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3 Fixes for iCloud Photos Not Downloading to PC

Quick Tips
  • Open iCloud app > Photos > Enable all access to your photos on your PC > Click on Done.
  • Open Windows Explorer > Right-click on iCloud Photos from the left panel > Click on Always keep on this device.
  • Open iCloud on your browser > Log in to your account > Photos > Select all photos > Click the Download icon.

Basic Fixes

  • Check internet speed: Ensure you get good internet speeds on your Windows PC when downloading your photos.
  • Sign in again to iCloud: Open iCloud > Sign Out > Delete from PC > Keep copy > Sign in again to iCloud.
  • Force stop and relaunch the iCloud app: Open Task Manager > iCloud > End Task > Relaunch iCloud.
  • Update iCloud app: Install the latest version on your PC to get rid of bugs or glitches that might be causing the issue.

Fix 1: Configure iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos has a bunch of weird terminology that makes it confusing to deal with at times. And that means you can never expect it to function straight out of the box like most applications do nowadays.

To check if you’ve set up iCloud Photos to download your photos properly, you need to dive into the Photos Options panel.

Open iCloud app > Photos > Enable all access to your photos on your PC > Click on Done.

enable icloud photos on windows 11

Fix 2: Always Keep Photos on Your PC

This was suggested by a user on the official Windows forums and it seemed to work. By default, iCloud on Windows 11 will be installed to save storage space. This might prevent you from downloading your photos to your PC.

Open Windows Explorer > Right-click on iCloud Photos from the left panel > Click on Always keep on this device.

always keep on this device icloud

Fix 3: Download Modified Photos From iCloud

The last suggestion that we have to download your photos is by doing them manually via iCloud.com.

Step 1: Log in to your iCloud account.

Step 2: Click Photos to access your photos library.

Step 3: Select any modified photos that you want to download. To select multiple items, simply hold down the Alt key during the selection process.

Step 4: Place the cursor over the Download icon > Click and hold for a couple of seconds.

Step 5: On the pop-up menu that shows up, check the radio button next to Most Compatible >Click Download.

download photos icloud webpage

Tip: Learn how to use Two-Factor Authentication on iCloud.

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Last updated on 19 August, 2024

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