tap the image(s) you want to save as a PDF. ...
Tap the Share icon.
Scroll down and tap Print. ...
On the Print Options screen, tap the Share icon in the upper right, next to Print.
Scroll down and tap Save to Files.

More items...

Feb 1, 2023

Tell Me More ›

[2022] How to download photos from iCloud: 4 ways (2023)

Download photos from iCloud

How to download photos from iCloud

with CopyTrans Cloudly

YouTube guide

More useful functions of CopyTrans Cloudly:

Download photos from iCloud

from iCloud backup

Advantages of CopyTrans Backup Extractor

How to get photos from iCloud

via iCloud.com

TIP:

How to get pictures from iCloud

with iCloud for Windows

Conclusion

Related articles

FAQs

Why is it so hard to download photos from iCloud? ›

How do I Download my entire iCloud photo library to PC? ›

Does iCloud photos expire? ›

How long does it take for 1000 photos to upload to iCloud? ›

Videos