{"slug": "icloud-photos-downloader", "name": "iCloud Photos Downloader", "category": "files", "category_name": "Files, sync and backup", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 5, "warners": 1, "score": 2.73, "rising": 1.35, "first": "2026-01-11", "latest": "2026-09-17", "why": "there are some solutions to export photos from the Apple technology stack using open source software", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 1}, "spark": [0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "there are some solutions to export photos from the Apple technology stack using open source software", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader", "official_url": "https://github.com/icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["iCloud Photos Downloader", "icloud-photos-downloader"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 795947426, "item_id": 49746714, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49746714", "by": "wuschel", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "there are some solutions to export photos from the Apple technology stack using open source software", "excerpt": "I did not try it, and I am nervous the day I need to - but I think there are some solutions to export photos from the Apple technology stack using open source software [1,2,3]. I remember seeing a longer blogpost re the topic of retroengineering the Apple phot sync story, but I could not find it. [1] github.com/rcarmo/PhotosExport [2] https://github.com/craigtrim/icloud-photo-export [3] https://icloud-photos-download", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Backups Aren't Simple"}, {"id": 795832016, "item_id": 49739501, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49739501", "by": "CountGeek", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have successfully used this", "excerpt": "I have successfully used this about 2 years ago from a Synology to perform a one-time backup (download) of about 380GB of photos and videos from my iCloud account - https://github.com/icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader", "context": "", "use_case": "one-time iCloud photo download", "switched_from": "", "story": "Backups Aren't Simple"}, {"id": 745888160, "item_id": 46618010, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46618010", "by": "WhyNotHugo", "date": "2026-01-14", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yes, yes, and yes.", "excerpt": "Yes, yes, and yes. https://whynothugo.nl/journal/2024/12/22/exporting-photos-from-an-iphone/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}, {"id": 745331889, "item_id": 46583243, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46583243", "by": "rykc", "date": "2026-01-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "OP app and or https://photosbackup.app/ , seems like they might enhance my setup", "excerpt": "Not in my experience, previously ran it setup externally with a shared library for at least a year or longer, https://support.apple.com/en-ca/108345. Typically I backup to external drive 2 ways, copy of library itself and unmodified export, only had to go through above after I needed to rebuild the laptop. OP app and or https://photosbackup.app/ , seems like they might enhance my setup, will have to take a closer loo", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 763393360, "item_id": 47712085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47712085", "by": "rhoopr", "date": "2026-04-09", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "iCloud-photos-downloader is unmaintained and starting to crack due to Apple API changes", "excerpt": "iCloud-photos-downloader is unmaintained and starting to crack due to Apple API changes so I\u2019m working on my own fork/rewrite/take on iCloud sync, with ambitions to add Google Takeout, Immich, and other services too. https://github.com/rhoopr/kei Named after my \u201896 Subaru Sambar kei truck, small and mighty. The other thing I\u2019m constantly tinkering with :)", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are you building that's not AI related?"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["one-time icloud photo download"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49732513", "title": "Backups Aren't Simple", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46578921", "title": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47700460", "title": "Ask HN: What are you building that's not AI related?", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"warn": 1}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 795947426, "item_id": 49746714, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49746714", "by": "wuschel", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "there are some solutions to export photos from the Apple technology stack using open source software", "excerpt": "I did not try it, and I am nervous the day I need to - but I think there are some solutions to export photos from the Apple technology stack using open source software [1,2,3]. I remember seeing a longer blogpost re the topic of retroengineering the Apple phot sync story, but I could not find it. [1] github.com/rcarmo/PhotosExport [2] https://github.com/craigtrim/icloud-photo-export [3] https://icloud-photos-download", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Backups Aren't Simple"}, {"id": 795832016, "item_id": 49739501, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49739501", "by": "CountGeek", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have successfully used this", "excerpt": "I have successfully used this about 2 years ago from a Synology to perform a one-time backup (download) of about 380GB of photos and videos from my iCloud account - https://github.com/icloud-photos-downloader/icloud_photos_downloader", "context": "", "use_case": "one-time iCloud photo download", "switched_from": "", "story": "Backups Aren't Simple"}, {"id": 763393360, "item_id": 47712085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47712085", "by": "rhoopr", "date": "2026-04-09", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "iCloud-photos-downloader is unmaintained and starting to crack due to Apple API changes", "excerpt": "iCloud-photos-downloader is unmaintained and starting to crack due to Apple API changes so I\u2019m working on my own fork/rewrite/take on iCloud sync, with ambitions to add Google Takeout, Immich, and other services too. https://github.com/rhoopr/kei Named after my \u201896 Subaru Sambar kei truck, small and mighty. The other thing I\u2019m constantly tinkering with :)", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are you building that's not AI related?"}, {"id": 745888160, "item_id": 46618010, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46618010", "by": "WhyNotHugo", "date": "2026-01-14", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Yes, yes, and yes.", "excerpt": "Yes, yes, and yes. https://whynothugo.nl/journal/2024/12/22/exporting-photos-from-an-iphone/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}, {"id": 745331889, "item_id": 46583243, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46583243", "by": "rykc", "date": "2026-01-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "OP app and or https://photosbackup.app/ , seems like they might enhance my setup", "excerpt": "Not in my experience, previously ran it setup externally with a shared library for at least a year or longer, https://support.apple.com/en-ca/108345. Typically I backup to external drive 2 ways, copy of library itself and unmodified export, only had to go through above after I needed to rebuild the laptop. OP app and or https://photosbackup.app/ , seems like they might enhance my setup, will have to take a closer loo", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}]}