{"id":33596,"date":"2016-12-21T00:30:07","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T08:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/?p=33596"},"modified":"2019-12-10T14:53:04","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T22:53:04","slug":"icloud-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/icloud-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Use iCloud Photos To Sync Your iPhone Photos Across Devices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple’s iCloud Photos feature\u00a0allows you to\u00a0seamlessly sync and store your photos and videos across all of your devices. With\u00a0iCloud Photos you’ll always have\u00a0access to your entire and most recent iCloud Photo Library collection, no matter where you are or which device you’re using.\u00a0iCloud Photos works with\u00a0iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and\u00a0even Windows computers. In this tutorial\u00a0you’ll learn\u00a0how to set up and use iCloud Photos, so that you’ll\u00a0have access to all of your photos on all of your devices.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

1. How Does iCloud Photos Work?<\/h2>\n

iCloud is Apple’s cloud-based storage facility that allows you to store your files remotely and access them from a variety of\u00a0devices via Wi-Fi. You\u00a0may already be\u00a0familiar with iCloud if you use it to back up your iPhone’s data.<\/p>\n

With iCloud Photos, every photo and video you take is automatically uploaded to your\u00a0iCloud Photo Library, and then synced (transferred) to all of your other iCloud-enabled devices.<\/p>\n

Syncing your photo library means that all of your devices will display the same photos within the Photos app, no matter which device was\u00a0used to take\u00a0the pictures.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

Once you’ve set up iCloud Photos to sync your images, you’ll be able to access your entire photo collection\u00a0at any time, and from any iOS device (iPhone, iPad or iPod touch) or computer (Mac or Windows PC).<\/p>\n

You don’t have to think about using a separate photo transfer app<\/a> to copy your photos between devices. iCloud photos does it automatically!<\/p>\n

Your iCloud Photo Library is organized in the same way across devices. This makes navigating your images a familiar experience no matter which device you’re using.<\/p>\n

In addition to new photos being uploaded to your iCloud Photo Library, it’s important to note that any changes you make to photos on one device will be automatically updated on all of your other iCloud-enabled devices.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

For example, if you edit a picture on your iPhone, the edited image is automatically uploaded to iCloud and will be visible on your other devices such as your iPad or Mac.<\/p>\n

If you create a new album in the Photos app, that album will appear in the Photos app on your other iOS devices and Mac.<\/p>\n

If\u00a0you delete a photo from the Photos app, that image will be deleted from your iCloud Photo Library, and will therefore be deleted from all of your other iCloud-enabled devices.<\/p>\n

You can create albums, mark images as favorites, and organize your\u00a0photos whether you\u2019re on your iPhone, iPad, iPod\u00a0touch or Mac. Just remember that whatever you do on one device will be reflected on all of your other iCloud-enabled devices.<\/p>\n

2. Set Up & Sync Your iCloud Photos<\/h2>\n

If you want access to all of your photos and videos on all of your iCloud-enabled devices, you’ll need to activate the iCloud Photo Library on each device.<\/p>\n

Once activated, any new photos or videos that you take will\u00a0be automatically uploaded and stored in your iCloud Photo Library. These photos and videos will then be synced to\u00a0your other devices that have\u00a0iCloud Photos enabled.<\/p>\n

iCloud Photos is available on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) running\u00a0iOS 8.3 or later. You must of course have enough available iCloud\u00a0storage to save your photos (we’ll look at storage options later in this article).<\/p>\n

To turn on the iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone, open the Settings<\/strong> app. Tap your name at the top of Settings, then tap iCloud<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

Select Photos<\/strong>, then switch on the iCloud Photos<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

When you first activate the iCloud Photo Library, you’ll see a progress bar telling you how many photos have been uploaded to iCloud. This may take a considerable amount of time depending on how many photos you have on your device and the speed of your internet connection.\u00a0Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi and that your phone has enough battery.<\/p>\n

Beneath the iCloud Photos setting you’ll see two options: Optimize iPhone Storage<\/strong> and\u00a0Download and Keep Originals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Optimize iPhone Storage<\/strong> allows you to upload your full resolution images to\u00a0iCloud, and then replace the images on your iPhone with optimized versions that\u00a0take up less space. This\u00a0is great if your iPhone is running\u00a0low on storage space.<\/p>\n

