{"id":"icloud.does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality","url":"/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"icloud-photos","title":"iCloud Photos and the Photos library"},"question":"Does iCloud Photos keep my photos and videos at full quality?","alt_questions":["iCloud Photos original resolution","Does iCloud compress my photos?","Full quality photos in iCloud","icloud photos keep raw and proraw"],"short_answer":"Yes — iCloud keeps your originals at full quality, RAW included. With Optimize Mac Storage your Mac holds smaller versions and fetches the original when you open or export a photo. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.","answer_markdown":"Yes. iCloud Photos stores your **original** photos and videos at full quality in iCloud, including formats like RAW. What changes is only what each **device** keeps: with **Optimize Mac Storage**, the Mac holds smaller versions and downloads the original when you open or export it.\n\nSo a blurry-looking photo on an optimized Mac usually just hasn't downloaded its original yet — see [why photos look low resolution](/faq/icloud/why-are-my-photos-blurry-or-low-resolution-on-my-mac). Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.","answer_html":"

Yes. iCloud Photos stores your original photos and videos at full quality in iCloud, including formats like RAW. What changes is only what each device keeps: with Optimize Mac Storage, the Mac holds smaller versions and downloads the original when you open or export it.

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So a blurry-looking photo on an optimized Mac usually just hasn't downloaded its original yet — see why photos look low resolution. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.

","answer_text":"Yes. iCloud Photos stores your original photos and videos at full quality in iCloud, including formats like RAW. What changes is only what each device keeps: with Optimize Mac Storage, the Mac holds smaller versions and downloads the original when you open or export it.\n\nSo a blurry-looking photo on an optimized Mac usually just hasn't downloaded its original yet — see why photos look low resolution. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.","tags":["icloud photos","originals","quality"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.why-are-my-photos-blurry-or-low-resolution-on-my-mac","question":"Why do my photos look low resolution on my Mac with iCloud Photos?","url":"/faq/icloud/why-are-my-photos-blurry-or-low-resolution-on-my-mac"},{"id":"icloud.optimize-mac-storage-vs-download-originals-in-photos","question":"Should I choose Optimize Mac Storage or Download Originals in iCloud Photos?","url":"/faq/icloud/optimize-mac-storage-vs-download-originals-in-photos"},{"id":"icloud.do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage","question":"Do Shared Albums count against my iCloud storage?","url":"/faq/icloud/do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Does iCloud Photos keep my photos and videos at full quality? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Yes — iCloud keeps your originals at full quality, RAW included. With Optimize Mac Storage your Mac holds smaller versions and fetches the original when you open or export a photo. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"Does iCloud Photos keep my photos and videos at full quality?","path":"/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Does iCloud Photos keep my photos and videos at full quality?","alternateName":["iCloud Photos original resolution","Does iCloud compress my photos?","Full quality photos in iCloud","icloud photos keep raw and proraw"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. iCloud Photos stores your original photos and videos at full quality in iCloud, including formats like RAW. What changes is only what each device keeps: with Optimize Mac Storage, the Mac holds smaller versions and downloads the original when you open or export it.\n\nSo a blurry-looking photo on an optimized Mac usually just hasn't downloaded its original yet — see why photos look low resolution. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud Photos and the Photos library

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Does iCloud Photos keep my photos and videos at full quality?

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Short answer: Yes — iCloud keeps your originals at full quality, RAW included. With Optimize Mac Storage your Mac holds smaller versions and fetches the original when you open or export a photo. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.

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Yes. iCloud Photos stores your original photos and videos at full quality in iCloud, including formats like RAW. What changes is only what each device keeps: with Optimize Mac Storage, the Mac holds smaller versions and downloads the original when you open or export it.

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So a blurry-looking photo on an optimized Mac usually just hasn't downloaded its original yet — see why photos look low resolution. Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.

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