How to Access Photos on iCloud

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Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 28, 2022

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Using iPhone or iPad

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Using iCloud on the Web

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Using a Mac

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Using Windows

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Warnings

This wikiHow teaches you how to access your photos across devices using Apple's cloud-based solution.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using iPhone or iPad

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It's a gray app that contains gears (⚙️) and is typically located on your home screen.
2
Tap your Apple ID. It's the top section in the Settings menu that contains your name and image if you've added one.
- If you are not signed in, tap Sign in to (Your Device), enter your Apple ID and password, then tap Sign In.
- If you are running an older version of iOS, you may not need to do this step.
It's in the second section of the menu.
It's near the top of the "APPS USING ICLOUD" section.
5
Slide "iCloud Photo Library" to the "On" position. It will turn green. Photos you take on your device, as well as existing photos in your Camera Roll, will now be saved to iCloud.
- If you'd like to save storage space on your device, tap Optimize iPhone Storage to store smaller versions of photos on your device.
Any new photos you take with your device will now sync to all that devices on which you've signed in with your Apple ID when they're connected to Wi-Fi.
This is the main button below the screen of the iPhone. This will return you to your main home screen.
It's a white app with a multicolored flower icon.
It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
It's at the top of the screen. All of your iCloud photos are now accessible in your Photos app.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using iCloud on the Web

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Go to iCloud. Use a Web browser on your desktop computer.
Do so in the labeled fields.
It's the icon with the multi-colored flower in the top row of apps.
It's in the upper-left corner of the screen, under the "Albums" section. You've now accessed all your photos using iCloud.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using a Mac

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1
Open the Photos app. It's a white app that contains a multicolored flower icon.
- Your desktop must be signed into iCloud with iCloud Photo Library enabled.
It's at the top of the screen.
The photos displayed in this album include all the photos in your iCloud Photo Library.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Windows

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2
Click on the iCloud folder.
- You must have iCloud for Windows installed and you must be signed in with your Apple ID. Be sure it's configured correctly to sync with your iCloud Photo Library.
4
Click Downloads.
- Any new photos or videos added to your iCloud Photo Stream will appear here.

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Warnings

Depending on your devices' settings, any changes you make to photos in iCloud may automatically update across all devices signed into iCloud.

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