How to back up and sync your photos and videos with iCloud on iPad

You can use iCloud Photos to keep your photos and videos securely stored in iCloud. If you turn on iCloud Photos on all your devices, you can see the photos and videos you took on iPad on any device, and you can also access them in a web browser.

When it’s on, the photos and videos you take are uploaded automatically and stored in their original format at full resolution. Changes you make on one device show up on your other devices, too.

Note: Make sure that you’re signed in to the same Apple Account on all your devices, and that your devices meet these minimum system requirements: iOS 8.3, iPadOS 13.1, macOS 10.10.3, or later, or a Windows device with iCloud for Windows 7.x or later.

Turn on iCloud Photos

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
3. Tap Photos, then turn on Sync this iPad.

iCloud uploads every photo and video you take automatically, keeping your photos backed up and in sync. Your library is then available from any device, anytime.

Check if your photos and videos are backed up to iCloud

To make sure you’ll have copies if something happens to your iPad, check that iCloud Photos is syncing your photos to iCloud. Paused syncing means your photos aren’t being backed up to iCloud.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
2. Tap Collections.
3. In the top-right corner of the screen, you can see a preview of your syncing status. You may see any of the following:
   • Yellow badge: iCloud syncing is paused. Tap your account icon to see the details.
   • Yellow warning icon: Your iCloud storage is almost full. Tap your account icon to see the details.
   • Red exclamation mark: Your iCloud storage is full. See Get more iCloud storage.
   • Blue badge: You have notifications from a shared library or shared album. Tap your account icon to see the details.
   • Partially filled blue circle around your account icon: Photos are actively uploading to iCloud. Tap your account icon to see the details.
   • Partially filled gray outline around your account icon: Uploads are paused. Tap your account icon to see the details.
4. Tap your account to see more details. The last time your iPad synced with iCloud appears below the account profile.

Sync iCloud Photos immediately

iCloud Photos prioritizes syncing items that are added to your library after Sync Immediately is turned on.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
2. Tap Collections. Tap your iCloud account profile at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Sync Immediately, then tap For Today.

   To turn off syncing, tap Off. Sync Immediately automatically turns off after one day.

Note: Sync Immediately may affect battery and cellular usage and will pause if Low Power Mode or Low Data Mode are turned on.

Turn off Optimize Storage on your iPad

iCloud Photos can help you get the most from the storage space on your iPad. With Optimize iPad Storage on, your full-resolution photos and videos stay in iCloud in their original formats, while your iPad keeps storage-saving versions. Optimize iPad Storage starts out on, though you can turn it off.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
3. Tap Photos and tap iPad Storage. Tap Download and Keep Originals.

Get more iCloud storage

If your uploaded photos and videos exceed your storage plan, you can upgrade to iCloud+ for more storage and additional features. See Subscribe to iCloud+.

See also

• Use iCloud on iPad