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User profile for user: Minsterley
Minsterley Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Full resolution photos in Photos

I want to delete my photo storage in iCloud to avoid paying for space. When I did this I got an email saying I had 30 days to download the full resolution files to my iMac. I have found no link to do this (and am getting to hair-pulling stage). However, in Photos Preferences on my iMac I see that I have always had selected 'Download Originals to this Mac'. I had to restore the OSX recently. Before this I had stopped iCloud storing photos (and my iMac images are high resolution) but setting up iCloud again did not give me the option of keeping photos out of it. Help! - the 30 day clock is ticking.

Posted on Jan 30, 2023 5:02 AM

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User profile for user: Richard.Taylor
Richard.Taylor
User level: Level 6
10,476 points

Posted on Jan 30, 2023 8:41 AM

You are in good shape. Lots of people check "Optimize Mac Storage," and only low resolution images are stored on their Mac. Since you have "Download Originals" you should be OK.


To check (because you're nervous), turn off WiFi, and select an image, hit return, and see what the edit screen looks like. iCloud sends full resolution images for editing, but it can't with WiFi off. So if the picture looks good, and you can enlarge it with "command+", then the full resolution image is already there. Do that for a few pictures to satisfy yourself that you have the full monty.


You can also "File>Export>Export nn Photos" to a folder on your desktop (with WiFi off), and compare the resolutions. Below, the image on the left is from Photos, and the Info Window indicates that the resolution should be 3531x2577. In Finder I did command-i on the exported file, and it agrees with that resolution.



If your full resolution images were not stored on your Mac, this can only happen when you are connected to iCloud.


With WiFi on, at the bottom of the Library view, you should see "Updated Just Now"



to indicate that iCloud is finished sending full resolution images to you.

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User profile for user: Richard.Taylor
Richard.Taylor
User level: Level 6
10,476 points

Jan 30, 2023 8:41 AM in response to Minsterley

You are in good shape. Lots of people check "Optimize Mac Storage," and only low resolution images are stored on their Mac. Since you have "Download Originals" you should be OK.


To check (because you're nervous), turn off WiFi, and select an image, hit return, and see what the edit screen looks like. iCloud sends full resolution images for editing, but it can't with WiFi off. So if the picture looks good, and you can enlarge it with "command+", then the full resolution image is already there. Do that for a few pictures to satisfy yourself that you have the full monty.


You can also "File>Export>Export nn Photos" to a folder on your desktop (with WiFi off), and compare the resolutions. Below, the image on the left is from Photos, and the Info Window indicates that the resolution should be 3531x2577. In Finder I did command-i on the exported file, and it agrees with that resolution.



If your full resolution images were not stored on your Mac, this can only happen when you are connected to iCloud.


With WiFi on, at the bottom of the Library view, you should see "Updated Just Now"



to indicate that iCloud is finished sending full resolution images to you.

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User profile for user: Minsterley
Minsterley Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Jan 31, 2023 2:29 AM in response to Minsterley

Thank you very much, Richard. Your advice to turn off wifi and examine an enlarged photo did indeed demonstrate that in setting "Download Originals" I had all my photos in full resolution on my 2013 iMac. I am greatly relieved. I can now remove them from iCloud and avoid storage costs I do not need (all the pics are in Time Machine back-ups already). The trouble with Apple Help and other guides is that what is on my screen often differs from their version. Thank goodness for the Apple Community.

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Full resolution photos in Photos

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