iCloud Photos: How to Use the Cloud to Upload Photos & Optimize iPhone Storage

By Jim Karpen Updated 02/18/2021

This article will tell you how to optimize your iPhone storage with iCloud. One of the major benefits of iCloud is the iCloud Photo Library. All your photos and videos can be stored in the cloud rather than being tied to a particular device, making them available to you regardless of which device you're using. Any change you make to a photo or video on one device is carried over to the others. I love the security of knowing my iCloud photos are safe even if something were to happen to my iPhone, and how my iCloud allows me to free up space on my devices. If you enable iCloud Photo Library, you can choose to store only optimized versions of your photos and videos on your iPhone or iPad. The full-resolution versions are kept in the cloud. This feature can save you gigabytes of storage space on your iPhone, and any time you want, you can download the full-resolution version. Let's get started learning how to access iCloud and how to back up photos to iCloud, so you can keep all your memories safe and organized.

Related: How to Set Up iCloud Drive

How to Enable iCloud Photo Library

To enable iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch you'll need to make sure your software is updated to iOS 10.1 or later. Next:

Open the Settings app.
Tap your name at the top of the page.
Tap iCloud.
Tap Photos.
Toggle on iCloud Photos and, if you're connected to a Wi-Fi network, your device will immediately begin the process of uploading and storing your entire photo and video library.
If you'd like more storage space on your iPhone, tap Optimize iPhone Storage; this setting lets iCloud Photo Library automatically manage the size of the photo library on your device.
If you decide you want to have the full versions of all photos and videos on your device, simply select Download and Keep Originals.

Of course, storing your photos in iCloud may require you to pay for more iCloud storage space. The first 5 GB are free; you can upgrade to 50 GB for $0.99 per month, 200 GB for $2.99 per month, and 2 TB for $9.99 per month. You can save your old printed photos on iCloud as well! Learn to how to scan your photos using just your iPhone to get started. You can also consider storing your photos and other content on an external hard drive.

Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

Author Details

Jim Karpen

Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.

Featured Products

The Spiritual Self-Care App You Never Knew You Needed

Phone games are fun, but do they promote spiritual development and explore meditation uniquely like the free Spiritual Me app? The app will walk you through simple steps that will ultimately teach you to identify your mood better and reflect on it meaningfully. It will also show you meaningful games, guide you through stretches, and more! Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or have negative emotions? Try Spiritual Me today and become a better you!

The Best Way to Transfer & Save iPhone Content

Our iPhones contain an incredible amount of priceless data. The iMazing app by DigiDNA helps users cherish their special memories with user-friendly browsing, export, and even print options. iMazing also lets you transfer music, videos, and documents both ways, and enables you to wirelessly back up your iPhone and iPad to your Mac or PC. Don’t miss out on this exclusive 30% discount—take control of your mobile devices now and get full access to your personal data through a beautiful and dependable app. Amazing!