How to download photos from iCloud to iPhone

Did you recently get a new iPhone? Perhaps you upgraded, or your last one had an untimely demise. Either way, in this situation you’ll be grateful for iCloud backing up and syncing all of our stuff. Especially your pictures. But now you’re probably wondering how to get those photos from iCloud.

Well, keep reading, and we’ll go over all that — and cover some things you should try to avoid.

How to get photos from iCloud

To retrieve your photos from iCloud using Safari on your iPhone, follow these updated steps:

1. Open the Safari browser on your iPhone.
2. Go to iCloud.com.
3. Log in with your Apple ID and password.
4. Tap on the "Photos" icon.

1. Browse through your iCloud Photos and select the photos you want to download.
2. Tap the "Select" button at the top right corner.
3. Choose the photos you wish to download.
4. Tap the "More" button (three dots) at the bottom right corner.
5. Select "Download" from the options.

The selected photos will be downloaded to your iPhone and appear in your Camera Roll.

Make sure you have enough space before you retrieve photos from iCloud

If you want to download your entire iCloud photo library to your iPhone, ensure you have enough storage first. If you’ve been using iCloud for a while, then there’s the possibility that your photo library is too large to fit on your iPhone. Before attempting to download all your iCloud photos, a good practice is to scan them for redundant pictures, like similar shots, old screenshots, and the like.

To do that, download CleanMy®Phone and run a scan. CleanMy®Phone will analyze the previews of your photos stored on your iPhone (or iPad) and help you quickly delete unwanted photo clutter. The removed images will be automatically deleted from iCloud, freeing up valuable space for you.

Here’s how it works:

1. Download CleanMy®Phone
2. Allow CleanMy®Phone to access your photo library.
3. From the Declutter tab, tap Scan.
4. After the app scans your library, you’ll see the following folders: Duplicates, Screenshots, Blur, Screen Recordings, and others.
5. Tap any folder and review the photos the app suggests deleting. Don’t worry: your favorites won’t be selected for deletion.
6. Clean all unwanted pics.
7. Tap Continue and go back to the main screen of the app.
8. Tap Organize and then Scan to categorize all your photos and remove similar images.

How to download all photos from iCloud?

If you’re reading this to learn how to get pictures from iCloud to iPhone, then you’re in luck — it couldn’t be easier.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. At the top of the screen, tap on your name/Apple ID.
3. Select iCloud.
4. In the iCloud settings, select Photos.
5. Toggle on iCloud Photos.
6. Select Download and Keep Originals.

Note: If you opt for Optimize iPhone Storage, it will reduce the resolution of your photos.

How to recover photos from iCloud if you lost your iPhone

If you've lost your iPhone and need to recover your photos, iCloud makes it easy to get your memories back. Here's how to get photos back from iCloud:

1. Get a new device. Obtain a new iPhone or use another iOS device.
2. Set up the device. Turn on your new device and follow the setup instructions until you reach the "Apps & Data" screen.
3. Restore from iCloud Backup. Select "Restore from iCloud Backup." Sign in with your Apple ID and choose the most recent backup that contains your photos.
4. Wait for restoration. Allow the device to complete the restoration process. This may take some time, depending on the size of your backup and your internet connection speed.
5. Check your photos. Once the restoration is complete, open the Photos app to ensure all your photos have been restored.

By following these steps, you can easily recover your photos from iCloud even if you've lost your iPhone. This process ensures that all your memories are safely transferred to your new device.

Downloading pictures from iCloud to iPhone couldn’t be simpler. Whether you’re retrieving only one photo or your entire library, you’ll be glad you had everything backed up to iCloud. And if you're trying to figure out how to upload your photos to iCloud, we've got a guide to that as well.