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Offline originals

The iPhone, iPad, and Android companion apps are in release testing — they aren't on the App Store or Google Play yet, and this guide describes the current test builds.

A synced library is browsable offline by default: every thumbnail and all the metadata live on the device. Offline downloads add the full-resolution originals.

Set a download rule

Open Settings → your library → the offline downloads screen.
Pick what to keep: everything, a date range, a rolling window (like the last 6 months), or specific albums.
Optionally turn on automatic updates — the device keeps the selection current after each sync, adding what’s new and removing what left the range.

Good to know

While connected to your Mac, full-resolution photos stream on demand even without any downloads.
Downloads are per-library, and you can remove them any time from the same screen.
Videos and Live Photo motion count toward storage.

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