Tech Reference

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

iPhone with iCloud icon and Apple logo as background
iCloud syncing lets you view photos associated with your Apple ID across devices. NurPhoto/Getty Images
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If you have one or more iOS devices, you probably appreciate that everything is connected via iCloud.

Any photos you take on your iPhone, for example, can be automatically synced everywhere. That means you can take a photo on your phone and see it minutes later on your iPad or the iCloud website.

This iCloud Photos feature should work automatically, though you may need to make sure it is turned on. 

If you're ready to sync your iCloud photos across devices, here's how to enable and access the feature. 

How to turn on iCloud Photos on an iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap Photos.

3. Tap the toggle for iCloud Photos to turn on the feature –  if it's not already enabled.

The “Photos” settings on iPhone, with the “iCloud Photos” option highlighted.
Tap the toggle for "iCloud Photos" to enable the feature.  Stefan Ionescu/Insider

4. Repeat that process for every device you want to sync with iCloud.

How to access iCloud photos on an iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Photos app.

2. You should see all the photos taken on either your iPhone or iPad and stored on iCloud.

3. Tap Albums in the bottom menu to browse your photos by album and category. 

The “Photos” app on iPhone, with the “Search” option highlighted in the bottom menu.
You can also search for the photos you want.  Stefan Ionescu/Insider

How to access iCloud photos on the iCloud website

1. Open iCloud.com in a web browser.

2. Login to the service with your Apple ID if needed.

3. Click Photos.

The “Photos” app on iPhone, with “Search” highlighted in the bottom menu.
Click "Photos" on the iCloud website.  Stefan Ionescu/Insider

4. You should see all your photos taken on all your iOS and iPadOS devices.

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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.