To turn on iCloud Photos, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos, then turn on Sync this iPhone. Photos and videos in the Photos app will be added to iCloud and can appear on other devices signed in to the same Apple Account. Syncing may take time, especially for a large library.
Before you start, connect to the internet and check that your Apple Account is signed in. iCloud Photos uses your iCloud storage. If the library is larger than your available space, syncing can pause until you free space or change your storage plan. Treat iCloud Photos as a synchronized library: changes you make to photos can carry to other devices using the same library.
This setting syncs your personal Photos library. Shared Albums and iCloud Shared Photo Library are separate sharing features; you do not need to set those up to turn on iCloud Photos.
To share selected pictures with other people, see how to create and share an album on iPhone. The guide separates the iOS 27 sharing and storage rules from older albums; iOS 27 also requires iCloud Photos to be enabled.
Turn on syncing
- Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top. If your name is absent, sign in to your Apple Account first.
- Tap iCloud, then tap Photos. This page controls how the Photos library uses iCloud.
- Turn on Sync this iPhone. Your iPhone begins preparing its Photos library for iCloud. Keep it connected to the internet while the initial sync proceeds.
- Open Photos, tap Collections, then tap your profile picture at the top right. Apple says the sync status appears below your name. Check that status before assuming every item has uploaded.
Sign in to the same Apple Account and enable iCloud Photos on each other device where you want this library. Turning the switch on for one iPhone alone does not enable it on another device. To check available space before starting, use our guide to checking your remaining iCloud storage.
If your iPhone is short on space, return to the iCloud Photos settings page. In iOS 27, tap iPhone Storage, then choose Optimize Storage. The phone can keep smaller local versions while iCloud stores full-resolution originals; retrieving an original may require a connection. In iOS 26 or earlier, the Optimize Storage choice appears directly on the Photos settings page. If you have enough device space and want local originals, select the option to download and keep originals instead.
If photos are not appearing
Confirm that the other device is signed in to the same Apple Account and that iCloud Photos is enabled there. Then look at the sync status in Photos on the iPhone. A paused or unfinished sync is different from a missing photo. Network connection and available iCloud storage are useful first checks. Avoid deleting photos as a troubleshooting step: deletion in a synced library can remove them from other devices too. Apple also says these photos are not duplicated in iCloud Backup, so keep a separate copy of important items if you need protection against accidental deletion.
If you already deleted an item by mistake, check Recently Deleted in Photos. Apple says deleted items remain there for 30 days before permanent removal. Recover the item there rather than turning iCloud Photos off to try to bring it back.
If you decide to turn iCloud Photos off later, first confirm where the originals are stored and how much device space they need. Optimize iPhone Storage can keep smaller local versions while full-resolution originals are in iCloud, so switching off sync without a plan may leave some originals off the phone.
Understand what turning on iCloud Photos does
With Sync this iPhone on, Photos can keep your library available across devices signed in to the same Apple Account. Adding or editing an image on one device can appear on the others after syncing. Deleting a synced image can also affect the shared library, so do not use deletion as a quick way to free space on only one device. If you want more room on the iPhone, consider Optimize iPhone Storage and check how much iCloud storage is available before removing originals.
Syncing can take time, especially for a large library or a slow connection. Connect the iPhone to power and Wi-Fi, then inspect the status in Photos. A pause or a remaining-item count is more useful than repeatedly switching Sync this iPhone off and on. If another device is missing pictures, check that it uses the same Apple Account and has iCloud Photos enabled too. A separate shared album is not the same as the personal iCloud Photos library.
Is iCloud Photos a separate backup of deleted pictures? It is a synchronization service. Keep another backup for irreplaceable photos. Recently Deleted can help with an accidental removal for a limited period, but it should not be your only recovery plan.
Apple’s iCloud Photos setup guide documents the switch, same-account requirement, and sync status. Its iCloud Photos overview explains storage choices, shared deletions, and iCloud Backup.
Prefer syncing with a computer? See how to set up Wi-Fi sync for your iPad.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.