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How To Get iCloud’s Photo Stream Working On A Windows PC
Now that you’ve downloaded iOS 5 to your iPad (well, hopefully…) you can sign up for an iCloud account and start syncing and backing up your data across devices. This includes Photo Stream, which automatically saves all the pictures you take on your iPad or iPhone to the cloud and to synced devices.
Though iCloud functionality is baked in to Mac OS X Lion, Windows users can get in on this, too (for free). Here’s how.
(Have a Mac? Read: How to Setup iCloud’s Photo Stream on Mac)
My first assumption was that iTunes would handle the syncing for iCloud, but that’s not so. Windows users must download the iCloud Control Panel, a free utility compatible with Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) and Windows 7.
The download page also lists Internet Explorer 8 and Outlook 2007 or newer as requirements, but that’s only if you want to sync bookmarks or mail/contacts/calendar data. You don’t need them if you just want Photo Stream.
While it’s downloading and installing, go to your iPad and/or iPhone and ensure that Photo Stream is on.
Once the iCloud Control Panel is downloaded and installed, open it from the install finish menu or go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > iCloud to get to the settings.
Check the box next to Photo Stream, then click Options. Here you’ll see where synced images will end up and where you can put images to upload to iCloud and any other connected devices. You can change it from the default — say if you want to sync all the images in your Pictures folder.
And that’s it. Once you start adding images to the folder for uploads, you’ll see them on other iCloud devices a few minutes later. When you take pictures or screenshots with the iPhone or iPad, they’ll also appear on other devices in a few minutes (as long as you’re connected to WiFi).
There does not appear to be a way to force iCloud to upload or refresh or anything on the PC. But you can go to the iCloud settings to jumpstart a backup on the phone or tablet.
Another note: Photo Stream will only sync the images taken on your iPhone or iPad after you set it up and turn it on. So if you have existing images, they won’t sync.
I find it interesting that Windows users can get this utility for free. Whereas on the Mac, in order to get iCloud syncing you have to upgrade to OS X Lion, which costs $30. One of the few times PCs get the advantage over Macs with iDevices.
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Imgngsta
10/12/2011 at 9:34 pm
So you can upload to the iPhone from pc but not vice versa? That makes no sense. Please tell me that’s not true
Vijayram827
10/13/2011 at 12:41 am
no you can copy photos from pc to iphone juss drag and drop thje photos to the upload folder shown above and icloud syncs it to iphone (only works if connected to wifi )
Michel
11/12/2011 at 1:19 am
It is not working for me, and everything is set as should be…all devices connected to WiFi, Upload folder defined, pictures copied to the Upload folder, but pics not appearing in PhotoStream, nor on iPad, nor on iPhone. Any idea what could be wrong??
Evafarkas
11/29/2011 at 12:21 am
Same problem here. Does it work for you now?
Sarah
11/02/2013 at 5:39 pm
Do you know if there is a way to get pictures that were already on the iTouch (4g) to a pc? I can’t do it manually because it doesn’t show up as a device on my computer.
Mark Heil
10/15/2011 at 7:23 am
The photos in your stream from your iPhone will automatically be uploaded to the My Photo Stream folder on your PC as soon as your iPhone is connected to wi-fi.
Brien
03/05/2012 at 8:07 am
…but they don’t… I’ve got loads of photos in my Photo Stream that aren’t appearing in my windows photo stream folder. I’ve triggered a backup on my iphone… disconnected and reconnected the iphone to the network.
guest 1
03/05/2012 at 9:34 am
I am having the same problem
John
01/15/2014 at 3:00 pm
same here
Tsbh123
10/13/2011 at 10:46 am
I am using Vista with the latest service pack, I have carefully followed all of the steps above. My photostream pics are not showing up in any directory on my hard drive. Is there some setting in Vista that is stopping this from happening> Thanks
K. T. Bradford
10/13/2011 at 1:59 pm
what directory do you have them set to go to? Try changing them?
I’d also make sure that the images are backed up to iCloud by forcing a backup.
Tsbh123
10/13/2011 at 2:10 pm
Thanks for you reply,
I tried changing them, and I forced a new iCloud backup. No success. I also copy and pasted into the upload directory and nothing.
