Creating Videos from the Cloud: Using Apple’s iCloud Photo Stream

Our favorite moments are often captured on multiple cameras. Dad’s DSLR, mom’s iPhone, Uncle Jim’s iPad, grandma’s point-and-shoot. It seems like such a pain to get all of those photos in one place to use in your video.

It doesn’t have to be! As long as you can get these photos to iCloud, you’ll have access to make great videos of your latest adventures, whether you used one camera or a dozen.

Photo Stream is a free feature of Apple’s iCloud that lets you make sure photos on your Mac, PC, or iOS device are accessible no matter where you are. When it’s time to sit down to make a video on Animoto, whether you are at home on your desktop computer or using your iPad poolside, you can grab your memories and put them in motion.

Setting up Photo Stream on Your Devices

If you already have an iCloud account you will need to make sure Photo Stream is turned on. Don’t have an iCloud account? Learn more about signing up for and using an iCloud account.

To turn on Photo Stream on your iPhone and iPad go to Settings then tap on iCloud. Tap Photos, then turn on on My Photo Stream.

To turn on Photo Stream on your Mac. Open iPhoto and go to Preferences. Click iCloud and click the check box for My Photo Stream.

Once you have Photo Stream turned on the last 1,000 photos that have been taken or imported on these devices will be available on the devices you set up.

Selecting Photo Stream Photos in Animoto

It’s simple to select the photos in your Photo Stream to add them to your Animoto video.

Inside the Animoto app select My Photo Stream from the drop down list found under Photos and Videos at the top of your screen.

Making your video from your desktop or laptop? From the Add Pictures and Videos menu select Your Computer: Upload Pictures and Videos. Navigate to your Photos folder to find the My Photo Stream collection.

Select your favorite photos to add to your video, choose the perfect video style, set it to the ideal song and voila! One video made from the snaps collected on all of those different devices.

Download the Animoto iOS app or start your video online!