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Download full resolution photos from icloud to PC

I recently upgraded from an iPhone X to iPhone 14 and noticed that after changing phones images downloaded from iCloud to my PC are reduced resolution. I use the images for work and often need to zoom in to get certain details from the photos. Images downloaded from iCloud pixelate with even the slightest zoom and I am unable to get the information I need. I have read a couple of Apple Community posts about this issue but none have addressed the issue. I'm not sure anyone really knows what is the reason the images are not downloaded at full resolution. If anyone knows what setting I need to change to get the images to download at full resolution, I am all ears. Since this is occurring only since getting the new phone, I assume it is something in the OS.


I have found a work around. I transfer the photos internally from the photos app to OneDrive app; however, I can only move 30 in one transfer. I am routinely transferring 100-200 photos at a time, so this means repeating the same action 5-10 times, plus remembering where I was in the list of photos so I don't duplicate or miss any. In short its a real PIA.


On a commentary note, it seems REALLY silly to have a super bad-*** camera in your phone, but only able to see the full resolution images on the phone.


Thanks for any help you all have.

iPhone 14 Pro Max, iOS 16

Posted on May 11, 2023 9:01 AM

Reply
4 replies

May 11, 2023 10:40 AM in response to Itsmeisanyonelistening

Turn on iCloud Photos

  1. In the Photos app on your Mac, choose Photos > Settings, then click iCloud.
  2. Select the iCloud Photos checkbox.
  3. Select one of the following options:
    • Download Originals to this Mac: Stores the full-size versions of your photos both on your Mac and in iCloud.
  • Optimize Mac Storage:
  • Stores smaller versions of your photos on your Mac when storage space
  • is limited, and keeps the original, full-size photos in iCloud. Choose
  • this option to conserve space on your Mac. To restore the originals to
    • your Mac, just select “Download Originals to this Mac.”



I know you are using a PC but it may be similar for you (I would hope).

May 11, 2023 11:20 AM in response to Limnos

I have done that and but the image still does not download at the full native resolution. I just took a photo as an example. The one downloaded through iCloud as you noted in the post above is labeled iCloud, and the one I transferred from photos to OneDrive on my phone is labeled appOneDrive. The iCloud one is 1,334KB and the appOneDrive one is 3,716KB. I could not find a way to attach the photo files, but here is a photo of the file showing the file size.

Download full resolution photos from icloud to PC

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