Gotta keep trying
Matt Jones1412
10/13/2011 at 1:12 pm
Doesn’t work for me. I did everything listed above but when i take a picture with my iphone it doesnt go into the photo stream folder on the iphone or the upload folder on my PC. Also if a drag a photo into the upload folder it doesn’t show up on my iphone.
K. T. Bradford
10/14/2011 at 7:08 am
I feel like that’s an iCloud issue. Have you checked all the settings? You should probably ping Apple for help, too.
CooperIzKool
10/13/2011 at 8:12 pm
Im on Vista x64. I Installed it last night on release, i got it configured and i put a few photos into the upload folder, nothing happened. But i can download, only if i put something in an album
Alex
10/13/2011 at 10:49 pm
Was able to get the photo stream loading automatically, but the pictures are rotated 90 degrees on the PC. The same photos are right side up on the iPod Touch, and on a Mac looking at the same photo stream.
Soaplesschina
10/21/2011 at 11:39 am
could u please tell me how u did that!? thanks a lot!
Christine Guillermo
10/15/2011 at 1:42 am
Works like a charm! I followed all the steps and bam! I have my iPhone pics on my PC (Vista). I have to rotate them to right side up, but it’s ok. Not much of a hassle. =]
Jrlee
10/16/2011 at 7:50 pm
I have photostream working with no problem from iPhone to Windows PC, but the reverse direction isn’t working. I changed the default directories to point to an external hard drive, but other than that I can’t figure out why the sync wouldn’t be working from PC to phone. Any ideas?
Michel
11/12/2011 at 1:22 am
I have exactly the same problem, PC to iPad or iPhone not working. I had an upload folder defined on the hard-drive of the PC. Can’t seem to figure out why it doesn’t work!
Kcecilio
12/28/2011 at 7:27 pm
My problem, too. The iPhone to PC works like a charm but nothing I drop in my uploads file goes to my phone. ANYONE??
Sara
08/13/2012 at 3:21 pm
Yes, same here. Can’t get photos to transfer from my icloud download folder on my PC to the new IPad. Bummer!
stechlier
10/16/2011 at 8:32 pm
My PC (Vista) doesn’t sync the photo stream automatically. I need to log out and log back in to the iCloud control panel to start the download. This is more manual than automatic. Any way to fix this?
Chris
10/17/2011 at 2:26 am
Worked at first (Vista 32), but not after a day. Have tried changing folders, logging in/out, upload/download. It’s icloud, it just -doesn’t- work.
Cne3
10/19/2011 at 9:30 am
Vista here, only upload works but download from iPad 2 to Download folder (My Photo Stream) on Vista PC never works, tried everything… could this be a router issue???
Catherae
04/06/2012 at 8:52 pm
No, I believe it’s an Apple vs. McIntosh issue
My1onlly
10/19/2011 at 1:21 pm
I have done all the steps to use photo stream but as of now no photos can be seen on my iPad from my PC via iCloud. ,please help
Nahsh60
10/19/2011 at 9:34 pm
followed the steps, and it works fine. My phone pics got to my stream folder. The only issue i have is that i cant log on to icloud and see a photo stream.
Ruud
10/20/2011 at 6:18 am
When will it be released for Windows XP??
WinXP is so 2002
12/18/2011 at 10:26 am
Hopefully never. What a horrible OS. Win7 64bit all the way…
Tlingo
01/05/2012 at 6:35 am
Never…
Catherae
04/06/2012 at 8:53 pm
Never
Misterdoo
01/29/2012 at 6:01 pm
There’s a pretty easy workaround to use iCloud with 32 or 64 bit XP. Search Youtube for the simple instructions.
caps
10/21/2011 at 9:41 pm
Help! if i took a picture from my iphone, it doesnt show up on my photostream on pc
Steve
10/25/2011 at 1:40 am
I did the steps above and the first day it worked very well. My photos loaded to my window pc(vista). But the second day my photos are not downloading to my pc, even though my pc settings for photo stream is on and my iphone photo stream is on. Any suggestions????
