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Photos beginner question

I create an album (not shared) in Photos.


I then select Download Originals to this Mac for that album.


If something happens I don't see it.


Should I now have full originals of those photos on my Mac? If so, where?


Thank you

iMac 27″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 1, 2021 2:00 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 1, 2021 2:52 PM

The Download Originals option applies to all Photos on a device, not to a specific album. See the following from Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support for a description of what it is:


On your Mac:

  1. Open the Photos app and click Photos in the menu bar.
  2. Click Preferences.
  3. Go to the iCloud tab and choose a storage setting.

If you turn on Optimize Storage, iCloud Photos automatically manages the size of your library on your device. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and space-saving versions are kept on your device. Your library is optimized only when you need space, starting with the photos and videos you access least. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them. You can use Optimize Storage on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.


If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photos keeps your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 1, 2021 2:52 PM in response to Norm Harris

The Download Originals option applies to all Photos on a device, not to a specific album. See the following from Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support for a description of what it is:


On your Mac:

  1. Open the Photos app and click Photos in the menu bar.
  2. Click Preferences.
  3. Go to the iCloud tab and choose a storage setting.

If you turn on Optimize Storage, iCloud Photos automatically manages the size of your library on your device. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and space-saving versions are kept on your device. Your library is optimized only when you need space, starting with the photos and videos you access least. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them. You can use Optimize Storage on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.


If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photos keeps your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device.

Jan 1, 2021 6:00 PM in response to Norm Harris

The same command in Photos Preferences insures that all of the Photos in the Photos System Library are originals. If that command is not on (i.e., if Optimize Storage is on) some or all of those Photos may be space-saving versions. I would assume this command does the same -- i.e., the photos would be those that you view inside the Photos app.

Jan 1, 2021 4:27 PM in response to Norm Harris

That's a good question. I don't have Optimize Storage turned on in Photos on my Mac so I can't test it -- and I was not aware of and have never heard of an option in an Album to do that. The following support article doesn't mention it either: Download iCloud photos and videos - Apple Support

It sounds like that is a way to force the full-size originals for just that album to be downloaded when you have the Optimize option turned on -- but it's news to me.

Photos beginner question

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