Even though iCloud plays an important role in syncing data across your Apple devices, errors can still occur sometimes. So, if you’re looking for a way to fix issues like photos not syncing on Mac, then you’re in the right place. Read on to know what you should do when photos on Mac are not Syncing.
Check the Internet Connection
A stable network connection is required to upload photos on your Mac. So, if you find out that the internet connection is the reason for Mac photos not syncing, then here is what to do.
Restarting your Mac is the way to go here. Additionally, the quickest way to restart your Mac is by using the power options from the Apple menu on the desktop. Here is how to do it:
- Select the Apple icon at the top-left corner of the screen.
- In the menu that appears, select the “Restart” button.
- Your Mac will now restart. Give it a minute to boot back up and your issues should be fixed now.
In case this method doesn’t fix the problem, you should try rebooting your Mac and router after.
Turn on iCloud Photo Library and My Photo Stream

Make sure you’ve turned on iCloud Photo Library and My Photo Stream on all of your devices. If the problem persists, then you should check whether these options are set up correctly or not.
On your Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud. Here, make sure Photos is selected. Then, click on Options next to it. Finally, turn on iCloud Photo Library and My Photo Stream.
Check your iCloud Storage

Thanks to Apple, we all have at least 5GB of iCloud storage for free. However, 5GB is generally not enough for most people to store their photos and videos. Therefore, it’s possible that this syncing error is due to insufficient storage in iCloud. If that’s the case, you can either buy more iCloud storage or go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > iCloud to free up more space on your Mac.
Make Sure your Apple ID is Correct

To sync photos across your Mac and other devices, you need to sign in to iCloud on these devices with the same Apple ID. Therefore, you should double-check your Apple ID and see whether it’s to blame.
Here are the ways to check you Apple ID on Macs:
- Open Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Apple ID. Or, click on Internet Accounts, then select an iCloud account from the sidebar.
- Go to App Store, then choose Store > View My Account.
- Open FaceTime, then choose FaceTime > Preferences.
- Open Messages. Next, choose Messages > Preferences, then click on iMessage.
Alternatively, you can see if you’re signed in with Apple ID on iCloud.com too.
Sync Photos on Mac with Other Cloud Storage Services
While figuring out a suitable solution to your problem, you can try using other cloud storage. Apart from the iCloud, there are many free storage services like Google Drive and DropBox for data transfer and file management. Although using these platforms might be not that convenient for Mac users, it’s still better than nothing now.
There you have it! We hope these troubleshooting steps help you deal with the syncing issue on your Mac. Let us know if you have any questions or other ways to fix this in the comments!