Quick Guide
- You can access the iCloud photos on Apple TV by signing in to your Apple ID.
- To sign in to your Apple ID: Go to Settings → Accounts → iCloud → Sign in and enter your Apple ID credentials.
iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage where you can store photos, videos, files, and backups across your Apple devices. You can access the photos and videos on iCloud on your Apple TV by signing in to your Apple ID. You can also view all the shared photos and albums in your iCloud account on Apple TV and even use the photos as screensavers.
In this guide, I will show you how to access iCloud Photos on Apple TV and how to use them as screensavers.
How to Get iCloud Photos on Apple TV
To access the iCloud photos and videos on Apple TVs, you must first sign in to your Apple ID associated with the iCloud. Follow the steps below to sign in to your iCloud account.
1. Turn on your Apple TV and launch the Settings app.
2. Select the Account option and select iCloud.
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3. On the following screen, choose the Sign In option.
4. You may already have signed in to your Apple TV using your Apple ID, but you still need to sign in to iCloud using your Apple ID. To do so, select Yes on this screen.
5. When prompted, enter the iCloud password. So, enter your iCloud account’s password on the required field and click on the Submit button.
6. If you’ve enabled two-step verification on your Apple TV, you need to verify your identity via phone number in this step of signing in to your iCloud account on Apple TV. Or else you’ll be directly landed on the iCloud Settings page on Apple TV.
7. Once you sign in to your account, you will get the following settings.
- iCloud Photo Library: Turn On this setting to access all the photos and videos on iCloud on Apple TVs.
- My Photo Stream: Turn On this option to get access to the last 1000 photos and videos added to your iCloud drive.
- iCloud Photo Sharing: Turn On this option if you want to access the albums shared with you or the albums you shared with others.
You can turn on these settings based on preference and access the iCloud content on your Apple TV.
How to Access iCloud Photos on Apple TV
1. Open the Photos app on your Apple TV and go to the Library category. You can find photos and albums based on the settings you chose on iCloud settings.
2. You can use the Apple TV remote to scroll through the photos on iCloud.
- On 2nd gen or later Siri Remote: Press and hold the up or down button on the remote to scroll through photos quickly
- On 1st gen Siri Remote: Swipe up or down on the touch surface quickly to scroll through photos.
- In full-screen mode, you can use right or left buttons or swipe right or left to navigate through photos.
3. If you have set up an iCloud Shared Photo Library on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can access those shared libraries from the Photos app on Apple TV. If you have enabled Shared Library, you will have an option called the Library View button in the top-right corner of the screen.
Selecting this option will give you the following options.
- Both Libraries: You can view all the personal and shared photo libraries if you select this option.
- Personal Library: You can only view your personal libraries if you select this option.
- Shared Library: You can view only shared libraries if you select this option.
Once you enable any one of these options, you can access those photos and videos on your Apple TV.
How to Use iCloud Photos as Screensaver on Apple TV
You can use the photos on your iCloud and use them as the screensaver for your Apple TV. Follow the steps below to set iCloud Photos as a screensaver.
1. Make sure to Sign in to your Apple TV with the iCloud account. It can be done under Settings → Accounts → iCloud → Sign In.
2. Now, you should enable the iCloud Photo Sharing and My Photo Stream option.
3. To set photo stream as a screensaver on Apple TV 4th generation, go to Settings → General → Screensaver.
- On older generation Apple TV, select Settings → Screensaver → Photos.
4. Go to the Screensaver menu, highlight Type, and then My Photos.
5. Then, select Photo Stream or a shared album of your choice.
6. Choose Set as Screen Saver to set a single picture as a screensaver.
7. When prompted for confirmation, select Yes.
How to AirPlay iCloud Photos to Apple TV
If you don’t want to sign in to your iCloud account on Apple TV, you can use the AirPlay feature to access the photos and videos. Before proceeding with the method, make sure AirPlay is enabled on your Apple TV and connect your Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi as your other Apple device. Then, open the Photos app on your Apple device, click the Share icon, and select the AirPlay option. You can now access all your iCloud media content on your Apple TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Firstly, check your Apple TV’s Wi-Fi connection is stable. Then, go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Photos and make sure that My Photos Stream is enabled.
Go to Settings app → Users and Accounts → iCloud → Share Albums. With this, you can share albums with your friends.
Go to Settings app → Accounts → iCloud → Turn off iCloud Photos.
Go to Photos app → Library → iCloud Photos → Select the iCloud Photos you want to delete → Tap the Trash button.
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