There’s a lot to like when it comes to using iCloud Photos. Not only does this functionality provide a one-stop shop for any pictures that you take, but it also makes your pictures and videos readily accessible on all of your Apple devices. This even extends to Windows, provided that you have the iCloud app installed on your Windows PC. Using iCloud also makes life easy for those who don’t have a ton of physical hard drive space on their Mac, but tend to take a boatload of pictures and videos. Thanks to iCloud, you can offload pictures and videos from your other devices, while still having access to them.
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How to View Full-Resolution Media in iCloud Photos on Mac
In previous versions of macOS, you didn’t have to think twice about whether you were viewing the full-resolution image within iCloud Photos or not. Instead, when you selected a picture or video to preview it, you would see the picture in all of its glory. However, it seems that with the update to macOS Ventura, the preview has been downgraded, and this even applies to saved videos, as they appear in either 720p or 1080p resolution as opposed to 4K or ProRAW. It’s one of those changes that has left us scratching our heads a bit, but there are a few steps that you can take if you want to view full-resolution media in iCloud Photos on Mac.
- Open the Photos app on your Mac.
- In the Menu Bar, click Photos.
- From the drop-down menu, click Settings.
- Alternatively, you can click CMD + , on your keyboard after the Photos app is open.
- In the top toolbar, click iCloud.
- Select Download Originals to this Mac.
- Close the Photos Settings dialog box.
The problem with selecting the Download Originals to this Mac option comes down to the potential storage space limitations on your Mac itself. The description beneath this option in the Photos Settings offers the following:
Store original photos and videos on this Mac. Choose this option if you want to access full-resolution versions of your entire library, even when offline.Â
As you can see, not only will you be able to view full-resolution media in iCloud Photos on Mac, but you’ll also be able to easily access your iCloud Photos library even if you aren’t connected to Wi-Fi. But at the same time, you’ll need to make sure that you have enough storage space on your Mac in order to accommodate your iCloud Photos library. There is another option available to those who want to view full-resolution media on iCloud Photos, that doesn’t require you to make any changes to how the images are backed up.
- Open the Photos app on your Mac.
- Locate and select the picture that you want to view in full resolution.
- In the top right corner, click the Edit button.
Some users discovered that by simply selecting the picture and then clicking the Edit button, your Mac will now show the image in its full resolution. Unfortunately, it won’t stay like this forever, as iCloud will eventually downgrade the quality again in an effort to save storage space on your Mac.
- Open the Photos app on your Mac.
- Locate and select the picture that you want to view in full resolution.
- In the Menu Bar, click File.
- From the drop-down menu, highlight and select Export.
- Select Export Unmodified Original.
This final method will export the image that you want, in its full resolution, without needing to worry the quality being degraded due to iCloud. However, if you have made any edits or tweaks to the image, those will be removed when it’s exported. Of course, you can always go back and make edits after the fact, or use a third-party photo editor such as Pixelmator or Lightroom. Then, just drag and drop the edited picture into the Photos app to save it to your iCloud Photos and back it up.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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