How to download 109,406 iPhone photos (.dng, .jpg) from iCloud to an external drive via MacBook and iPhone?

Question

How to download 109,406 iPhone photos (.dng, .jpg) from iCloud to an external drive via MacBook and iPhone?

Hello, (April 2025 query) .. How best / easiest to download 109,406 iphone photos - many .dng / raw (don't want them only as .jpg apple conversions) from only on icloud to an external drive (via Macbook pro 10.13.6 / iphone 15 pro max) ?! + I don't want to click on every single photo to keep them original format (but am happy to get .dngs also as a .jpg apple conversion - 2 outputs) + how best to select and keep track of 1000 downloading images at a time if I have to go that 1000 at a time path + if this how to choose to download original format, and keep embedded info (geo ) etc, for them all. Thanks a lot, Julie

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MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Apr 20, 2025 4:23 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

arvindfromgurgaon

Level 1

38 points

May 17, 2025 9:58 AM in response to macbookpro_tasmania

Create a new (empty) Photos library on an APFS / extended journaled format external drive or SSD, then follow the instructions given in this Apple Support article to create a full copy. Make sure to choose the 'Download Originals' and not 'Optimize Storage' setting. It'll take a long time. Once all the photos are saved locally in this library, go to Photos > Settings (Preferences in old versions) > iCloud, and turn iCloud Photos off. After this you can export everything without the 1000-items limit.

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Answer 2

muguy

Level 10

91,172 points

Apr 20, 2025 6:24 AM in response to macbookpro_tasmania

Enable iCloud Photos on your Mac to sync the photos to the Mac photos App. From there you can either keep thee images in photos or export the unmodified originals.

Open photos

Photos > Settings > iCloud

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Answer 3

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,502 points

May 17, 2025 10:04 AM in response to macbookpro_tasmania

To completely bypass iCloud or Photos, which it sounds like you want to do:

Create a new folder on your external drive, if you want to have a particular place to sort them from.
Connect the iPhone to your Mac with a Thunderbolt cable. Open the phone to its desktop.
Open Image Capture.
Every photo and video on the phone will appear in a list.
Select any one item and then press Command+A.
Drag and drop everything from Image Capture to the folder on the external drive.

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How to download 109,406 iPhone photos (.dng, .jpg) from iCloud to an external drive via MacBook and iPhone?

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