3 Ways to Transfer Photos from iCloud to PC (Windows 10/8/7)

iCloud provides an easy way for iOS users to back up valuable data such as photos and videos. Sometimes, you may want to download iCloud photos to your PC as an extra backup, or to free up storage space in your iCloud account.

Then how to transfer photos from iCloud to PC? Relax and read on as we will share with you some effective ways to download photos from iCloud to PC, then you can easily access and view iCloud photos on your PC.

To download and transfer photos from iCloud to PC, you can use FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery, iCloud.com or iCloud for Windows. To decide which way to go, you can check out the comparison table below:

Way 1. Download Photos from iCloud to PC with FoneGeek Tool

FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery is a professional software available for both Windows and Mac, which can be used to recover data from iPhone/iPad directly or selectively restore data from iTunes/iCloud backup. Using this tool, you can easily download and transfer partial or all photos in iCloud to PC.

Not only photos, you can also transfer many other data like videos, contacts, text messages, WhatsApp, notes, etc. You are allowed to preview the data in iCloud and select whatever content you want to transfer. It is fully compatible with all the latest iOS devices and iOS versions, including iPhone 14/13/12 and iOS 16/15.

Here's how to transfer photos from iCloud to PC using FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery:

Step 1: Download FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery software on your PC and install it. Run the program and select "Recover Data from iCloud" to continue.

Step 2: Sign in to your iCloud account. Enter the verification code you received if you have enabled the two-factor authentication.

Step 3: Once you've logged into iCloud, the program will display all backup files in your account. Choose the one where you want to transfer photos and click on "Download".

Step 4: In the pop-up window, choose "Photos" and any other type of files you would like to transfer, then click on "Recover to PC" to start downloading.

Pros:

• Download all the photos and videos from iCloud to PC at once.
• Preserves the original format, size and quality of photos.
• Compatible wtih all iCloud bacups and detect them automatically.
• Download faster than both iCloud.com and iCloud for Windows.

Cons:

• The free version only allows you to scan and view the photos. To download iCloud photos, you need upgrade to the premium version.

Way 2. Transfer Photos from iCloud to PC via iCloud.com

iCloud.com offers iOS users the option to view and download photos from iCloud to their PC. If the number of photos that you want to download is less than 1000, you can follow this method to transfer photos from iCloud to PC. If you are trying to transfer over 1000 photos, you can move to the next method.

1. In any browser on your PC, go to the iCloud official site and sign-in with your Apple ID and password.
2. Click on the Photos icon and select the photos you want to transfer, then click and hold the Download icon which is in the upper-right corner of the window.
3. To download your photos in its original resolution, you can select "Unmodified Original".
4. Lastly, click "Download" to transfer the chosen photos to your PC. The iCloud photos will be downloaded to the "Downloads" folder on your computer.

Pros:

• You are allowed to view and select the photos you want.

Cons:

• You cannot download all photos if there are more than 1000 photos.
• If you download more than one photo at once, Windows will save them as a compressed zip file.

Way 3. Download iCloud Photos to PC Using iCloud for Windows

iCloud for Windows is a great tool provided by Apple that enables you download photos from iCloud to PC at once. If you want to download more than 1000 photos from iCloud to PC, you can download and install iCloud for Windows on your computer and follow the steps below:

1. Download, install and open iCloud for Windows on your computer and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Next to Photos, click on "Options" and select "iCloud Photos".
3. You can select the locaton where iCloud photos are saved and click on "Done".
4. After that, click on "Apply" to begin the process of transferring all iCloud photos to the Downloads folder on your computer.

When you add new photos and videos to the iCloud Photos, they will be automatically downloaded onto your PC (Windows 7 and later). However, that's not always the case. You can manually download photos from iCloud Photos to PC via Windows File Explorer. Here is how to do that:

1. On your PC, open a File Explorer window.
2. Click on iCloud Photos in the Navigation pane, then choose the photos you want to save on your PC.
3. Right-click the selection and choose "Always keep on this device".

Pros:

• You can download all of the photos from iCloud without choosing them one by one.

Cons:

• It doesn't preserve the album structure of your iCloud library.
• It may not download all the photos in the original quality.
• It is difficult to set up and sometimes may be unstable to use.

Extra Tip: Where Are Your Photos Stored in iCloud?

iCloud stores your photos via two means: iCloud Photos and My Photo Stream. Now let's take a quick overview of what each entails.

iCloud Photos

• Photos and videos taken with your iOS device are automatically stored in iCloud, and they can be accessed at any time from any device.
• Storage is not limited by time, therefore, it can save your photos as long as you want if you have enough storage space.
• Retains the original qualities of photos including high resolutions.
• Stores photos you edit and update them across all your Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, Apple Watch, etc.
• Acceptable formats include: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, RAW, HEVC, GIF, MP4.

My Photo Stream

• My Photo Stream does not use iCloud Storage.
• Limited storage time and photos. Photos can only be stored for 30-days and only up to 1000 photos can be saved.
• Only the most recent photos (except Live Photos) are stored. They can be viewed and imported to your other devices.
• The qualities of photos are affected when downloaded on other Apple devices. Only photos downloaded on Mac and PC can retain their full resolution.
• It does not update your Apple devices with edits.
• Acceptable formats include: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, Most RAW Formats

Conclusion

In this article, we've shown how to transfer photos from iCloud to PC, whether you are using a Windows 10, 8, or 7. The process involved are straightforward and easy to implement. Do let us know if these solutions worked for you. Please feel free to leave your questions or problems in the comments below.