Quick Answer
Yes, photos taken on an iPhone or uploaded manually to the Photos app are stored as part of an iCloud backup. iCloud backs up photos, videos, documents, contacts, calendars, and more from iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. As long as iCloud Backup is enabled, latest photos and videos will be included in backups.
Are All Photos Backed Up?
Not necessarily. iCloud has storage limits based on the amount of storage purchased. The free 5GB of iCloud storage can fill up quickly with photos and videos. Once the storage limit is reached, iCloud will stop backing up photos until storage is freed up or more is purchased. Only the latest photos and videos within the storage limit will be backed up.
There are a few other exceptions for photos not backed up:
- Photos stored only on external storage like SD cards will not back up.
- Photos deleted from the Photos app before the next backup will be removed from backup.
- Screenshots and photos sent directly to a 3rd party app may not be backed up.
How to Verify Photos are Backing Up
There are a couple ways to confirm photos are being backed up to iCloud:
- Check iPhone storage settings – Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups to see when latest backup occurred and number of photos/videos backed up.
- Check iCloud storage usage – Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Photos to see number of items and storage used.
- View actual photo content – Log in to https://www.icloud.com/#photos to browse all photos synced across devices.
Enabling iCloud Backup
If iCloud Backup is not already turned on, here are the steps to enable it:
- Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
- Turn on iCloud Backup.
- Tap Back Up Now to perform initial iCloud backup.
- Make sure Photos is toggled on so it will be included going forward.
- Connect iPhone to power and WiFi to allow ongoing automatic backups.
iCloud Storage Options
If you find you are hitting the storage limit for the free 5GB of iCloud storage, there are options to upgrade iCloud storage:
| Storage Amount | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| 50GB | $0.99 |
| 200GB | $2.99 |
| 2TB | $9.99 |
Upgrading allows more photos and videos to be backed up. Storage amounts can be managed in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Change Storage Plan.
Alternative Backup Options
If you don’t want to pay for more iCloud storage but still want backups, there alternatives:
- Use lower resolution photo settings – Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and turn on High Efficiency. This will store fewer megapixels but take up less space.
- Manually back up photos to computer – Connect iPhone to computer and import photos to a photo management app like Photos or Lightroom.
- Use third-party cloud storage – Services like Google Photos provide free storage for reduced resolution photos.
- Back up locally to external drive – Use WiFi flash drives to store iPad photos and videos.
Losing Photos from a Backup
There are a few scenarios where photos could be lost or deleted from an iCloud backup:
- Accidentally deleting photos from the Photos app will remove them from future backups.
- Turning off iCloud Photos will discontinue backing up photos.
- Downgrading iCloud storage may cause backup photos to be deleted if over the new limit.
- Restoring iPhone from an old backup will restore photos to last backup date.
If photos seem to be missing from iCloud backups, check the Recently Deleted folder in Photos. If not there, the photos are likely permanently deleted.
Photo Backup vs Photo Syncing
iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Backup work differently when it comes to photos:
- iCloud Photo Library – Syncs photos across devices signed in to the same iCloud account. Makes photos available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, iCloud.com, etc. Limited to free 5GB storage unless more purchased.
- iCloud Backup – Includes latest photos/videos in device backups. Backups available if need to restore but photos do not sync across devices. Counts against total iCloud backup quota.
So iCloud Photo Library is for accessing photos on all devices while iCloud Backup provides protection of photos as part of whole device backups.
Summary of Key Points
To summarize the key points on whether photos are stored in iCloud backups:
- Yes, photos will be included in iCloud device backups automatically.
- Only latest photos within the storage limit will backup.
- Check usage in Settings to confirm photos are backing up.
- Upgrade iCloud storage if hitting limits for more backup capacity.
- iCloud Photo Library syncs photos across devices while iCloud Backup stores backup copies.
Conclusion
Having an iCloud backup that includes photos and videos provides an important layer of protection against loss. Understanding what photos are backed up and how the iCloud storage options work allows you to effectively manage backups. Performing periodic checks that photos are backing up properly and have multiple backups ensures your precious memories are not only safely stored, but available across all your devices.
