Install icloudpd with Homebrew, Nix, chocolatey

Project links

• Homepage

Commands and aliases

• icloud
• icloudpd

Project history

The Python package name icloudpd appeared on PyPI with a 1.0.0 upload on 2018-07-30. The project later organized around the icloud-photos-downloader GitHub organization and Sphinx documentation site, presenting the tool as a cross-platform command-line downloader for iCloud photos and videos.

The README documents three operational modes: copy, sync, and move. That evolution is important because the tool is not just a one-shot exporter; it grew into a repeatable backup/synchronization utility with options for incremental runs, Live Photos, RAW assets, duplicate handling, EXIF timestamp updates, a Web UI, and NAS-oriented operation.

Adoption history

Distribution moved beyond source installs into package-manager ecosystems. The README points users to packaged binaries and package-manager installs through Docker, PyPI, AUR, and npm, while Homebrew packages the same project as icloudpd.

The Homebrew formula packages the project from its Git repository and wraps its Python dependencies, making the tool part of the Unix-like backup-tool shelf for users who want iCloud Photos exports without a graphical Apple Photos workflow.

How it is used

The documented command-line pattern is to run icloudpd against a destination directory and Apple account, with watch, sync, or auth-only modes depending on whether the user wants a recurring backup, a mirror-like local copy, or a reusable authenticated session.

The docs emphasize Apple-side prerequisites such as iCloud web data access and Advanced Data Protection behavior, so reliable use depends as much on account configuration as on the package installation.

Why package nerds care

Package maintainers care about icloudpd because it bridges a consumer cloud service and scriptable local backup workflows. It also exercises Python packaging, native keyring/authentication dependencies, binary artifacts, Docker images, and multi-platform CLI behavior in one small formula.

The formula is a practical example of Homebrew packaging a Python CLI with a fast-moving upstream and nontrivial runtime authentication behavior, rather than a simple stateless text filter.

Timeline

• 2018: icloudpd 1.0.0 appears on PyPI.
• 2020s: Project documentation expands around install, authentication, naming, operation modes, asset handling, Web UI, NAS use, and CLI reference.
• 2026: The README describes weekly releases when there is something worth delivering and asks for volunteer maintainers.

Related projects

• The project is related to pyicloud-style iCloud automation, Apple Photos export workflows, NAS backup scripts, Dockerized home-lab backup jobs, and package-manager distributions such as PyPI, Docker, AUR, npm, and Homebrew.

Sources

• Homebrew formula metadata documents the brew package name, description, source URL, version, dependencies, and install surface.
• Project README and documentation describe purpose, supported platforms, package-manager channels, release cadence, prerequisites, operation modes, and usage examples.
• PyPI metadata provides the package publication timeline.