You now have a local backup, and can safely delete the synced photo from iCloud. Find the photo(s) you want to download, and then drag them to a new location on your Mac.Launch the Photos application, if you haven’t already.Once iCloud Photo Library is enabled, simply: If this feature is enabled, then there should be a checkmark alongside ‘iCloud Photo Library.’ If you’re unsure whether you’ve enabled iCloud Photo Library, then launch the Photos application and select ‘Photos > Preferences... > iCloud’ from its toolbar.
#Copy pictures from icloud on a mac to pc download#
If you’re using iCloud Photo Library, then you can download synced media using the Photos app. In this article, I cover all the different ways that you can download a photo from iCloud and store it locally, leaving you free to delete that photo from iCloud, without deleting it completely. If you want to remove a photo from iCloud without deleting it completely, then you can download a copy to your Mac first.
However, if do ever try to delete a photo that’s synced with iCloud, then you’ll receive a warning that this action will cause the photo to be removed from all your synced devices.Įssentially, deleting a photo from iCloud is equivalent to deleting it from all your devices – chances are this isn’t quite what you had in mind! In these scenarios, the most obvious solution is to delete the photo(s) from your iCloud account, so you’re left with only the original, local copy. If you’re snap happy, then uploading your photos to iCloud can quickly burn through your iCloud storage allowance, or you may discover that private or potentially embarrassing photos have been synced to your work laptop! While this automatic sync ensures you always have easy access to your photos, it can pose a few problems. Similarly, every image you import into your Mac’s Photos application, will be synced across all your linked devices. Once you activate macOS’ ‘iCloud Library’ feature, every photo you take using a linked device will be uploaded to the cloud, and then synced across all your connected devices automatically.