How To Access Icloud Photo Library From Mac

How To Access Icloud Photo Library On Macbook Pro
How To Access Icloud Photo Library From Mac Free
How To Access Icloud Photo Library On Macbook

The iCloud Photo Library is one of those “where have you been all my life” kind of apps. Once you’ve started using it, there’s no going back. The iCloud Photo Library lets you sync your photos across all other devices meaning your precious memories are with you at all times and completely safe should anything happen to your device.

Before we show you how to set up the iCloud Photo Library and how to access iCloud on Mac, there’s a bit of housekeeping we need you to take care of.

How to keep no junk in iCloud

The files you keep safe in iCloud Drive are easy to get to, no matter which device you’re using. You can access all your files from the Files app on iOS and iPadOS, the Finder on your Mac, File Explorer for Windows PCs, or iCloud.com. Jan 12, 2020 You can access the hidden Library folder without using Terminal, which has the side effect of revealing every hidden file on your Mac. This method will only make the Library folder visible, and only for as long as you keep the Finder window for the Library folder open. Nov 26, 2018 iCloud Photos uploads new photos and videos from your Windows PC so you can view them in the Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac, and on iCloud.com.New photos that you take automatically download from iCloud Photos and you can choose to download your entire collection by year. How to Access iCloud photo by using iMyFone Umate Pro. Undeniably the best method to quickly access your iCloud photos, iMyFone Umate Pro or iMyFone Umate Pro for Mac enables viewing of your photos on your PC and exporting them to your iDevices. To use Umate. Apr 18, 2018 iCloud Photo Library gives you access to all of your photos and video, on all your devices, all of the time. It's an optional part of Apple's iCloud service that you can enable at any time, and uses your iCloud storage to upload all new images and video from the Photos apps on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Shoot a video on your iPhone, take a picture with your iPad, import an image from your. If Wi-Fi is on, your iCloud Photos should be available in your albums. How to Access iCloud Photos on Mac? For you to be able to view your iCloud photos on your Mac computer, you will need to turn on your iCloud Photo library. This is not complicated to do. The following steps should help you activate iCloud Photo Library on your Mac.

One of iCloud’s great features is that it automatically backs up all of your photos. So when you’re out happily snapping away with your iPhone camera, iCloud will work in the background to add all of your images to the Photo Library so that you can instantly access them on your Mac when you get home.

However, as you’re going to be setting up the Library for the first time, your Mac will automatically start syncing every image that already exists on your computer to iCloud. There are two reasons why this might not be ideal:

There are photos on your Mac that you don’t want, or need, uploading.
The iCloud Photo Library only comes with 5GB of free storage. More storage costs a minimum of $0.99 (USD) a month.

So, before switching on the Photo Library, it’s worth clearing out some of your iPhoto junk. CleanMyMac X lets you do this in a few clicks, using its smart scanning tool to only remove photos that you no longer need, such as pre-rotated or pre-cropped shots.

Here’s how to use CleanMyMac to clean up your iPhoto folders.

Download CleanMyMac (you can do that here, for free).
Launch CleanMyMac and click on Photo Junk from the sidebar menu.
Your default photo library is already pre-selected to be scanned, but can easily be changed by clicking on Change Library.
Hit Scan.
Then hit Clean.

That’s it! No more useless photos poised to take up precious iCloud space.

Setting up the iCloud Photo Library

Okay, you’re ready to start syncing your photos. Before turning on the iCloud Photo Library make sure that you’re running the latest version of macOS. You can check for updates by going to Apple Menu > System Preferences > App Store and clicking on the Updates tab. While you’re there, check that “Automatically check for updates” and “Download newly available updates in the background” are selected, this will ensure you never miss a new update. Then, check that you’re signed to iCloud with the same Apple ID that you use across all devices.

To turn on the iCloud Photo Library, go to System Preferences > iCloud. Next to Photos, click Options, then select iCloud Photo Library.

Your photos will now automatically begin uploading to the iCloud Photo Library. Depending on the size of your collection and your internet speed, the process might take some time. Fortunately, you don’t have to upload everything at once. Your Mac lets you pause the upload whenever you like.

To do this, open up the Photos app, select Photos, then click on Moments. Scroll to the bottom of your photos and hit the Pause button.

How to Access iCloud Photos on Mac

The iCloud Photo Library really doesn’t change anything in terms of how you view or manage your photos. To view photos synced to iCloud, open up the Photos app — they’ll all be there, just like before.

The Photos app is also the place to manage your storage space. iCloud offers an “Optimize Mac Storage” feature that stores full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and keeps originals on your Mac (if you have space). It’s a feature worth using alongside CleanMyMac to better manage your free space. To enable the feature, click Photos > Preferences and select Optimize Mac Storage.

If you decide that 5GB of storage isn’t enough, you can upgrade your plan by going to System Preferences > iCloud > Manage and clicking on Storage Plan or Buy More Storage.

How to access iCloud Photos on an iOS device

While your Mac is likely to be your main hub for organizing and editing photos, your iPhone or iPad is the device you'll use to snap all of those lovely photos.

To access the iCloud from iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Apple TV first you’ll need to turn it on. In iOS 10.3 or later, do this by going to Settings > [name] > iCloud > Photos, then turn on iCloud Photo Library.

How to access icloud photo library from mac laptop

In iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Photos.

On Apple TV tvOS 9.2 or later, go to Settings > Accounts > iCloud > iCloud Photo Library.

How To Access Icloud Photo Library On Macbook Pro

Now, iCloud storage access of all photos and videos can be had by using the Photos app.

How to access iCloud drive from a browser

If you don’t have your Mac or iOS device, you’ll be pleased to know that you can also access iCloud from a PC, Android, or Windows device using your preferred browser.

All you need to do is go to iCloud.com and login in using your Apple ID. Once you’re logged in, click on the iCloud Drive button to manage your account in the same way that you would on your Mac.

Keep the photos you need, get rid of the ones you don’t

Enabling the iCloud Photo Library across all of your devices is the best way to organize and manage your photos, and keep your precious memories close to hand at all times. However, you should always be mindful of space. If you shoot as many videos as you take photos, iCloud’s 5GB of free storage can be maxed out fast, leaving you unable to backup media files until you upgrade or delete unwanted photos.

With the Photo Library enabled, make a regular habit of using CleanMyMac to delete unneeded photos and manage space with iCloud’s optimize feature.