iCloud Photos uploads new photos and videos from your Windows PC so you can view them in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac, and on iCloud.com. New photos that you take automatically download from iCloud Photos and you can choose to download your entire collection by year.
Here's what you need
Whether you're cropping your photos, importing them into Photoshop, or adjusting your color and saturation, there are tons of different ways that you can successfully edit pictures and videos in Photos for Mac. Photos for Mac has everything you need to make your pictures look exactly how you want.
Before you get started, you need to sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. Just follow the set up instructions for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or Mac. Then follow these steps to turn on iCloud Photos on your PC with Windows 7 or later.
Learn more about iCloud system requirements.
Turn on iCloud Photos
- Download iCloud for Windows.
- Open iCloud for Windows.
- Next to Photos, click Options.
- Select iCloud Photo Library.
- Click Done, then click Apply.
- Turn on iCloud Photos on all of your Apple devices.
You can also choose to use My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing (Shared Albums), and customize the location of your upload and download folders.
When you turn on iCloud Photos on your PC, My Photo Stream is turned off automatically. If you want to send new photos to your devices that don't use iCloud Photos, you can turn My Photo Stream back on.
Upload your photos and videos to iCloud Photos
You can upload your photos and videos from your PC to iCloud Photos when you follow these steps:
- Open a File Explorer window.
- Under Favorites, click iCloud Photos.
- Click Upload photos and videos.
- Choose the photos and videos you want to upload and click Open.
You can also drag and drop photos and videos from your PC into the Uploads folder in iCloud Photos. You can view the photos and videos you uploaded in the Photos app on iCloud.com and on all your Apple devices.
Download your photos and videos from iCloud Photos
New photos and videos you add to iCloud Photos will automatically download to your PC. You can also download your collection by year when you follow these steps:
- Open a File Explorer window.
- Under Favorites, click iCloud Photos.
- Click Download photos and videos.
- Choose the photos and videos you want to download and click Download.
Your photos and videos download to the location you set in iCloud Photos Options.
Learn more
If you need help managing and using iCloud Photos with your Windows PC, you can learn more.
It’s easy to make high-quality photo books, cards, calendars, framed prints, and more right within Photos for macOS Mojave. Third-party project extensions offer an expanded selection of services from partners like Motif, Mimeo, and WhiteWall, letting you create a unique gift for someone special or for yourself.
Just go to the Mac App Store to learn about and download each extension. To start a project, simply select photos, an album, a memory, or even an existing project, and then choose the extension you want to use.
Photos for macOS
The Photos app for Mac has been designed for the way you take, edit, and share your photos and videos today. Now you can enjoy your entire library across all your devices like never before.