Adding your iCloud Photos to your PC primarily involves using the official iCloud for Windows application, which integrates your cloud library directly into your computer's file system.
Accessing iCloud Photos on Your PC
To get your iCloud Photos onto your Windows computer, you first need to download and install the iCloud for Windows application from Apple's website. This app enables synchronization between your iCloud account and your PC.
Once installed and you've signed in with your Apple ID, ensure that Photos is selected in the iCloud for Windows app settings. You can also choose the download location for your photos and videos.
After setup, iCloud Photos will typically appear as a folder or a section within File Explorer on your Windows PC.
Keeping Specific Photos on Your PC
By default, iCloud for Windows might optimize storage, keeping full-resolution versions of your photos and videos only in iCloud and storing smaller versions on your PC. However, you can choose specific items to always keep a full-resolution copy on your device.
Here's how to use File Explorer to ensure selected iCloud Photos are always stored locally on your PC, based on the provided reference:
- Open File Explorer: Launch the File Explorer application on your Windows PC.
- Navigate to iCloud Photos: In the Navigation pane (usually on the left side), click on iCloud Photos. This folder displays your entire iCloud Photo Library.
- Select Photos: Browse and select the individual images or videos you want to keep on your PC. You can select multiple items by holding down the
Ctrlkey while clicking or by dragging a selection box. - Choose "Always keep on this device": Right-click on your selection. From the context menu that appears, choose the option "Always keep on this device".
Selecting "Always keep on this device" downloads the full-resolution versions of the selected photos and videos to your PC and ensures they are not offloaded to save space, regardless of your overall storage optimization settings.
Understanding Sync Options
iCloud for Windows offers different ways to handle your photo storage:
- Download Photos and Videos: This setting in the iCloud for Windows app allows you to automatically download all new photos and videos to your PC.
- Optimize PC Storage: This is often the default. Full-resolution originals are stored in iCloud, while space-saving versions are kept on your PC. Full-resolution files are downloaded when you open them.
- Always keep on this device: As described above, this option, applied via File Explorer, overrides optimization for specific files, ensuring they remain on your PC in full resolution.
Using the "Always keep on this device" feature in File Explorer is a practical way to ensure your favorite or most important photos are readily available offline in their original quality.
Alternative Method: Using the iCloud Website
While the File Explorer method is convenient for integration, you can also download photos directly from the iCloud website:
- Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click on the Photos icon.
- Select the photos or videos you want to download.
- Click the download icon (usually a cloud with a downward arrow).
This method is useful for downloading specific items without installing the full iCloud for Windows application.
