Why won't my iCloud photos sync with my Mac?

iCloud is a cloud service provided by Apple, which allows users to store 5GB of data for free. iCloud has the synchronization function of email, contacts, and calendar, and supports the push of photo streams. Application software can be stored and backed up at any time. However, some friends found that iCloud cannot be synchronized with Mac. How to solve it?

Make sure iCloud Photo Library and My Photo Stream are turned on

Things like software updates may trigger changes to certain settings, so if you encounter this situation, you can first check whether the sync function is turned off.

Here's how you can check to make sure iCloud Photo Library and My Photo Stream are turned on on your Mac:

• Open the Photos app.
• Click Photos > Preferences > iCloud.
• Select the checkbox next to iCloud Photos or My Photo Stream.

Make sure you have free space on your Mac

If your photo library is very large and you don't have enough free storage space on your Mac, iCloud will not be able to sync with your Mac. You can use Gemini 2 to quickly scan your computer for duplicate and similar images.

• Turn on Gemini 2.
• Click + > Picture Folder > Scan for Duplicates.
• After the scan is complete, click View Results or Smart Cleanup.

Check your internet connection

You can check your Internet connection status by:

• Open System Preferences
• Click Network.
• Check the sidebar for a green dot next to Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on how you're connected.

Check your Apple ID

A common mistake for iCloud syncing issues is having multiple iCloud accounts. Here’s how to check which Apple ID account you’re logged into:

• Open System Preferences.
• Click on iCloud.
• In the sidebar, check the email listed under your name.

Restart your Mac

If all else fails, try turning your Mac on and off again. You may be experiencing some weird iCloud glitches due to software issues, and restarting is a good fix.

• Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner.
• Then, click Restart.
• Click Restart again to confirm the restart.

Rebuilding the photo database

The next thing you can try is to rebuild your entire photo library database. iCloud may not be able to sync due to corrupted files in the plist database. This is how you rebuild your photo database:

• On your keyboard, hold Option + Command, then open Photos.
• Click Repair.
• Enter your password to confirm that you want to rebuild.