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How to Backup iCloud Photos to Synology NAS Automatically

Want to backup iCloud photo library to Synology NAS but don't know how? This article will teach you how to save iCloud Photos to Synology NAS easily, you can use this method mentioned to perform file backup quickly! Additionally, you can use the tool provided in this post to restore your data directly.

August 8, 2024

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User Case: How to Backup iCloud Photos to NAS?

Case 1: "I have a full 2TB of photos to move from iCloud to my NAS. I tried the iCloud Windows app, but it won't allow me to remap the iCloud Photos folder to my NAS, is there any alternative? "

Case 2: "I have thousands of iCloud photos stored on my mobile phone, how do I back up these photos to Moments in the NAS at one time? NAS has become my new photo backup tool."

Why Backup iCloud Photos to Synology NAS?

iCloud Photos to Synology NAS

iCloud Photos is a separate photo storage service provided by iCloud for users. As an alternative to Google Photos, iCloud Photos gives 100% of people in the Apple ecosystem the easiest way to sync photos (and edit photos) across all your devices.

And Synology NAS is a place that allows users to create a private cloud and store, access, backup and share files freely and securely. As a kind of private data server, many users choose to backup iCloud Photos to NAS server to access and share files intuitively, and even protect and organize media data. The following highlights of NAS are enough to be a photo backup option for more users.

  • The storage space can be increased arbitrarily. iCloud Photos can provide up to 2TB of storage space, while NAS can provide more storage capacity, because users can increase the storage units in the NAS chassis at will.
  • Data security can be protected. Most of the time, users store their pictures in iCloud Photos on their phone, and if the phone malfunctions or breaks, they will lose data. Backing up these pictures or videos via NAS can avoid this problem.

So, how to backup pictures or videos in iCloud Photos to a NAS server? Don't worry, this article will provide you with 2 practical ways with detailed operation steps.

Solution 1: Automatically Backup iCloud Photos to Synology NAS by Third Party

The easiest and quickest way to back up iCloud Photos to Synology NAS is to use the excellent cloud-to-cloud backup service --- MultCloud. As an excellent cloud file manager, MultCloud provides a comprehensive platform for users to manage multiple cloud services, such as iCloud Photos, NAS, Amazon S3, OneDrive, Google Drive, Flickr, MEGA, iCloud Drive, etc.

MultCloud allows users to perform many basic functions such as uploading files to any cloud, sharing files and folders, renaming, deleting, etc. In addition, users can also enjoy advanced functions such as Cloud Transfer, Team Transfer, Cloud Sync, Cloud Backup, and Remote Upload.

Why MultCloud Stands Out among Many Cloud Backup Tools?

  • Web-based services. MultCloud is a web-based service, you don't need to install any apps on your device, which saves your storage space to a certain extent. At the same time, MultCloud provides a mobile app to facilitate data transfer across clouds.
  • Automatic backup of data. When you set a specific backup time, MultCloud can automatically back up data at the set time point or period.
  • Backup data incrementally. During the entire backup process, MultCloud only backs up the modifications you make, which can save your NAS space.
  • Filter certain files. If you don't want certain pictures to be backed up, MultCloud's "Filter" feature makes it easy to exclude/include data with certain extensions.
  • Custom restore data to the original location. MultCloud not only provides users with the "Restore" function to restore data, but also provides the "Versions" function to help users restore a certain version of data.

The following detailed steps can help you easily complete iCloud Photos to Synology NAS backup.

Step 1: Create an account with MutlCloud. Alternatively, you can log in directly with your Facebook/Google account.

Sign Up

Step 2: Go to "Add Cloud", then press the icon and follow the instructions in the pop-up window to add iCloud Photos and NAS respectively.

Add iCloud Photos and NAS

Step 3: Click the "Cloud Backup" button and select a folder in iCloud Photos as the source directory and a NAS as the destination directory. Next, click on the "Backup Now" tab.

Backup iCloud Photos to NAS

After starting the backup process, MultCloud will run it in the background. That is, even if the connection is interrupted or your computer shuts down suddenly, the backup tasks will not be affected. Additionally, you can schedule automatic backup tasks by clicking the "Schedule" button below the first box. Specifically, you can set backup tasks to run on a specified date, daily, weekly, or monthly, which is very useful for those very busy people.

Notes:

  • If you want to back up your NAS to iCloud Photos, just switch the source and destination.
  • If you want to sync iCloud Photos to Synology NAS, you can turn to MultCloud's "Cloud Sync" function, which can help you sync data easily.

Solution 2: Manually Backup iCloud Photos to Synology NAS

Although the manual method is more time-consuming than the above methods, it is also a solution when backing up photos to a NAS server. Users can complete the backup of photos without purchasing any products, which should be the highlight that attracts most users. The whole process is mainly divided into two stages: first, downloading the photos from iCloud to the local devices; then manually uploading these pictures to your NAS server.

Stage 1: Download iCloud Photos to Computer

Considering that many users do not have enough space on their mobile phones to store all iCloud Photos, it is recommended that users use a computer as a temporary storage location.

Step 1: On iCloud.com, tap "Photos" and select a photo or video.

Go to iCloud Photos

Step 2: Hold down the command key on a Mac or the control key on a PC to select multiple photos or videos.

Step 3: Click the download button on the upper corner, and choose a folder to download iCloud photos to your PC or Mac.

Download iCloud Photos to Computer

Notes:

  • If your items are less than 1000 items, you can press Ctrl + A to select all photos to download. If you have more than 1000 photos, you need to select and download the first 1000 images first, then select another 1000 or the rest to download.
  • Please select "Unmodified Originals" if you want to download the photo or video as it was originally captured or imported. For JPEG or H.264 formats (including editing, even if it was originally HEIF or HEVC), please choose "Most Compatible".
  • If your photos were downloaded as a ZIP archive, please unzip the folder before uploading.

Stage 2: Upload iCloud Photos to Synology NAS

Step 1: Log in to your NAS, and open the "File Station" application on the NAS.

Step 2: Go to Home -> Drive -> Moments.

Step 3: Click Create -> Create folder, enter a Folder name, and click OK to create a new folder. 

Create Folder

Step 4: Double-click to open the newly created folder. Click Upload -> Upload - Skip

Upload - Skip

Step 5: Go to the location where your iCloud Photos files are staged, select all photos or choose the files you want to backup. Then click Open.

Upload iCloud Photos to Synology NAS

After everything is done, the iCloud Photos files you selected will be uploaded to the NAS server. You can check the real-time status of file transfers by clicking the upload icon on the taskbar. At the same time, you can also view the copied photos by opening the Synology Photos app on your smartphone.

Conclusion

Regardless, if you want to backup iCloud Photos to Synology NAS, you can either use a download and upload solution or turn to a useful third-party service --- MultCloud. Now, you can choose any solution for your backup tasks.

In addition to "Cloud Backup" and "Cloud Sync" features, MultCloud also provides you with other advanced features like "Cloud Transfer" and "Remote Upload". For example, if you want to copy iCloud Photos to Google Photos, the "Cloud Transfer" function can effectively solve it.

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