Download and view iCloud Photos on your Windows computer

When you set up Photos in iCloud for Windows, you can see photos and videos stored in iCloud Photos directly on your computer. If a photo or video is edited or deleted on an Apple device or on iCloud.com, the changes appear here automatically.

Note: If you’re using an iCloud Shared Photo Library on your Apple device, changes to your photos or videos only appear automatically with iCloud for Windows 14.

You see thumbnails of your photos and videos until you download them. After they’re downloaded, you can also view them in apps such as Microsoft Photos.

1. On your Windows computer, open File Explorer, then click iCloud Photos in the Navigation pane.

   If you don’t see iCloud Photos, click Pictures in the Navigation pane, then double-click iCloud Photos.

2. Double-click a thumbnail to download and view it.

   Icons next to a photo or video’s filename indicate its download status and if it’s part of your iCloud Shared Photo Library. See a list of icons and what they mean.

   

Note: If you edit a photo or video on your Windows computer, those edits don’t appear on your Apple devices or on iCloud.com. If you want the edited file added to iCloud Photos, upload it as a new file.

Learn how to download and view photos if you’re using iCloud for Windows version 7.