Daugusti
10/27/2011 at 6:30 am
I can get them to go from iphone 4 to pc but adding to uploads folder doesn’t work. Think I’m going to uninstall then reinstall icloud. I’ve been looking around and someone said the photos have to be directly in the uploads folder and NOT in subfolders. The first time I tried, I tried to just rename my entire photo file and then point icloud there. Might have jammed it up. I did a reinstall/fix but it didn’t help So frustrating.
Iamorbie
11/02/2011 at 12:57 pm
I wish it worked with Windows XP and the Iphone that would be nice from XP all you can do is go to icloud.com and checked out your calender and mail and iworks but no photos! : (
Jonny
11/06/2011 at 4:47 pm
I’m surprised how confusing it is, on my iphone 4s it says I have 4.9 gb pictures, but can’t see none of them. Then with itunes I set up the folder to sync, with icloud I have to set up 2 folders to sync, one for upload and one for download.
On pc i have 12 gb fotos to sync, now it says it is too much but those had space without problem on my 3gs occupying only 4.9 gb. (cause of resizing)
for now I don’t see pictures in my new iphone, i start the backup of pictures from the iphone, but i want to see those pictures in the iphone itself, not to send the 2 new to the icloud….
making things easy…. comeon!!! your apple thing’s aren’t working as they shuld.
Yesterday I had to find a stratagemma because the halft of the apps weren’t shown in the iphone, still i have no pictures even if it says there are 4.9 gb…
And by the way, the battery of the 4s is crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU HAVE A SUPER DESIGN, and a crap battery, you took off the 3g enable-disable option, wich was the best way to save battery. And by the way I feel the radiations coming into my hand by using this piece of technology…
isurrender
11/21/2011 at 2:02 pm
Took some pics last night. Amazing pictures. Tmobile sent me a new phone that arrived this afternoon, I thought, don’t worry, icloud has backed it up. Swapped phone with courier this afternoon and “restore” – Amazing pictures gone! Rang up apple – “sorry, it looks like it didn’t back up after all…”
Gutted!
Guest
12/01/2011 at 4:51 am
You were able to talk to somebody who works for apple?
Mwigglesworth116
12/01/2011 at 4:52 pm
Thank you, I’m still having problems with the speed of my photo stream. Yesterday’s photos are sync, but today’s are not. I’ve tried “backing up” my iPhone. It Still did not. My wife’s photos stream still has no photos in her folder. We did sign in under her apple ID in the iCloud controll panel. Any suggestions??
John
12/08/2011 at 2:44 pm
You said
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I understand that most (over 50%) of PC users are still currently operating with Windows XP, so the investment for “most” PC users is the upgrade to Windows Vista (outdated) or Windows 7 ($120 Home version). so the investment is quite significant… I use a PC on XP at work so i can’t get my work-related pics from the iCloud (taken with my iPhone) until our company upgrades all the computers to handle Windows 7, pricey!
Cool_shahi21
12/18/2011 at 11:17 am
my all pic are delete fron my iphone, can i get back them from icloud backup??????????
Jeffnaon
12/29/2011 at 3:06 pm
I can get photos from the PC to the iPhone, but not the iPhone to the PC. What gives?
R_cko
01/03/2012 at 7:18 am
there definately is an issue with icloud and pc. sometimes rebooting pc makes photos go into photo stream folder. in control panel i can only open icloud panel once then have to reboot if i want to open again. also icloud syncs to microsoft outlook which will only open once as well then have to reboot to go back into outlook
Tom
01/04/2012 at 11:39 am
Hi,
I see all the troubles everyone is having. My wife and I are buying a Iphone4S in a few days. I use two Windows 7 pcs at home.
I already have downloaded the I Cloud control panel to both pc computers along with Itunes and Safari. Since I have not bought the phone yet I am unable to start doing anything with I Cloud.
I am new to all of this.
Can someone send me a good step by step by step procedure to follow so I can put vacation pictures taken while in florida so they will appear on my Pcs when I come home? I will download them at home in Michigan. My plan is not downsize the photos in any way when sent in Florida but do that later at home in Michigan.
What apps are best suited for photos?
