Download multiple photos from iCloud to iPhone

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Download multiple photos from iCloud to iPhone

Hello,

I am trying to figure out how to download multiple photos at once from the iCloud to my iPhone. I took a folder from my Windows 10 computer and placed it within the iCloud folder. It did upload all of these pictures, about 100 of them. I open the iCloud icon, from my home screen of the iPhone, and all of the pictures are there within the folder.

The problem is, I don't see a way to download the pictures to my phone. I can select multiple pictures, but I only see the option to move the pictures from one location to another within iCloud. If I open a picture it will then allow me to save the picture to my iPhone, but I don't want to have to do this manually for each individual picture.

Is there some way I can move the entire folder from iCloud onto my iPhone without doing this manually? I don't want to have to open each picture up, click on another icon, then click on save to phone option, this would take a really long time.

So option 2 would be just to directly connect my phone to my computer and upload the folder to my phone through iTunes. However, it seems like this option is no longer available. When I select my phone from iTunes, as if I want to sync my phone, but click on the "Photos" option on the left, there is nothing that shows. The only thing that shows is a message saying "iCloud Photos is On. iPhone can access photos in iCloud. Photos can be downloaded to your device via Wi-Fi or cellular network". It used to be that if I placed a folder in my pictures album on my computer, it would automatically put that folder album on my iPhone when I did a sync through iTunes and it no longer does that. I don't know if there was some option I turned off or if this can no longer be done.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this easily so I can keep a clean and organized album without a bunch of hassle or everything getting jumbled together, or without the need to save each picture individually?

Thanks for any help offered,

Zines

Windows 10

Posted on Jul 11, 2016 6:02 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

LACAllen

Level 8

43,542 points

Jul 12, 2016 8:07 AM in response to zerners

Rather than use iCloud Drive, add those photos from your PC to the iCloud Photo Library. On your phone, with the same Apple ID and iCloud Photo Library enabled there, the photos will sync from iCloud to your phone and stay in sync.

Set up and use iCloud Photo Library on your Windows PC - Apple Support

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Answer 2

zerners Author

Level 1

15 points

Jul 12, 2016 3:05 PM in response to LACAllen

Hi LACAllen,

Thanks for the response, but you missed my point because that is what I already did. They are already in iCloud on my phone, what I am trying to do is get them locally stored on my actual phone under Albums (not within iCloud). For example; if I call the folder that I uploaded to iCloud "Vacation" I am trying to download the entire folder to my Albums folder and for a new folder called "Vacation" to appear with Albums. I want it locally on my iPhone and not on the cloud. However, the only option I am seeing is to save each picture individually from iCloud to my phone, which will take forever. I used to be able to put folders or just pictures within the "Pictures" folder on my computer and when I did a sync with my phone to my computer, it would sync however the pictures were laid out on the computer it would be that way on my phone, this doesn't work anymore. So I am trying to figure out how to either do this again, which appears you can't, or how to save multiple pictures at once from iCloud to the phone.

Thanks,

Zines

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Answer 3

LACAllen

Level 8

43,542 points

Jul 18, 2016 4:48 PM in response to zerners

Don't think I did.

If you are seeing photos only in your iCloud Drive, they are not in the iCloud Photo Library. If you use the iCloud Photo Library as designed, the photos are on BOTH the cloud and your phone. Synced.

By telling us you want/need to further download from iCloud to your phone is telling us you're not using the Library as currently designed.

How did you "used to be able to..." and why doesn't that work now?

iCloud Photo Library does not deal in folders. It deals in albums. iCloud Drive deals in folders. It sounds like you are placing your photos in iCloud Drive, nested in folders. That is not the ideal way to do this.

I don't understand "in iCloud on my phone" I interpret this to mean again, you have uploaded photos to iCloud Drive, but not the the Library. If you uploaded them to the library, they would already be on your phone and not need to be downloaded again. iCloud Drive is not really the "best" part of the many iCloud services to use for managing photos.

Have you read these current FAQs about iCloud and Windows? It is entirely possible the features you are referring to no longer exist. I gave you the current method of syncing photos.

Download iCloud for Windows - Apple Support

What is iCloud for Windows? - Apple Support

Can you tell us how you have these various settings set?

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Answer 4

zerners Author

Level 1

15 points

Jul 18, 2016 4:48 PM in response to LACAllen

Hi LACallen,

This did fix my issue. Technically this is what I did, but something was corrupt. I reinstalled iCloud (selected the repair option). The weird part was after I did that about half of them went to my phone immediately. It was over 24 hours later and the rest of them all of a suddenly started showing up. Everything is there now, it is just odd though.

Thanks again,

Zines

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Answer 5

LACAllen

Level 8

43,542 points

Jul 18, 2016 5:11 PM in response to zerners

You're welcome.

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