Mac CAN'T restore photos from iCloud

Question

Level 1

4 points

Mac CAN'T restore photos from iCloud

I get a Mac mini and want to sync my photos and videos on my iPhone to my Mac. Before synchronizing, I opened the iCloud photo on my iPhone and Mac, made sure that my iPhone and Mac use the same Apple ID, checked the internet. But the Mac photos app stuck on “Restoring from iCloud…”.

I have tried many solutions like restart the Mac, sign out and sign in my Apple account, open and reopen the iCloud photo, repair the photo library. But the problem still can't be solved.

Is there anybody has met the same issue with me? If so, could please offer me some advice?

Mac mini, macOS 14.0

Posted on Jun 30, 2023 3:40 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

202,775 points

Jun 30, 2023 6:01 AM in response to yaodong273

How large is your photos Library? Even for a moderately sized library with just 50000 photos and videos the "restoring" may take much longer than a week, and every time you repair the library or toggle iCloud Photos off and on, it will start over from scratch and will just take longer.

You may want to check, if your Photos Library in iCloud is complete and has all your photos and videos.

You can check this on your iCloud web page in the Photos.app there. Open www.icloud.com in a web browser and open the Photos.app there, then check, if you can open all photos and videos.

If yes, and your library is in iCloud complete, it might be easier to download your Photos Library from iCloud to a new library instead of restoring:

create a new, empty library, then make it your System Photos Library and enable iCloud Photos for it.
Now wait for your library to come back from iCloud. This is usually much faster than the "Restoring" procedure.

Reply

Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

202,775 points

Jul 1, 2023 3:17 AM in response to yaodong273

Some users reported that the iCloud syncing did not work for the photos using the personal hotspot. Please let us know, if switching to Wi-Fi will make it work for you too.

Reply

Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

202,775 points

Jun 30, 2023 2:21 PM in response to yaodong273

Where is your Photos Library?

Is it in your Pictures folder or on an external drive?

How are you connected to the Internet? Are you using Wi-Fi or a personal cellular hotspot?

Try to use Wi-Fi and not a cellular connection. And disable any third-party security software, that might intrcept the connection to Apple's servers.

Reply

Answer 4

yaodong273 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 30, 2023 1:19 PM in response to léonie

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

My photo library is small, it just has around 1200 photos and videos. I believe it won't take long to sync and restore all the photos from iCloud.

But every time when I try to sync and restore photos, the Mac photos app just displays “restoring from iCloud…” or “syncing with iCloud…” like the image I uploaded shows, even after several hours. And the size of the local library remains the same, this means the Mac photos app doesn't sync or restore any photos from the iCloud.

I don't know where the problem is. It seems that the Mac photos app can't get access to the iCloud server.

I tried the method you provided, I created a new library and make it my new System Photos Library, and I enabled iCloud Photos for this new System Photos Library. But the new system photos library has the same issue with the old one. The mac photos app now stuck on ”Syncing with iCloud…”, and if I try to repair this new system photo library, the mac photos app will stuck on “Restoring from iCloud…”. The same issue with the old one

Reply

Answer 5

yaodong273 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 1, 2023 3:05 AM in response to léonie

It's in the Picture folder.

Now I am using a personal hotspot on my phone, I am also thinking if this could be the problem. I will try to use a Wi-Fi later.

Reply

Mac CAN'T restore photos from iCloud

Similar questions