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For context, try tapping 'optimize photos' in iPhone storage settings and then figure out how to turn off the feature without using Google. Not only is the toggle nearly impossible to find, but it's also hidden from being searchable
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There is NO button on Mac to download photos from iCloud. You can only do this from your phone and then synchronise them to your Mac.
Yes, there is a button on Mac: https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/use-icloud-photos-pht... As long as you are signed into the Mac with the same iCloud account used on the iPhone, this will download them all. No, you do not need to get them all downloaded to the iPhone ever for any reason for this to work. Period. You need to stop repeating that, because it is wrong. How many people have to say the same thing? Yes…
However, in reality, when you use the same Apple account on both devices with the Photos app on macOS (yes, with the 'Download Originals' checkbox enabled), it only downloads photos that you upload from your phone.
And if you look at the iCloud tab in the Photos app, it says 'Automatically _upload_ and store all your photos and videos in iCloud', so it works from Mac to iCloud, and doesn't help to download full iCloud library.
While not free, and not for any other platform than macOS. The program Parachute[1] in the App Store is very nice in downloading both photos from your library as well as files from the various locations. [1]: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/parachute-backup/id6748614170?...
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Yes, there is a button on Mac: https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/use-icloud-photos-pht... As long as you are signed into the Mac with the same iCloud account used on the iPhone, this will download them all. No, you do not need to get them all downloaded to the iPhone ever for any reason for this to work. Period. You need to stop repeating that, because it is wrong. How many people have to say the same thing? Yes…
I've been using Mac since Mac OS X 10.4 (~2005) and was under the same impression. However, in reality, when you use the same Apple account on both devices with the Photos app on macOS (yes, with the 'Download Originals' checkbox enabled), it only downloads photos that you upload from your phone. And if you look at the iCloud tab in the Photos app, it says 'Automatically _upload_ and store all your photos and videos…
It absolutely works the way I said it does, because I have seen it work that way. Just because you accidentally turned off iCloud Photos in your Apple Account settings on that Mac (or some other similar issue) does not mean it does not work this way when properly signed in.
If you want something to try, go to System Settings -> Apple Account -> Photos and see if "Sync this mac" is turned off. It needs to be on. There could be other ways that this feature is disabled, but that is one of them.
Not seeing something work is not evidence that it does not work. You have not seen it work, but that is not proof it does not work.
Seeing it work is evidence that it works. I have seen it work.
Other people have seen it work that way, and their replies are all over this thread. Apple documents that it works this way.
Yes, it will upload photos to iCloud if enabled, but it also downloads them.
Does anyone have any idea for why Apple makes it so difficult to keep photos downloaded? For context, try tapping 'optimize photos' in iPhone storage settings and then figure out how to turn off the feature without using Google. Not only is the toggle nearly impossible to find, but it's also hidden from being searchable
Same place it’s always been. In Settings -> App -> Photos, toggle Download and Keep Originals. Same place it is for macOS as well. It’s not that magical. Search for “photos icloud” and you’ll be led to the setting for it.
I’m not ready to pay $60/month, but I do like iCloud’s memories and other photo features. My compromise is simple:
- I use docker-icloudpd to download our iCloud Photos to local storage over time. It’s been the most practical way I’ve found to back up multiple accounts into one place, though it does require occasional re-auth every so often. - I keep only the last ~2 years of media in iCloud and delete older ones after they’re archived locally. - For browsing and searching the older archive, I use Immich, which has been a great self-hosted personal photo cloud experience with a modern app feel.
For storage, I’ve found fast local disk matters a lot once you’re digging up photos from 5+ years ago. Something like an OWC 4M2 with M.2 drives keeps the experience snappy; a typical HDD-based NAS can feel sluggish when you just want to quickly pull up an old memory.
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I think if you are on PC. But on Mac with the Photos App Cmd+A > File > Export Unmodified Originals
There is no straight way to download photos from iCloud to Mac.
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What’s missing? The files are there on the Mac, they are there to download on the cloud (various mentions of method mentioned here).
There is NO button on Mac to download photos from iCloud. You can only do this from your phone and then synchronise them to your Mac.
Thanks for this project. Our family generates about 2TB of media a year, and it’s been like that for a while, so we’re sitting at roughly 12TB total. That’s very much the long tail of personal media. I’m not ready to pay $60/month, but I do like iCloud’s memories and other photo features. My compromise is simple: - I use docker-icloudpd to download our iCloud Photos to local storage over time. It’s been the most prac…