If you choose to Optimize iPhone Storage, full resolution images are automatically downloaded from iCloud onto your device whenever you want to view, edit, email them, etc. You’ll need to have a Wi-Fi or cellular internet connection to be able to download photos from iCloud<\/a> in this way.<\/p>\n

If you’d prefer to keep the original full resolution images on your iPhone, select Download and Keep Originals<\/strong>. The benefit of this is that you’ll have access to the full resolution images stored on your iPhone even when you don’t have an internet connection. However,\u00a0be aware that your iPhone’s storage will fill up more quickly if you select this option.<\/p>\n

These same options are available in Settings on the iPad and iPod touch. Ensure you switch on the iCloud Photo\u00a0Library on these devices too, so that you can take full advantage of being able to access all of your images from all of your devices.<\/p>\n

After switching on iCloud Photos on your iPhone or other device, you’ll notice that the\u00a0Camera Roll album in the Photos app has been renamed to All Photos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

This is because it no longer only contains photos taken with the camera on that particular device – it now has\u00a0all of your images from all of your other iCloud devices.<\/p>\n

If you have a Mac or Windows PC, you can follow the instructions later in this tutorial to activate iCloud Photos on your computer.<\/p>\n\n

3. iCloud Storage\u00a0Plans<\/h2>\n
\n

The iCloud Photo Library can help you free up space on your iOS devices and Mac. But you’ll\u00a0need to ensure that you have enough iCloud storage to store all of your images.<\/p>\n

You get 5GB of free iCloud storage to start with, and then as your library grows you can upgrade to a different plan to get\u00a0more storage as you need it.<\/p>\n

More iCloud storage means more space to store your photos, videos, and other items that you choose to back up to iCloud such as documents and apps.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

To check your current iCloud storage allowance, go to\u00a0Settings<\/strong> >\u00a0[Your Name]<\/strong> iCloud<\/strong>. At the top of the screen, you’ll how much of your total iCloud storage you’ve used.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you’re running out of available iCloud storage space, you can upgrade your\u00a0storage plan by tapping Change Storage Plan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

You pay for iCloud storage on a monthly basis, and payment is taken automatically using the same method that you use for purchasing apps from the App Store. iCloud storage price plans\u00a0are shown below:<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

4. Sync Photos Between iPhone & Mac<\/h2>\n

Do you want to automatically transfer photos from iPhone to Mac<\/a>?<\/p>\n

If you have a Mac running\u00a0OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 or later, you can switch on iCloud Photo Library so that all of your\u00a0photos and videos from your iPhone and other iOS devices will automatically appear in the Photos app on your Mac.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

To set up iCloud Photos on your Mac, click the Apple menu<\/strong>\u00a0at the top left of the screen, then go to\u00a0System Preferences<\/strong> > iCloud<\/strong>. Enter your Apple ID if prompted.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

Ensure the Photos<\/strong> options is checked, then click the Options<\/strong> button to the right of Photos and select\u00a0iCloud Photo Library<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To specify the storage options for the Photos Library on your\u00a0Mac, open the Photos app<\/strong>, then open the\u00a0Photos<\/strong> menu at the top left and select Preferences<\/strong>. Select\u00a0the iCloud<\/strong> tab, then choose from the two options: Download Originals To This Mac<\/strong> or Optimize Mac Storage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

You can now use the Photos app on your Mac just like you do on your iPhone. Clicking the All Photos<\/strong> album on the left displays all of the images in your iCloud Photo Library.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

If you’ve organized your photos into albums on your iPhone<\/a>, these albums will be listed down the left-hand side of the screen. Your can organize images into albums in the Photos app on your Mac, just like you can on your iPhone.<\/p>\n

Just remember that any changes you make in the Photos app on your Mac (including organizing your photos into\u00a0albums) will be\u00a0synced and updated on your other iCloud devices such as your iPhone and iPad.<\/p>\n

The Photos app on your\u00a0Mac also\u00a0allows you to edit your photos in the\u00a0same way as the Photos app on your iPhone. Editing tools include filters, lighting and color adjustments, cropping, and even a retouch tool.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

Simply double click on a photo, then click Edit<\/strong> at the top right. Remember, all of your edits will be automatically synced via iCloud so that they appear on your other iOS devices. Edits are non-destructive so you can revert back to the original at any time.<\/p>\n

If you have photos in folders on your Mac that you’d like to store in the iCloud Photo Library, you’ll need to import them into the Photos app. Once imported, they’ll automatically\u00a0appear in the All Photos album on your other\u00a0iOS devices.<\/p>\n

