Does iCloud Drive Save Photos? Find Out How Your Photos Are Stored and Protected

How Does iCloud Drive Save Photos?

iCloud Drive is a cloud storage service introduced by Apple that allows users to save documents, files, and pictures securely and access the same from any device that has signed into an Apple user account. So, when it comes to the question of whether iCloud Drive stores images, the answer is affirmative, yes it does. But it is to be noted that certain aspects are different in its workings, more so in the area of dealing with photo storage in various devices.

To begin with, Apple’s cloud system backs up all of your images, except this option is only available for users who turned on the iCloud Photos feature in their iPhone or other Apple gadgets. In other words, each photo taken using an iPhone gets uploaded to iCloud, which in turn allows the user to retrieve the same photo in other devices such as an iPad, Mac, or even a Windows-operated computer.

In this case, however, it is crucial to note that iCloud Drive and icloud photo library are two distinct services. While iCloud Drive services offer generic cloud storage, iCloud photos services are specific for storage and synchronization of images and videos. You upload photos through the iCloud photos feature; those photos are kept in your Icloud account rather than the Icloud drive folder.

How Does iCloud Drive Automatically Save Photos?

When answering the query of whether iCloud Drive saves pictures automatically, it depends on the user’s choices. Most of the time, when people talk about storing pictures in iCloud, they mean the iCloud Photos feature, which is meant to store all pictures in one place and does so automatically. Provided that iCloud Photos is turned on, any additional pictures taken on one’s iPhone or iPad will automatically upload to iCloud.

However, there is a limitation — it does not always mean that every photo is stored in the original quality all the time. Apple gives users the possibility to Optimize iPhone Storage, which means that a user would have smaller versions of photos saved on the device, with full-sized photos stored in iCloud. It helps to conserve space on the iPhone, however, the full-sized photos have to be downloaded from the parent storage which is cloud storage.

Now, if I asked you probably, does iCloud Drive also cover photos taken with an iPhone, the answer would be, yes, if you enabled, within the settings, the iCloud Photos option. Each photo does not have to be uploaded to make the whole system functional.

Does iCloud Drive Save Photos Permanently?

Most of the people worry that the photos uploaded will be in iCloud forever. No one these days wants to lose treasured time in external storage that has unclear terms and conditions.

So, if I delete a photo from the device, will it remain on iCloud Drive forever? Generally speaking, iCloud is a poorly designed, somewhat effective means of backing up photos that one possesses. However, it is not as foolproof as one might imagine. Once you delete a photo from any device, it will be deleted everywhere including iCloud, unless the photo has been placed in any folder or external hard disk.

Moreover, Apple has iCloud storage plans and they are not free on a permanent basis. Apple gives 5 GB free but with pictures and application data, it gets full very fast. To avoid the loss of your photographs forever, you will have to update your iCloud storage which brings us to the next section.

Does iCloud Drive Save Photos to Your Computer?

Have you ever wondered whether iCloud Drive saves photos on the computer as well? The response is yes, but that involves several significant steps. To view your iCloud photos stored on a Windows PC, you will have to download iCloud for Windows and install it. After installation, you will enable the iCloud Photos option, thus allowing you to transfer iCloud photos to your PC.

For Mac users, this process is made easier when it comes to syncing photos. The Photos application is integrated with iCloud Photos, hence any photos saved to iCloud will automatically be displayed in the Photos app on your Mac. There are no other steps to be taken other than switching on iCloud Photos.

However, note that iCloud Photos keeps all your images in full-resolution in the cloud, unless you have requested for a local copy to be kept on your device. Thus, you will be able to view the photos on your computer as well but ensure that you have sufficient space to accommodate them.