Simon Brown • Mar 28, 2024iCloud is a cloud storage service of Apple that is designed to work with your iPhone to store videos, photos, documents, notes, contacts, and more. Apple offers 5GB of free storage to get started with iCloud, which allows you to store your entire library and manage files on iCloud Drive. This storage is limited when you capture high-resolution images with a high file size.
Therefore, iPhone users search for different ways of downloading pictures from iCloud to PC to free up some space from their phone’s iCloud. Downloading pictures on a PC creates a physical copy and safeguards your memories in case something wrong happens to your Apple ID. So, let’s learn how to access pictures on iCloud from a PC through 3 different methods and streamline your workflow.
Yes, iCloud itself isn’t a program that can be downloaded to your computer; it’s a cloud storage service by Apple that integrates with Apple devices. If you have a Windows PC, you can download the iCloud for Windows application from the Microsoft Store, which will help you interact with the iCloud storage service.
This free app bridges the gap between your iPhone and Windows PC by allowing you to sync iCloud Photos to File Explorer. Users can selectively sync data and download iCloud pictures to their PC to free their iCloud space or for editing them.
To access photos from iCloud, Apple users need Apple ID credentials whether they download iCloud for Windows or visit iCloud.com on web browsers. Below are all the possible methods to download photos from iCloud to PC with detailed steps, which you can review and pick as needed.
Download iCloud to your computer using the Microsoft Store and follow the given steps to transfer your images to your PC. This process will be helpful if you have many photos in different folders because it will take a long time to download those photos through other ways.
Step 1: Upon Downloading iCloud for Windows, insert the Apple ID credentials and hit the “Sign in” button. Set up iCloud on your PC and click the arrow on the “iCloud Photos” feature to get the “Photo Settings” window. From there, activate the “iCloud Photos” and hit the “Done” button from the bottom.
Step 2: Now, open the “File Explorer” on your PC and find the “iCloud Photos” folder on the left side panel. Select photos you want to transfer to your PC and right-click on them to tap the “Always Keep on This Device” option.
Step 3: Wait until your chosen images get a green check mark icon on them. Later, copy and paste the photos to your preferred folder on your PC without any limitations.
It’s the most common method to download photos from iCloud on a PC and is also easily accessible because you just need to use your web browser. For this case, note down your Apple ID credentials, and the following steps will guide the rest of the process:
Step 1: Access iCloud.com on your browser and use your Apple ID credentials to sign in. Then, click the “Photos” widget or icon from the home screen and get your iPhone’s photo library on your PC. For this purpose, first, you must ensure your photos are uploaded to iCloud from your iPhone.
Step 2: Select images you intend to transfer and navigate to the top-right side of the screen. There, click the “Download” icon, and your selected images will be downloaded on your Windows PC.
Another simple and quick way to transfer images from iCloud to a Windows PC is using the link feature. To learn this method, explore this guide and understand how to download photos from iCloud to PC through a link:
Step 1: Unlock your iPhone’s “Photos” app and go to the image that you wish to share with your PC. Now, use the “Share” icon from the bottom-left corner of the screen and get an extended menu from the bottom. Scroll down the menu until you get the “Copy iCloud Link” option to get a URL copied to your clipboard.
Step 2: Share the earlier-copied URL link by emailing it to yourself or using any other mode. From your PC, press the “Download” button, and the image will be transferred to your PC.
Apart from iCloud, another way can facilitate transferring photos from iPhone to desktop, which is far easier and more reliable. It is Avica Remote Desktop software that can transfer photos from an iPhone to a PC without facing any file size restrictions or using your Apple ID. This remote desktop software allows you to share photos in remote sessions where both devices might be miles away from each other.
With remote access, Avica can transfer unlimited files, photos, and videos between devices, irrespective of the file format. Moreover, this remote desktop app is cross-compatible to all operating systems, such as iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows. What’s more, this photo transfer method is secure with end-to-end comprehensive AES-256 encryption and is 100 times faster than FTP/HTTP.
Avica, being a remote desktop tool, facilitates remote communication and collaboration, allowing users to access and control remote PCs and smartphones. Let's discover more about Avica through the given section, where key features of this remote desktop app are discussed to show its effectiveness.
This remote desktop software also has screen recording, remote restart, and shutdown features for an immersive collaborative experience. Hence, the following are steps on how to download photos from an iPhone on a PC that you can follow to transfer images quickly using Avica.
Feel free to download Avica software by clicking the button below and download Avica mobile app from Google Play or App Store. If you're seeking additional information about Avica product downloads, you can visit the Avica download page. Rest assured, Avica guarantees the safety and virus-free nature of all products obtained from the official website or app store.
Install Avica on your PC and toggle the “Allow Remote Access to This Device via Your Credentials” from its main interface. This way, you will find "Avica ID" and “Password” below it, which you need to copy and move towards your iPhone.
Following this, download Avica mobile app on your iPhone, insert the “Avica ID” in the “Remote Connection” section and hit the “File Transfer” button. From the next screen, input your Windows PC's Avica password.
Choose the “Send Files” button to access the “Photos” transfer feature. Now, you are navigated to your Photos app, where you have to choose images. Later, pick a folder to save the images on your PC and hit the “Send” button to transfer images from your iPhone to your PC.
As you have finished exploring various methods to move photos from iCloud to PC, let’s study some FAQs to increase knowledge about transferring images or resolve some issues.
The answer is affirmatory: one can access iCloud on a PC by downloading the iCloud app for Windows. Apart from this, one can access iCloud by visiting iCloud.com on their web browsers, but it only allows you to view, manage, upload, and download data.
If you cannot download iCloud on a computer, it is possible that your system didn’t meet the specifications outlined by Apple. Your current Windows version might not be compatible with iCloud for Windows, or your Microsoft Store in Windows 10/11 might be showing glitches.
3. Can I install iCloud on Windows 11?
Indeed, you can download the iCloud for Windows app in your system, but for this purpose, you need to create an account on the Microsoft Store.
Let’s summarize the discussion on photo downloading from iCloud to PC, as this guide has covered 3 methods of using iCloud for photo transferring. Despite them, you have learned about remote desktop software that can share your iPhone's pictures to a PC through remote access. Henceforth, you should try Avica to elevate your remote communication and reliable image transfer.
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