Save iCloud photos to S3 storage (for advanced users)
If you already use S3-compatible storage, PicFrom for Mac can keep your iCloud archive there. You need three things from your provider.
What PicFrom needs
- A private bucket. PicFrom creates a PicFrom folder in it and keeps each archive there: photos and videos sorted by date, the log used to resume copying and the file lists.
- An access key for that bucket with rights to list, read, write and delete. A read-only key will not work: the check writes a test file and deletes it.
- The region. For Cloudflare R2, the account ID instead.
Where to find it
- Backblaze B2. Key: Application Keys → Add a New Application Key, for one bucket, Read and Write. Region: from the bucket's Endpoint, for example
s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com→us-east-005. - Cloudflare R2. Key: R2 → Manage API tokens → Object Read & Write for the bucket. Instead of a region, enter the Account ID from the R2 overview page.
- Amazon S3. Key: an IAM user with access to one bucket. Region: the bucket's region.
- Wasabi, Hetzner, DigitalOcean Spaces, Scaleway, OVHcloud, Akamai. Keys are in the provider's console; pick the region from the list in PicFrom.
- Any other S3 storage. Choose Other (custom address) and enter the endpoint from your provider.
Connect in PicFrom
- In PicFrom for Mac, click Change on the To card and choose S3 under Other storage (for advanced users).
- Choose the storage and region, then enter the bucket, the access key and the secret key.
- Click Check and connect. PicFrom writes a test file to the bucket and deletes it, then asks you to pick or create an archive.
The keys are kept in your Mac's Keychain. Photos go straight from your Mac to the bucket.
What it costs
You pay your provider for storage and requests. Backblaze B2 and Cloudflare R2 include 10 GB free, and R2 asks for a payment card. If the storage runs out of space or the account has a payment problem, PicFrom stops with "The storage does not accept files". Files already saved stay in the bucket, and the next save continues the archive.
More guides
- How to download all your photos from iCloud to a computer
- How to back up iCloud photos to an external drive
- How to move your photos from iCloud to a Mac
- Which drive format works with iPhone, Mac and Windows?
- How to copy photos from an iPhone to a Mac
- How to copy photos from an iPhone to a USB drive
- How to copy photos from an iPhone to a NAS