How to manually upload photos to icloud

iCloud Photos is tightly integrated with Apple devices and works well with the native Photos App on all Apple Devices. You will find below the steps to Upload Photos to iCloud from iPhone, iPad and Mac.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

Upload Photos to iCloud From iPhone, iPad and Mac

Before uploading Photos to iCloud, you need to make sure that you have enough storage available in your iCloud Account.

While Apple provides free 5 GB storage space to all Apple Device users, this limited storage space is only good enough for Automated iCloud Backups and not enough to store all your Photos in iCloud.

If you are thinking in terms of keeping all your Photos and Videos on iCloud, you can buy more iCloud storage space from Apple at very affordable rates (50 GB for $1.29/month).

1. Upload Photos to iCloud From iPhone or iPad

All that is required to upload Photos from iPhone to iCloud is to simply turn ON the option for iCloud Photos as available on your device.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone, scroll down and tap on the Photos.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

2. On the Photos screen, move the toggle next to iCloud Photos to ON Position.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

On the same screen, you can choose either to ‘Optimize iPhone Storage’ or to ‘Download and Keep Originals’ option.

Optimize iPhone Storage: Original Photos on iPhone will be replaced with compressed versions. A copy of original full resolution images will be available in iCloud.

Download and Keep Originals: Original full resolution images will be kept both on iCloud and also on the internal storage of your iPhone.

Once the option for iCloud Photos is turned ON, all the Photos that you shoot on your device will be automatically uploaded to your iCloud Account.

2. Upload Photos From Mac to iCloud Photos

Similarly, it is easy to Upload Photos from Mac to iCloud Photos.

1. Open the Photos app on your Mac.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

2. Click on the Photos tab in top menu-bar and select Preferences… in the drop-down menu.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

3. On the next screen, select the iCloud tab and check iCloud Photos option.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

On the same screen, you can select from any of the following options.

Download Originals to Mac: This option keeps a copy of original Photos & Videos on Mac, in addition to those uploaded to iCloud.

Optimize Mac Storage: Saves storage space on Mac by replacing original full resolution Photos on Mac with compressed images. Original Photos will be available on iCloud.

iCloud Photo Sharing: Allows you to create a Shared Folder on iCloud to share photos with your family and friends.

Once iCloud Photos option is enabled on Mac, the Photos App will begin the process of uploading all the Photos on your Mac to iCloud Photos.

Advantages of iCloud Photos

The main advantage of iCloud Photos is that it allows you to access all your photos from any device and from anywhere in the world.

Photos that you upload from iPhone to iCloud Photos get automatically synced across all your iCloud enabled devices.

For example, if you take new Photos on iPhone, the Photos will become available on your iPad, Mac and Windows PC.

Also, iCloud Photos allows you to take as many photos as you want on iPhone, without having to worry about the storage capacity of your device.

If your iPhone becomes full while shooting Photos, you can simply delete Photos from your device and they will still be available in iCloud Photos.

iCloud does more than just backup your iPhone and iPad. iCloud can keep your photos in sync across all your devices, for example – iPhone, iPad, Mac, and PC. You can set up your devices to automatically place a copy of all photos in iCloud, and you can manually upload photos from your Mac or Windows PC to iCloud as well.

How to turn on iCloud Photos on an iPhone or iPad

To get started with iCloud Photos, you should ensure that it's turned on and set to upload your mobile photos to the cloud. 

1. On your iPhone or iPad device, start the Settings app.

2. Scroll down and tap "Photos."

3. If it's not already on, turn on iCloud Photos by swiping the button to the right, turning it green.

How to manually upload photos to icloud

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  • How to access iCloud photos on your Apple devices or through iCloud's website

  • How to clear iCloud storage and free up space on your iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices

  • How to use the Apple Notes app on iCloud and sync your notes across all of your devices

  • How to download photos from your iCloud onto your PC through the iCloud website

  • How to delete photos from your iPhone without deleting them from iCloud

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

How do I manually store photos on iCloud?

Store your photos and videos in iCloud.
Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos..
Turn on iCloud Photos..
Select Optimize iPhone Storage to save space on your device..

How do I upload my iPhone to iCloud?

How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud.
Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network..
Go to Settings > [your name], and tap iCloud..
Tap iCloud Backup..
Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process ends. Under Back Up Now, you'll see the date and time of your last backup..

Why are the photos on my iPhone not uploading to iCloud?

Check that Wi-Fi is on and you have an internet connection. Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos. Make sure Upload to My Photo Stream is turned on. If you don't see this option, turn on iCloud Photos to keep your photos and videos in iCloud instead.

How do I manually upload photos to iCloud from my Mac?

Whether you're on a Mac or PC, you can follow these steps to upload pictures directly to iCloud.com:.
Open a web browser and go to iCloud.com..
Log in with your iCloud account..
Click Photos > Upload..
Select the pictures you want to save and then click Choose for Upload..