Tom
match man
01/12/2012 at 6:22 am
Hi. Thanks for the tips. I have followed the instructions and they work. But, on my photo stream on the iPhone I have 70 pictures…and after forcing an update on the icloud control panel, I have only 40 of those 70 pictures in the corresponding windows folder and the same number in my picasa suite. I cannot correlate the timing or any other rationale for why some photos got transferred and others didn’t. Any ideas? Does anyone else feel like there’s “always something” when it comes to Apple…even for those who are fairly computer competent? :) Thanks!
Shguts
01/12/2012 at 1:00 pm
:S if i delete a pic from my syncd folder in Windows will it delete from i phone as well?
Mmjma
01/15/2012 at 10:27 am
i had photos on my iphone 3gs…i updated the phone and can’t see any photos. then i read a few blogs and found out about a program that lets you view all files on your phone. so i downloaded the program called iexplore to my pc. I looked in the folders…Media to DCIM then to 100apple and there are all my photos. so they’re there but not in photo stream. I put them into 2 icloud folders one is upload folder and one is down load folder. they are suppose to be on icloud and auto sync to ipad and phone…it didn’t! I am disgusted.
Also I put them on itunes but can’t find photo file on itunes. i don’t get it. I guess i will be making a trip to the apple store. they’re helpful and knowledgable but the store is mobbed all the time. any help is appreciated. MC
Tonym65
01/22/2012 at 3:33 am
hi , when i take photos with my iphone 4s the pics go straight to my camara roll and not to my photo stream i have checked all the settings and every thing is turned on HELP !
michel
01/22/2012 at 5:18 am
Hey Tonym65, normally when your iPhone is connected to whichever WiFi network and you get iCloud correctly setup, the pics go into the Stream…which is valid for any i-device,, but of course first the pics have to go from the iPhone to the cloud. hope this helps. Michel
Calyneeeee
02/08/2012 at 4:30 am
old photos wont be uploaded?
Stefo
03/12/2012 at 12:59 pm
I was exactly looking for this. Thank you so much. Hope it works :) let’s do it!
Gareff Freshco
03/20/2012 at 12:10 pm
‘
Another note: Photo Stream will only sync the images taken on your iPhone or iPad after you set it up and turn it on. So if you have existing images, they won’t sync.’
All of my old photo’s synced up perfectly from my NEW iPad to Windows 7 :)
Gus Marsali
03/24/2012 at 12:40 pm
I am using Windows 7. Had the same problem. I create the exact same folders under Public Pictures. And I changed the icloud control panel settings. Now it is working.
Owen Baldock
03/26/2012 at 4:18 am
HI I’m new to the iPad I have W7 on my laptop and have downloaded and installed iCloud for PC I tried to see if the idea worked by dropping some photos into the upload folder, when I then tried to see if they appeared on my iPad2 nothing there! What am I doing wrong?
Amy Penick 95
04/13/2012 at 7:38 pm
worked great, thanks!
#iswatching
04/13/2012 at 7:39 pm
worked great, thanks!
Bill
04/30/2012 at 9:48 am
This is why PC Fails.
shrek
05/08/2012 at 9:58 pm
This is why pc fails? Why, because it isn’t a mac? Have you ever realised you can “add” a folder to your pictures folder and actually catalogue your photos (or is this too much like hard work for the hard pushed apple fanboys). Lets face it apples idea of multitasking on the iphone and ipad are “close” an app to use another app! Even my nokia phone i could have several apps open and switch between knowing that when they came back on screen they were STILL open and i wont even start on about apples idea of no java!! Have i used a mac?….yes, did i like it? …no! horses for courses and each to their own.
Peter
05/11/2012 at 2:17 am
Actually, the free utility requires Vista or above, so XP users are left in the dark… I have problems downloading my photos with the “USB camera” connection (all other cameras appear as a USB drive…. arg).. but that’s because my camera roll contains screen caps and video files unsupported by the photo apps.
So I just leave those photos in the phone…. and share on facebook those significant ones..
