If you have one or more iOS devices, you probably appreciate that everything is connected via iCloud.
When you’re signed into iCloud, you can use the Photos app to view your photos and videos on any device. Any photos you take on your iPhone, for example, can be automatically synced everywhere. That means you can take a photo on your iPhone and see it minutes later on your iPad, Mac or icloud.com.
This article explains how to see photos on iCloud using different methods and devices.
What’s iCloud?
iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage service that lets you keep photos, files, and other data securely online, and accessible from any of your devices.
How to see iCloud photos
You can access your iCloud photos from almost anywhere — on Apple products like your iPhone or iPad, Mac, or on a Windows desktop or a web browser. Here’s how to see photos on iCloud:
Using iCloud.com
- Go to iCloud.com, then sign in to your Apple Account.
- Tap or click Photos.
On an iPhone or iPad
- Go to Settings > [your name].
- Tap iCloud, tap Photos, then turn on Sync this iPhone or Use on this iPhone.
- Open the Photos app.
- Scroll down to see content sorted by Recent Days, People & Pets, Shared Albums, Media Types, and more.
On your Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click your name at the top of the sidebar.
- Click iCloud, click Photos, then turn on Sync this Mac.
- Open the Photos app.
- On the sidebar, you’ll see content sorted by Recent Days, People & Pets, Shared Albums, Media Types, and more.
Through Shared Albums
On your iPhone or iPad
- Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos, then turn on Shared Albums.
- You’ll find your Shared Albums in your Photos App.
On your Mac
- Open the Photos app. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, choose Photos > Settings. In macOS Monterey or earlier, choose Photos > Preferences. Click the iCloud tab, then select Shared Albums.
- You’ll see your Shared Albums in your Photos App.
With iCloud for Windows
With iCloud for Windows®, you can see your iCloud photos on a Windows PC running Windows 10 or later. You’ll need your Apple account credentials handy.
- Download and install iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft® store.
- Open iCloud for Windows and sign in into your Apple account.
- Select Photos. Select Shared Albums. If you aren’t prompted to turn on features, click the Options button next to Photos. Click Done, then click Apply.
- You can find your photos in the File Explorer under iCloud Photos on your device.
If you’ve downloaded iCloud for Windows, you can also access your photos from your Windows PC via iCloud.com.
What to do if you can’t see your iCloud Photos
If you don’t see your iCloud Photos in the Photos app, here’s what to do:
Make sure that you signed in to iCloud with the correct Apple Account
To see all your iCloud photos, make sure that you sign in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on every device.
You can check which Apple Account your device is using in Settings. You’ll see your name and email address. Your email address is your Apple Account.
Make sure that iCloud Photos is turned on
iCloud Photos securely stores all of your photos and videos in iCloud, so that you can access them on all your devices. If you took a photo on your iPhone with iCloud Photos turned on but later turned the feature off, you might still be able to find a missing photo in iCloud Photos.
On your iPhone or iPad
- Go to Settings > [your name], then tap iCloud.
- Tap Photos.
- Turn on Sync this [Device].
On your Mac
- Open Photos, then choose photos > Settings (or Preferences) from the menu bar.
- Click the iCloud tab.
- Select iCloud Photos.
After you turn on iCloud Photos, you might need to connect to Wi-Fi and wait a few minutes. Then look for your photos again.
Check your internet connection
You’ll need strong Wi-Fi to access your iCloud photos. If your photos aren’t loading, check your internet connection.
Restart your device
A simple restart can clear out any software glitches that could be preventing you from seeing your iCloud photos. Try turning your device off and on, then check to see if you can see your iCloud photos.
Check your storage
It’s possible your photos aren’t loading because you need to increase the storage on your iPhone or device you’re using to take and view photos. It’s also possible your iCloud storage is full or almost full. You automatically get 5 GB of free storage. You can get more storage when you upgrade to iCloud .
