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In today’s digital age, we capture countless moments through our smartphones and store them in the cloud. Apple’s iCloud platform has become a popular choice for safely storing and accessing our treasured photos. However, many users are unsure about how to download photos from iCloud. If you find yourself in this situation, fret not!

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of downloading photos from iCloud, ensuring that you can easily retrieve and enjoy your precious memories at any time. Whether you’re looking to access old photos or transfer them to a new device, read on to discover how to get photos from iCloud and keep them close to your heart.

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

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 of CopyTrans Cloudly

CopyTrans Cloudly for your iCloud photos
  • Restore permanently deleted videos and photos from iCloud on PC
  • Download all iCloud photos in a few clicks
  • Save your iCloud photos to an external hard drive
  • Upload all your photos and videos in one click
  • Add photos in JPG, HEIC, or PNG format to iCloud
  • Keep your album structure

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

  1. Download and install CopyTrans Cloudly

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

  4. iCloud login in CopyTrans Cloudly

  5. 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:

  6. how to download photos from iCloud to PC

  7. 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.

  8. How to download pictures from iCloud

  9. Voila! All you need to do now is wait until all your photos and videos are downloaded.

  10. How to backup iCloud photos and videos

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

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.


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:

iPhone backup location on PC

✔️ find all the backups automatically;

✔️ save all the backup data on your PC

✔️ compatible with different backups: iCloud, iTunes, CopyTrans Shelbee, or other programs;

Download CopyTrans Backup Extractor

  1. Download and install CopyTrans Backup Extractor:

    Get CopyTrans Backup Extractor

  2. Choose Log in to iCloud for more backups on the welcome screen.

  3. Find iPhone backups with CopyTrans Backup Extractor

  4. 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.

  5. extract whatsapp photos from backup

  6. Choose the backup that contains your photos. If the backup is encrypted, enter the backup password to proceed. Click on Photos.

  7. How to get pictures off iPhone with broken screen

  8. 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.

  9. 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.


iCloud pictures

FAQ

What is iCloud and how does it relate to photos?

iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage and computing service, and it allows you to store photos and videos and access them from any of your Apple devices.

Can I download all of my iCloud photos to my iPhone or iPad?

Yes, you can download all of your iCloud photos to your iPhone or iPad by enabling the iCloud Photo Library feature in your device’s settings.

Is there a way to download all of my iCloud photos to my Windows PC?

Yes, you can download all of your iCloud photos to your Windows PC by visiting iCloud.com, but this method has it cons. We offer you a better solution: CopyTrans Cloudly. Click download and you will have a copy of your photos on your PC.

How can I transfer photos from iCloud to my Mac?

You can transfer photos from iCloud to your Mac by enabling the iCloud Photo Library feature in your Mac’s Photos app settings.

Can I download photos and videos from iCloud to my Windows PC?

Yes, you can download photos and also videos from iCloud to your Windows PC by visiting iCloud.com or using CopyTrans Cloudly.

How can I download a shared album from iCloud to my Apple device?

You can download a shared album from iCloud to your Apple device by opening the Photos app, selecting the shared album, and then clicking the download button.

Is it possible to use iCloud for Windows to download all of my photos?

Yes, you can use iCloud for Windows to download all of your photos by downloading and installing the iCloud for Windows app on your PC, then selecting the photos you want to download and clicking the download button.

What is the easiest way to download all of my iCloud photos to my computer?

The easiest way to download all of your iCloud photos to your computer is by using CopyTrans Cloudly – our app that allows you to downloud your iCloud photos in a few clicks without any restrictions.

Do I need to download and keep originals of my iCloud photos?

If you want to keep the original quality of your iCloud photos when downloading them, then you should enable the “Download and Keep Originals” option in your device’s iCloud settings.

Does iPhone store iCloud photos?

It depends on your iCloud settings: iPhone either keeps the previews of what is stored on iCloud to save the storage space, or downloads all the originals. To access iCloud photos on iPhone and transfer them to PC, use CopyTrans Studio.


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

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:

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

  2. How to download photos from iCloud to PC

  3. Once logged in, click on Photos.

  4. Click on Photos icon in iCloud

  5. Now you can view all your photos via the browser.

  6. 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 🙂

  7. how do i download photos from icloud

  8. 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.

  9. Save multiple photos from iCloud

  10. 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.


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:

  1. Download the iCloud for Windows tool and install it onto your computer.

  2. Open iCloud for Windows from the Start menu.

  3. Open icloud for Windows from the Start Menu

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

  5. how to download photos from icloud to computer

  6. Then click on Apply and close the main window.

  7. how to select all photos on iphone

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

  9. Open iCloud for Windows from the system tray

  10. How to back up iCloud photos? Hit Download Photos to initiate the process.

  11. Your photos are now being downloaded to C:\Users\&USER NAME&\Pictures\iCloud Photos\Downloads

  12. how to download pictures from icloud

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:

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

  2. how to get my photos from icloud

  3. Tap, hold, and swipe to select all pictures.

  4. After you’ve selected all the photos you need, click on the Share button in the bottom left corner.

  5. how to get your pictures from icloud

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

  7. How to get photos from icloud to computer

  8. 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

  9. 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.

  10. Click Download on the small pop-up window


iCloud photos

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
Avatar for Iris
By Iris

Iris is a marketing and tech-support specialist in charge of the English-speaking market, who dyes her hair in the color of her cats' fur (future cat lady detected) and enjoys sitting on her balcony on a rainy day reading books, watching TV shows, playing video games and drinking hot chocolate. With marshmallows.