How to Edit iCloud Photos on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iCloud Photos offers a seamless way to edit your photos across all your Apple devices. With the built-in editing tools, you can enhance your images and create stunning visuals. Whether you're using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can easily access and edit your iCloud Photos.

iCloud Photos

Simple Steps to Edit iCloud Photos on iPhone

Editing iCloud Photos on your iPhone is straightforward:

Step 1. Open the Photos app: Tap on the Photos app icon on your iPhone's home screen.

Step 2. Select a photo: Choose the photo you want to edit.

Step 3. Tap the Edit button: The Edit button is located in the top right corner of the screen.

Step 4. Apply edits: Use the various editing tools available, such as:

  • Filters: Experiment with different filters to add a unique look to your photos.
  • Adjustment tools: Fine-tune your photos using tools like exposure, contrast, brightness, saturation, and more.
  • Cropping and rotating: Adjust the composition of your photos by cropping or rotating them.
  • Red-eye correction: Remove red-eye from your photos with a simple click.

Step 5. Save your changes: Tap the "Done" button to save your edits.

How to Edit Photos on iCloud from a Mac

Editing iCloud Photos on your Mac is similar to editing on your iPhone:

Step 1. Open the Photos app: Launch the Photos app on your Mac.

Step 2. Select a photo: Choose the photo you want to edit.

Step 3. Click the Edit button: The Edit button is located in the top right corner of the screen.

Step 4. Apply edits: Use the extensive editing tools available on your Mac, including advanced features like:

  • Layers: Create multiple layers to edit different parts of your photo independently.
  • Brushes: Use brushes to paint or draw on your photos.
  • Healing tools: Remove blemishes, objects, or other imperfections from your photos.
  • Color adjustment: Fine-tune the colors in your photos using tools like hue, saturation, and vibrancy.

Step 5. Save your changes: Click on the "Done" button to save your edits.

How to Manage iCloud Photo Edits Across Devices

iCloud Photos ensures your edits are automatically synced across all your devices. This means you can start editing a photo on your iPhone and continue editing it on your Mac, and the changes will be reflected on both devices.

Editing iCloud Photos on Different Devices: iPhone vs. Mac

While the basic editing tools are similar on both iPhone and Mac, the Mac offers more advanced features due to its larger screen and more powerful hardware. For instance, you can use layers, brushes, and more complex editing techniques on your Mac.

Here's a comparison of the editing features available on iPhone and Mac:

Feature Purpose iPhone Mac
Basic editing tools (filters, exposure, contrast, etc.) Experiment with different filters and fine-tune your photos using tools like exposure, contrast, brightness, saturation, and more. Yes Yes
Cropping and rotating Adjust the composition of your photos by cropping or rotating them. Yes Yes
Red-eye correction Remove red-eye from your photos with a simple click. Yes Yes
Healing tools Remove blemishes, objects, or other imperfections from your photos. Limited Extensive
Layers Tweak individual components of the photo without altering the original. Not available Yes
Brushes Paint over specific spots for detailed edits, such as retouching small imperfections, adding creative effects, or adjusting exposure and color in selected areas. Not available Yes
Color adjustment Tweak the overall tone, hue, saturation, and contrast of an image. Limited Extensive

Syncing Edits Automatically Across iCloud

iCloud Photos automatically syncs your edits across all your devices. This means you don't have to manually transfer or back up your edited photos. As long as you have iCloud Photos enabled on all your devices, your changes will be reflected everywhere.

Bonus Tip: Transfer or Sync files between iCloud Photos and Other Clouds

This article addresses the question "how to edit icloud photos". If you’re considering migrating files from your current cloud service to iCloud Photos, or vice versa, MultCloud can be extremely useful. Trusted by over 3 million users, MultCloud is a multi-cloud management tool that facilitates the transfer or synchronization of files between various cloud services.

For instance, it allows for seamless file transfers from cloud drives like Google Drive to OneDrive without the need to download and then re-upload files. MultCloud also enables you to access and manage all your cloud accounts via a single application. Currently, it supports more than 30 different cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Photos, iCloud Photos, FTP, WebDav, and more.

  • Cloud Transfer: MultCloud can transfer files from one cloud service to another directly without downloading and re-uploading.
  • Cloud Sync: With MultCloud, you can easily sync two folders between different cloud services in real-time.
  • Cloud Backup: You can backup and restore data between different cloud services automatically.
  • Instagram Downloader: MultCloud can help you download Instagram videos, photos, reels and stories to local device or remotely upload them to your clouds.
  • Email Migration: You can directly back up and save Gmail emails as PDFs to your computer or cloud drive in bulk. 
  • Manage all cloud accounts in one place: Connect all your clouds to MultCloud and you'll find it so easy to access and manage multiple cloud storage files with a single login.