To import photos into the Photos app on your Mac, go to File<\/strong> > Import<\/strong>. Select the images or folders you want, click Review For Import<\/strong>,\u00a0then click Import All New Photos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To copy full resolution\u00a0images from\u00a0the iCloud Photo Library into a folder on your computer, select the images in the Photos app on your Mac, then go to File<\/strong> > Export<\/strong>.\u00a0You can choose to export the photo as it is (including any edits), or the unmodified original. In the next dialog box select your preferred options, then click Export<\/strong>. Select the folder you want the images to go into, then click Export<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

5. Sync Photos Between iPhone &\u00a0Windows PC<\/h2>\n

The iCloud Photo Library is designed to work seamlessly between Apple devices. So if you have a Mac computer you simply use the Photos app to view, organize and edit your images in the same way as you do on your iPhone. But what if you have a Windows computer?<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

Luckily you can still take advantage of the\u00a0iCloud Photo Library to transfer photos from iPhone to Windows<\/a>, although you don’t get a Photos app like you do on the Mac.<\/p>\n

To enable iCloud on your Windows PC, you must be running Windows\u00a07 or later. Open a web browser on your Windows computer, then click this\u00a0link to\u00a0download iCloud for Windows from the Apple website<\/a>\u00a0and install the software on your PC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Once installed, open the\u00a0iCloud for Windows<\/strong>\u00a0program and sign in with your\u00a0Apple ID. Ensure the\u00a0Photos <\/strong>option is checked, then click\u00a0Options<\/strong> and select\u00a0iCloud Photo Library<\/strong>. Click Done<\/strong>, then click\u00a0Apply<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

You can now use iCloud Photo Library on your Windows PC to download all of the photos and videos from your Apple devices to your computer, or upload your Windows pictures to iCloud.<\/p>\n

When you open Windows\/File Explorer, you’ll see that your computer has created a\u00a0folders called iCloud Photos<\/strong>. Photos from your other iCloud-enabled devices will appear in the Downloads <\/strong>folder.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

And if you save photos from your computer into the Uploads <\/strong>folder, they will be uploaded to iCloud so that you can access them from your iPhone or other iOS devices.<\/p>\n

6. iCloud.com<\/h2>\n

Another way to view the images in your iCloud Photo Library is\u00a0via Apple’s\u00a0iCloud.com website<\/a>. You can use this method on any device as you simply access it via a web browser, just like you would access any other website.<\/p>\n

Once you’ve opened iCloud.com<\/strong> in your web browser, simply sign in with your Apple ID, then click Photos<\/strong> on the control panel as shown below.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

7. Share Your iCloud Photos<\/h2>\n

With iCloud Photo Library it’s easy to share your photos with other\u00a0people. Simply open the Shared<\/strong> tab in the Photos app on any device, then create an album, add photos to it, and\u00a0invite friends to join the album. You can even allow them to add their own photos to a shared album, and people can like and comment on the photos.<\/p>\n

\"iCloud<\/p>\n

With the Activity<\/strong> view in the Sharing tab of the Photos app, you can see all updates and comments in your shared albums, no matter which device you’re using.<\/p>\n

Click here for an in-depth tutorial on how to use iCloud Photo Sharing to share your iPhone photos with others.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apple’s iCloud Photos feature\u00a0allows you to\u00a0seamlessly sync and store your photos and videos across all of your devices. With\u00a0iCloud Photos you’ll always have\u00a0access to your entire and most recent iCloud Photo Library collection, no matter where you are or which device you’re using.\u00a0iCloud Photos works with\u00a0iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and\u00a0even Windows computers. In this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[300,310],"tags":[68,83],"class_list":{"0":"post-33596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-updates","7":"category-photo-apps","8":"tag-managing-photos","9":"tag-photo-apps","10":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nHow To Use iCloud Photos To Sync Your iPhone Photos Across Devices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to use iCloud Photos to effortlessly sync your photos across all your devices, allowing you to access your images from anywhere.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/icloud-photos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Use iCloud Photos To Sync Your iPhone Photos Across Devices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to use iCloud Photos to effortlessly sync your photos across all your devices, allowing you to access your images from anywhere.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/icloud-photos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"iPhone Photography School\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/iPhonePS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-12-21T08:30:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-10T22:53:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kate Wesson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kate Wesson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. 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