---
id: icloud.does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-store-full-quality
category: "iCloud & iCloud Photos"
subcategory: "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."
tags: ["icloud photos", "originals", "quality"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/why-are-my-photos-blurry-or-low-resolution-on-my-mac", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/optimize-mac-storage-vs-download-originals-in-photos", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

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

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.

So a blurry-looking photo on an optimized Mac usually just hasn't downloaded its original yet — see [why photos look low resolution](https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/why-are-my-photos-blurry-or-low-resolution-on-my-mac). Shared Albums are the exception: they use reduced copies.