How I Copied My iCloud Photos Library to pCloud Without Losing Albums

Looking for a realistic way to move photos from iCloud Photos to pCloud? This guide breaks down three practical methods—manual downloads, mobile uploads, and automated cloud-to-cloud transfer—based on what actually works in real-world use.

Introduction

I didn’t decide overnight to move photos out of iCloud Photos. It was more gradual. The library kept growing, and I wanted a second copy somewhere outside Apple’s ecosystem. I’d already been using pCloud to archive finished projects and liked its clean folder structure. It behaves more like a traditional drive, which makes long-term organization easier. The real challenge wasn’t storage space — it was keeping albums intact and avoiding a chaotic pile of files. After trying a few approaches, here are the three methods that worked best.

Method 1: Download from iCloud Photos and Upload to pCloud (Browser)
Method 2: Upload from iPhone Using the pCloud App
Method 3: Transfer Directly in the Cloud with CloudsLinker
Quick Comparison
Important Things to Know
Frequently Asked Questions

About iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos isn’t just a storage folder — it’s a sync engine. Every picture you take quietly appears across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. That seamless experience is hard to replace.

5 GB free shared across backups, mail, files, and photos.
iCloud+ plans scale up to 12 TB.
Original quality storage with device optimization options.
Deep Apple integration — designed primarily for Apple hardware.

The issue tends to appear quietly: the library grows, storage warnings pop up, and suddenly you’re upgrading again.

About pCloud

pCloud feels more like a traditional drive. You log in and see folders. You decide the structure. No hidden database layer.

Free plan available with optional upgrades.
Optional lifetime plans instead of monthly subscriptions.
Desktop drive mounting via pCloud Drive.
Link-based sharing without Apple ID requirements.

I originally started using pCloud for archiving finished work. Later it became my “secondary photo archive.” One small detail to note: it won’t recreate Apple smart albums automatically — you’ll manage folder structure yourself.

Why Move Photos from iCloud Photos to pCloud?

For me, it wasn’t about leaving Apple. It was about redundancy. Keeping every memory inside one ecosystem didn’t feel ideal. pCloud gave me a separate location that I already trusted for other files.

There’s also the practical side. Sharing large folders with people who aren’t Apple users is simpler with pCloud links. No explaining shared albums or Apple ID invitations.

Independent Backup: A copy outside Apple’s ecosystem.
Folder-Based Organization: Full manual control.
Simple Sharing Links: Easy distribution.
Long-Term Cost Planning: Lifetime options appeal to some users.

The complication is that iCloud Photos isn’t just a drag-and-drop folder. So here are the three approaches that made sense depending on library size.

Method 1: Download from iCloud Photos, Then Upload to pCloud

The most straightforward route — no additional tools required.

Open iCloud Photos on the web , download selected albums, then upload them into pCloud .

No setup required
Full control over album selection
Works well for small or medium exports

Upload Photos to pCloud using browser interface

The obvious downside: you download everything once, then upload it again. That doubles bandwidth usage and time.

For 10–30 GB, it’s manageable. For 300+ GB, it becomes a long process.

I still use this method occasionally for specific albums, but not for full multi-year archives.

Method 2: Upload Directly from Your iPhone Using the pCloud App

If your photos mainly live on your phone, the mobile app route avoids using a computer.

Install pCloud for iOS , sign in, and upload from your camera roll.

Open the pCloud app.
Tap upload.
Select Photos and Videos.
Choose albums or individual items.

Upload Photos to pCloud using iPhone app

Uploads continue in the background, although iOS may pause very long transfers if the app stays inactive.

This method works well for selective moves, but large libraries require patience.

Method 3: Move iCloud Photos to pCloud Directly in the Cloud (No Local Downloads)

When Downloading Everything No Longer Makes Sense

For very large libraries, downloading everything locally feels inefficient. Using CloudsLinker allows direct transfer between iCloud Photos and pCloud, without routing data through your computer.

Step 1: Connect iCloud Photos

Click Add Cloud and select iCloud Photos. Log in with your Apple ID and complete two-factor authentication.

Connect iCloud Photos in CloudsLinker dashboard

Step 2: Authorize pCloud (OAuth 2.0)

Add pCloud from the cloud list. Inside CloudsLinker, pCloud uses OAuth 2.0 authorization. You’ll be redirected to pCloud’s official login page to approve access securely.

Authorize pCloud using OAuth 2.0 in CloudsLinker

Step 3: Configure the Transfer

Go to the Transfer section. Choose iCloud Photos as the source and pCloud as the destination.

Transfer configuration from iCloud Photos to pCloud

Step 4: Monitor the Progress

The task appears in your Task List. Since everything runs in the cloud, your computer doesn’t need to stay on.

For multi-hundred-gigabyte libraries, this avoids tying up your home connection.

Comparing the 3 Ways to Move Photos from iCloud Photos to pCloud

Method	Ease of Use	Speed	Best For	Uses Local Bandwidth	Skill Level
Web Browser (Download → Upload)	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	Small exports, selective albums	Yes (download + upload)	Beginner
iPhone (pCloud App Upload)	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	Recent photos or specific albums	Yes (Wi-Fi/mobile upload)	Beginner
CloudsLinker (Cloud-to-Cloud)	★★★★☆	★★★★★	Large libraries, minimal supervision	No	Beginner

Practical Tips for Moving iCloud Photos to pCloud

Export album by album: iCloud web limits bulk selection.
Check storage before starting: Especially if you’re close to pCloud’s limits.
Understand file formats: HEIC uploads fine, but sharing outside Apple may require later conversion.
Move in stages: Verify albums before migrating everything.
OAuth authorization: pCloud uses official OAuth 2.0 login inside CloudsLinker, so access can be revoked anytime from your account settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

iCloud Photos limits bulk selection. Export albums in batches instead of selecting everything at once.

Yes. pCloud connections use official OAuth 2.0 authorization, redirecting you to pCloud’s login page for secure approval.

Conclusion

Moving photos from iCloud Photos to pCloud isn’t technically difficult, but it benefits from a bit of planning. Smaller batches are fine with browser downloads. If everything is on your phone, uploading through the pCloud app works — just expect it to take time. For larger libraries, cloud-to-cloud transfer avoids the download-and-upload loop entirely. Whatever method you choose, double-check album folders and file counts inside pCloud before considering the job finished.

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