What iCloud photo service should I use to sign in with my Apple TV? It depends on how much privacy you prefer.
iCloud Photo Library is Apple's photo storage service, which lets you store all of your hundreds of thousands of pictures in iCloud. Doing so makes it possible for you to grab the photos you want onto your device without having to store them locally. And you can view any of those on Apple TV once you set it up with iCloud!
Unlike Apple's other devices, your Apple TV can't download images from the web or Messages to add to your Photos library — it relies solely on iCloud's photo sharing options to present your images. As such, you'll need to log in to iCloud on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC to make that happen, then turn on one of iCloud's photo sharing options.
You have a few different choices when it comes to viewing images on your Apple TV:
- If you're subscribed to iCloud Photo Library, you can turn it on and stream your entire collection of images and video.
- If you just want to share albums you've shared with friends and family (or vice versa), you can turn on iCloud Photo Sharing.
- If you aren't subscribed to iCloud Photo Library, you can turn on My Photo Stream, which lets your TV access just the last 1000 photos or video you snapped.
How to enable iCloud Photo Library
When you turn on iCloud Photo Library, every image and video you've stored will be available on your TV. This is great if you don't mind people going through your image collection (or you live alone), but keep in mind that if you have guests, you may not want to keep this setting enabled.
First, log in to iCloud on your Apple TV by going to Settings > Accounts > iCloud > Sign in.
- Select iCloud Photo Library to toggle it on.
How to enable iCloud Photo Sharing
If you select iCloud Photo Sharing, your Apple TV will have access to any albums you've shared with friends (or they've shared with you). You can use this setting in tandem with iCloud Photo Library, or in isolation (if you don't want your entire image library accessible inside your living room).
If you haven't already, log in to iCloud on your Apple TV by going to Settings > Accounts > iCloud > Sign in.
- Select iCloud Photo Sharing to toggle it on.
How to enable My Photo Stream
If you've chosen not to use iCloud Photo Library on your Apple TV, you can still access iCloud's My Photo Stream feature, which lets you view the last 1000 images you took on (or uploaded to) your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This feature can be used in tandem with iCloud Photo Sharing, or by itself; it disappears if you enable iCloud Photo Library.
If you haven't already, log in to iCloud on your Apple TV by going to Settings > Accounts > iCloud > Sign in.
- Select My Photo Stream to toggle it on.
Any questions?
Is there anything else you'd like to know about turning on and using iCloud Photo Library on Apple TV? Do you have a tip or suggestion? Let us know in the comments.
Reader comments
How to set up iCloud Photo Library, Photo Sharing, and My Photo Stream on Apple TV
I'm hoping you could answer whether you can now have the screensaver look at ALL your photos in your iCloud Photo Library. There doesn't seem to be an option, but rather only the option on shared photo albums (which have a limit as to how many photos you load).
I'm seeing the same thing as you. There appears to be an option to select "My Photos" in the screensaver type section, but I've only been able to set a photo album from my library via Home Sharing, not my entire iCloud Photo Library collection.
I just figured it out. On your home computer, open iTunes. Select File. Select Home Sharing. Select Choose photos to share with Apple TV. Select All Photos. They will now be selectable as a screensaver under Home Sharing. I'm writing up a how-to guide for it now.
Having the iCloud Photo Library (ICPL) on the Apple TV certainly is great. However, other that Apple claims, one doesn't seem to be able to really access the whole ICPL. Albums that on both, my Mac and my iPhone/iPad, are nested within folders (for example: I have a folder called "Trips" containing Albums with photos/videos of all my trips) don't show up on the Apple TV. I can see neither the folders, nor the albums from these folders.
Since this is possible on all other devices I consider this a bug in the latest version of tvOS…
Same here. Needs some more digging into what's occurring. Why not replicate the iPad view?
Same here. I updated both my TV 4s yesterday and no photo albums other then shared albums.
What up with Apple and their updates not working 100%
same problem, find any solutions?
Same here. Any news on update to fix this issue?