Marc
05/30/2012 at 9:02 pm
@Peter: there’s a workaround for xp-users: https://theapplebook.com/2011/12/how-to-make-icloud-work-on-windows-xp/
giuseppe-marche
05/29/2012 at 2:34 pm
ciao sono giuseppe,…e xkè quando ho caricato su icloud le foto del mio catalogo campionario,sull ipad sono arrivate tutte ma senza codici articolo,o meglio senza alcuna descrizione che avevano in origine…grazie se poteste aiutarmi…ciao
darrin
06/04/2012 at 6:46 pm
I have an IPhone 4s and there are pics in the photo Stream but there are not uploading to my PC photo stearm folder. It worked once!
I have wifi at my house and a working icloud account that is working with doc’s and numbers.
Can you help?
Carrie
06/07/2012 at 7:46 pm
I am having the same problem as Darrin. My phone and husband’s phone are synching the photostream but they aren’t dropping into the computer. Its really frustrating.
wendy
06/08/2012 at 2:04 pm
this “how-to” article was EXTREMELY helpful. THANK YOU!!!
cathy
06/10/2012 at 6:15 pm
do pictures that are sent to me get uploaded to my PC through cloud also?
Yuriy
06/10/2012 at 8:21 pm
Hi,
I need to get my photos stored on iPad back.
I do not own iOS device anymore?
I think I have been synced the photos with the cloud but not sure. The same with updating to iOS5.
I have installed the iCloud for Windows, but do not see the photos downloaded back to my windows notebook. Maybe I should turn on syncing somehow or it should start automatically after I run iClpud app and set photo syncing option on?
If it’s not help, do you have any other ideas?
For example, could it be helpful if I try to get someones else iPad and login to app store with my account to see my old photo?
Yuriy
06/10/2012 at 8:47 pm
In iTunes I see I hade made a backup in Dec’11, so I gues I had used iCloud. Any ideas why my photos are not downloading back via iCloud for Windows?
Claire
06/14/2012 at 9:02 am
Thank you so much, been trying to get the photostream to work again after it stopped working recently, tried all settings and reinstalled icloud, still no joy until I tried backup on both iphones through iphone icloud settings and it has started uploading photos to the cloud again. Nowhere else does it say to do this. Thanks again
George
07/08/2012 at 11:41 am
I am all set up on my PC and on my iPad Retina, but I can’t download photos from my PC to my iPad. I can upload from the iPad okay. I am trying to download photos that I import from my digital SLR. Can anyone figure out what I did wrong?
Joan
07/10/2012 at 5:20 pm
I am running Win 7 and I have tried everything above but I still cannot upload pictures from my PC to Iphone or IPad. My download works fine. Does anyone have any other suggestions??
George
07/10/2012 at 7:34 pm
Joan,
I talked to an Apple tech today and he told me photos cannot be moved from a pc to an iPad via iCloud, only from the iPad to the pc. All devices have to be Apple to go in both directions.
Joan
07/11/2012 at 3:47 am
Thanks for your input George. I appreciate it!
lee
07/19/2012 at 5:25 pm
Not exactly true:
any photo uploaded from the pc’s upload folder, can be viewable on an iPhone / iPad in the photo app by selecting the photo stream tab.
Once you have it on view you can screen grab it “home + power” to store a copy on the device.
Anthony
08/25/2012 at 1:24 pm
I believe that it will only move picture files them selves. If you copy a folder of pictures into the download folder it does not work. You have to put the pictures themselves directly into the upload folder. I tested this and it seems to be working.
Janice
09/03/2012 at 1:54 am
I can only seem to sync pic´s from my pc to ipad via itunes, even though i have set up icloud correctly, not ideal as i was hoping to be able to have this done automatically!!!
Clem
10/27/2012 at 5:54 am
Hello!
I think I finally found a solution to this uploading from PC to iPhone problem. Here’s what I did :
-Install the iCloud 1.0 version (and not the 2.0)
-Create the folders “Upload” and “My Photo Stream” in Users > Public > Public pictures
-Check in Properties > Security that full permissions are given to “everyone”
-Associate these two folders with the iCloud panel (in Photo Stream, options…)
Then just add your photos to your Upload folder, open the “Photo” app on your iPhone and WAIT. (It sometimes took one minute before a loading icon appeared next to the WiFi one at the top of the screen)
Normally, when you iPhone has finished loading, your new photo will appear on your iPhone and in the “My Photo Stream” folder of your computer!
