Apple has recently announced that they are shutting down’ My Photo Stream’ on 26th July 2023.

First introduced in 2011, the ‘My Photo Stream’ service was an early example of cloud storage – it uploads your most recent photos to iCloud so that you can view them on and import them to another device. Here’s our guide on what to do if you still use this service.

Why is Apple shutting it down?

‘My Photo Stream’ only uploads your most recent photos, storing them for a maximum of 30 days in iCloud before deleting them. It also has limits on file size (and therefore quality) and types (e.g. Live photos are not supported) of images uploaded.
The newer alternative, iCloud Photos, has been operational since 2015 and has superseded ‘My Photo Stream’ on newer devices. iCloud Photos uploads all your photos and videos, stores them in iCloud on an ongoing basis, and syncs them to the libraries across your devices – without you having to select what to keep.

When will it be shut off?

The service will end on 26th July 2023, but as part of the transition period there won’t be any new uploads after 26th June 2023. Any photos uploaded to before 26th June will remain there for 30 days, which means that there shouldn’t be any photos remaining in My Photo Stream by the date of the switch-off.

How can I keep my photos safe?

Any photos in ‘My Photo Stream’ will already be stored on at least one of your Apple devices, so you won’t lose any pictures whilst you have access to the device with the originals stored on it. If there’s a particular recent photo that you want to keep, you should download it to one of your devices before ‘My Photo Stream’ is shut down.

How do I use iCloud Photos instead?

You can turn on iCloud Photos on any iPhone or iPad with iOS 8.3 or later, or Mac with OS X Yosemite or later. This allows you to view all your photos and videos in the Photos app on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, iCloud.com, and even a Windows PC with the iCloud for Windows application installed. To check whether iCloud Photos is enabled on your device:

• On an iPad / iPhone:
  Go to Settings > your name > iCloud and make sure ‘On’ is selected next to ‘Photos’
• On a Mac:
  Go to Apple menu > System Settings > your name > iCloud and make sure ‘On’ is selected next to ‘Photos’
• On a Windows PC:
  Open iCloud for Windows > Next to ‘Photos’ click ‘Options’ > Ensure ‘iCloud Photos’ is checked/enabled > Click ‘Done’ > Click ‘Apply’