How to Transfer Photos from iCloud to External Hard Drive

If you’re running out of iCloud storage or want to back up photos to an external hard drive, you’ll need a reliable way to transfer photos from iCloud to external device. Whether you prefer moving files directly to a USB drive or using third-party software to speed things up, this guide covers detailed methods and steps to get it done. Dive in to find the best solution for you!

1. How to transfer photos from iCloud to external hard drive via iCloud.com

If you only need to transfer a small number of iCloud photos to an external hard drive on your computer, you can use the web version of iCloud. This method works on both Mac and Windows.

However, for Windows users, the web version may be less stable. So you might encounter unexpected errors during downloads, and download speeds are often slower. To speed up the process, consider using Method 2 instead.

Step 1. Go to iCloud.com > Sign in to your account and head to iCloud Photos.

Step 2. Choose the photos you need to move and click the Download icon on the upper side taskbar to add the photo to your PC.

Step 3. Once all pictures are downloaded, connect your external hard drive to your computer. Then copy and paste those downloaded photos to your external hard drive.

2. How to transfer photos from iCloud to external hard drive on PC [Fast]

How do I download more than 1000 photos from iCloud? For Windows users, if you want to achieve this goal via iCloud.com, things will be a big headache. It only allows you to download no more than 1,000 photos at one time, and the process will be very slow.

So here we would like to recommend you a better way to download photos from iCloud. That’s a professional iCloud manager named FoneTool!

Now you can download FoneTool on your PC and connect your external hard drive to PC to put your photos.

Step 1. Launch FoneTool > Go to My iCloud > Log in with your Apple ID > Choose Manage iCloud to continue.

Step 2. Click the Photos icon > Choose targeted photos > Tap the Download button.

★Tip:

If you want to clear iCloud data without losing photos, you can choose the useless data from this interface to delete it.

Step 3. Change the download settings within the pop-up window and set your external hard drive as the storage location > Click Download to begin the task.

3. How to move iCloud photos to external hard drive from Mac

If you are using a Mac, things will be much easier. You can connect your USB drive, memory stick, etc. to the computer and rely on the Photos app to export your iCloud photos.

Step 1. Launch the Photos app from your Mac and select the targeted photos.

Step 2. Click File in the upper-left menu bar and choose Export.

Step 3. Check the export settings and change something if you need and click Export to continue.

Step 4. Choose your external hard drive as the export destination and the pictures will be moved from iCloud to the external device.

FAQs about how to download from iCloud to external hard drive

1. Is it better to store Photos in iCloud or external hard drive?

If data security and privacy are your top concerns, an external hard drive provides offline storage and control over your data. If you prefer mobility, accessibility, and the ability to access files from any device with an internet connection, iCloud will be better.

2. Can you transfer Photos from iCloud directly to external hard drive?

Similarly, if you have downloaded iCloud on your Mac, you can simply open it and move photos on your desktop. Then move them to your external hard drive directly. For Windows users, FoneTool mentioned in Method 2 can help you make it efficiently!

Conclusion

This guide tells you 3 ways about how to transfer photos from iCloud to external hard drive. For Windows users, you can go to iCloud.com or rely on FoneTool to achieve the goal. For Mac users, you can use the iCloud web or finish the process via the Photos app. If you need to manage your iCloud data after the task, you can use FoneTool to help you efficiently delete iCloud data as you like.