Good luck!
Clem
Clem
10/27/2012 at 6:00 am
Otherwise, just use Dropbox ;)
pelliengee
01/02/2013 at 9:20 pm
Thank you for the great info. I followed it word for word and it does exactly what I wanted it to do.
Shahzad Afzal
05/08/2013 at 6:12 pm
Hell with iPhone 5… biggest blunder of my life wasting my money on f!@#$ thing called iPhone… this bullshit photo stream ruined my life… i should have sue Apple… i cant explain what this idiot Apple did to me… i mistakenly took picture which was never mean to share with any one in the world… this Apple !@# !@#$ ~!@#$% shared it with all every one my family my kids… hell with you Apple.. go to hell… i want burn my this bullshit device now… f!@#$ you is small word… and they idiot did not even provide option to delete that photo… hell with such thing… go to hell… will never in my life recommend to any one of even thinking about Apple’s f!@# products… better burn your money… don’t ever go to near Apple or iPhone…
Me
10/05/2013 at 1:03 pm
Maybe you should have thought of that before you took the picture lol…. If you didn’t know about photo stream, that isn’t Apple’s fault.
blaine
05/22/2013 at 11:12 am
https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A45oqs3qejPpA
linda
06/13/2013 at 3:15 pm
my daughter send picture taken with her phone and sent me pictures to my email using icloud stream on here pnone. it took a while for them to arrive fine. the system said my phone would not work with icloud but a couple minutes later i saw a few pictures. Went to look at pictures and my email disappeared .
jacpea80
05/26/2014 at 8:45 pm
This used to work for me on my PC then one day it stopped and has never ever worked since. Any idea how to fix it. I have changed no settings whatsoever!
Gissel
07/14/2015 at 7:42 pm
It stopped working for me when the IOs8 was updated on my Iphone about a year ago or so. Any pic I took after Aug 2014 has not sync to the photo stream.
Gissel
07/14/2015 at 7:43 pm
Also, no pics prior to Aug 2014 are on my photo stream on the Iphone.
pupotsio
08/04/2015 at 1:38 am
From this article, you can learn how to get iCloud’s photo stream working on a Windows PC.
However, if you still do not know how to do it, FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery can help you.
If you want to download photos from iCloud, it will help you to make it in only 3 steps.
Kerstin Pearce
08/10/2015 at 6:14 am
My technophobic boss has an iphone and it never syncs properly and gives me a headache. If I log into her icloud via the internet all her photos are there, synced from the iphone. Icloud on her Windows PC is another matter, we have installed/re-installed logged in/out etc and it will not sync more than a handful of pictures, you do it again and it is still only a handful but different ones! Every time there is an IOS update she loses apps/contacts/emails etc it is a nightmare. Her ipad talks to her iphone perfectly. Long and short is that it is an apple/microsoft issue not anything we are doing wrong. She’s now got a new PC with Windows 8, still no improvement. Got her using dropbox instead, never fails and she can access that on pc easily either at work or on her home pc, all syncs, no problem! Answer: Get an android phone unless you can afford an applemac pc…(or even a windows phone but i have no experience of those so cannot comment). All I know is that I have a Samsung S5, gmail, dropbox etc…I have a Samsung tablet, a work windows pc and a laptop at home and I always have access to my contacts, emails, calendars, photos wherever I am and have never had to perform a physical (plug it in) Sync, have never lost anything during an update and does it all over wifi without a hitch. I also do a fair bit of part time teaching for silver surfers agegroup…I’ve told a few of them to get a Hudl 2 not an ipad….so far in my experience they seem t be much better for the older person to understand and use, only small issue is Tesco shopping adverts need to be disabled (unless wnated) But other than that they are cheap enough for what they are and whilst they are not top of the range graphics or speed, they can do everything most silversurfers need like email, internet, BBC Iplayer, Skype etc with no silly syncing issues. They don’t even need dropbox once they get the idea to use google drive…and using gmail means family can remotely keep an eye on them if necessary.
epycost2015
08/31/2015 at 4:28 am
Application you can download from official Apple website. iCloud for Pc is available on https://www.officialicloud.com/icloud-download/