Get creative with Photos, Freeform, and iMovie on Mac

All your photos on all your devices. With iCloud Photos, you can browse, search, and share all the photos and videos from all your devices that are signed in to the same Apple Account. When you use your iPhone to take a photo, it automatically appears on all of your devices. And if you edit photos, those edits appear on all of your devices, too.

To get started, see Use iCloud Photos.

Import photos. You can import photos from an iPhone, iPad, camera, or files. With Photos open on your Mac, connect your device or camera and turn it on. If you’re importing from a camera, set it to download photos. Choose File > Import, select the device in the sidebar, click the photos you want to import, then click Import [X] Selected.

Edit photos like a pro. Create standout photos with powerful but easy-to-use editing tools. Double-click a photo, then use the buttons in the toolbar to make quick improvements, like rotating or automatically adjusting the color and contrast. For more powerful editing tools, click Edit in the toolbar, then use Smart Sliders to get professional results.

Browse collections and enjoy your memories. Collections automatically organize your library by topics like Days, Trips, People, and Memories. To see a personalized collection of photos and videos featuring a significant person, place, or event from your Photos library, click Memories in the Photos sidebar. The collection of photos and videos have been set to music, so you can watch them like a movie. To share with friends and family, double-click the memory, click , then choose how you want to share.

Learn more. See the Photos User Guide.

Create a board. Click in the toolbar to create a new board, then start adding content. You can add almost anything to a board—for example, click to add a sticky note, to add text, or to add a photo or link. Keep clicking and adding to build your board. Format and move items around until your board matches your ideas—the bigger, the better.

Collaborate in Freeform. You can send an invitation to collaborate in Messages or Mail, or copy and share the link. Click in the toolbar, choose Collaborate, then select Messages, Mail, or Copy Link. If you share in Messages, everyone on the thread is invited to the board.

Tell a story with your board. Scenes let you organize and present your board section by section in the order you choose. Click , click , then click Add Scene.

Start on your Mac, finish on your iPad. Sign in to the same Apple Account on all your Apple devices so you can access your boards, anywhere, anytime. To use iCloud with Freeform, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click [your name] in the sidebar, click iCloud, click Show All, then turn on Freeform.

Learn more. See the Freeform User Guide.

Create a movie or Hollywood-style trailer. To get started with a project, click in the Projects pane, then choose Movie or Trailer. When you choose Trailer, select a template, then click Create.

Add media from your photo library. Photos and video clips in your Photos library are automatically available for use in iMovie. In a project, select your photo library in the iMovie sidebar, choose the photo or clip you want to use to see a preview in the viewer, then drag it to the timeline to add it to your project. iMovie creates a new library and event for you.

You can also import video from your iPhone or iPad, from a camera, or from media files already on your Mac.

Record video in iMovie. Use the FaceTime HD camera on your Mac to record video and add it to your project. Select an event in the sidebar, click Import in the toolbar, select FaceTime HD Camera, then click the Record button to start and stop recording.

Learn more. See iMovie User Guide and iMovie Support.