Download entire iCloud shared albums

icloud-album-download.sh

#!/bin/bash

# requires jq
# arg 1: iCloud web album URL
# arg 2: folder to download into (optional)

function curl_post_json {
	curl -sH "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d "@-" "$@"
}

BASE_API_URL="https://p23-sharedstreams.icloud.com/$(echo $1 | cut -d# -f2)/sharedstreams"

pushd $2 > /dev/null
STREAM=$(echo '{"streamCtag":null}' | curl_post_json "$BASE_API_URL/webstream")
CHECKSUMS=$(echo $STREAM | jq -r '.photos[] | [(.derivatives[] | {size: .fileSize | tonumber, value: .checksum})] | max_by(.size | tonumber).value')

echo $STREAM \
| jq -c "{photoGuids: [.photos[].photoGuid]}" \
| curl_post_json "$BASE_API_URL/webasseturls" \
| jq -r '.items[] | "https://" + .url_location + .url_path' \
| while read URL; do
	for CHECKSUM in $CHECKSUMS; do
		if echo $URL | grep $CHECKSUM > /dev/null; then
			curl -sOJ $URL &
			break
		fi
	done
done

popd > /dev/null
wait

Hi,
Can anyone explain how exactly to run this script?
I'm not a coder (never learned how to code) so I don't even know where to start to run this. Like, where do I paste the shared album link in the script. Am I supposed to edit the script before running it in Terminal?

p.s. I downloaded jq and python and Git because a tutorial told me to, but I still, don't know where to start with getting this script running.

Hi, Can anyone explain how exactly to run this script? I'm not a coder (never learned how to code) so I don't even know where to start to run this. Like, where do I paste the shared album link in the script. Am I supposed to edit the script before running it in Terminal?

p.s. I downloaded jq and python and Git because a tutorial told me to, but I still, don't know where to start with getting this script running.

hi. you don't need python, the code is a shell script (runs on linux (baremetal host, virtual machine, container or WSL) or linux related apps such as cygwin or git bash.

are you mainly using windows or linux?

a TLDR guide

1. First, you need jq, and also you need to be able to run it from anywhere, by properly installing or adding the portable version to environment variables. Assuming you downloaded it and properly installed it
   https://ioflood.com/blog/install-jq-command-linux/

2.1
if you are using windows, assuming you already have git downloaded from https://git-scm.com/download/win, you should have git bash in start menu, so you can run it and browser to the folder where you placed this script using cd
UPDATE 1 MAY 2024: git bash doesn't recognize rev command. Just use cygwin instead
eg.

cd /c/Users/<your_user>/Desktop

2.2
if you are using linux already, then just run the following in the terminal:

cd ~/Desktop

3
then make the script executable

chmod +x ./icloud-album-download.sh

4
then run it from current directory, by passing the URL as argument as described in the comments in the script (first lines)

./icloud-album-download.sh <URL>

# arg 1: iCloud web album URL
# arg 2: folder to download into (optional)

Would someone be able to help me out... I've used this app in the past, but having issues today when trying to run it again. Using Windows 11 with Git installed (jq as well)

./icloud-album-download.sh: line 18: rev: command not found
./icloud-album-download.sh: line 18: rev: command not found
Grabbing Large File Checksums
jq: error (at :1): Cannot iterate over null (null)
Adding Checksums to Array
Total Downloads: 0
Unique Downloads: 0
Streaming All Assets
jq: error (at :1): Cannot iterate over null (null)

Would someone be able to help me out... I've used this app in the past, but having issues today when trying to run it again. Using Windows 11 with Git installed (jq as well)

./icloud-album-download.sh: line 18: rev: command not found
./icloud-album-download.sh: line 18: rev: command not found
Grabbing Large File Checksums
jq: error (at :1): Cannot iterate over null (null)
Adding Checksums to Array
Total Downloads: 0
Unique Downloads: 0
Streaming All Assets
jq: error (at :1): Cannot iterate over null (null)

i updated the comment above. apparently rev command is not recognized by git bash. Just use cygwin instead. It's pretty easy to setup. Download the setup from https://www.cygwin.com/.

Thanks.

For anyone else who's technologically challenged, I used cd /cygdrive/<the path to your file>, ie. cd /cygdrive/c/Users/<your_user>/Desktop to navigate to where the file is located