Use of external HD for photos

[IWT]

@Jake
I can only say that "Recents" (formerly Cameral Roll) and "My Photo Stream" have been around for quite some time - more or less since the Photos app replaced iPhoto, maybe a little later.

Both have always been under "Albums" on the iPhone.

My Photo Stream is mentioned in Settings > Photos where you can turn it OFF/ON

Maybe you have it turned OFF? I do confess that the Camera and Photos Settings are confusing in their nomenclature and often use double negatives to explain their usage.

My Photo Stream is also referred to on your Mac > Photos app > Photos Preferences > iCloud.

Of course, if it's turned OFF on any Device, it won't show up.

But the basic premise holds; namely that to get pics taken on iPhone A to appear on iPhone B (or in Photos on the Mac), My Photo Stream has to be turned on. In this scenario, pics taken on iPhone A will appear in Recents (formerly Camera Roll) whilst the same pics will appear in My Photo Stream on iPhone B.

And pics in My Photo Stream on iPhone B in my example will not upload to the Mac.

Hope that helps. It's a minefield. I often post on this kind of thing, especially the settings needed and I do my best because even the Apple literature is confusing.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

Oh, I know how it is supposed to work, and I have Photo Stream turned on, but there is NO "My Photo Stream" album in Photos on my iPhone. Hence my question.

 

[MacInWin]

Ian, I'll leave this thread to you. I've exhausted all my ideas on how to get his photos where he wants them. All I can say is that on my Mac, using Catalina 10.15.6 and iOS 13.6, with all the settings just as you described them, when I open Image Capture it sees ALL of the images on my iPhone, even ones synced from my wife's iPhone. And I can import any image it sees. I have no My Photo Stream album on any device. The settings are all exactly as Apple says they should be. I have no third party software that should block it.

So, given that what I see and think should happen is not happening, I'll leave it to you to help here. I don't have any more ideas to try.

 

[IWT]

Jake, I think you have been a tower of strength throughout this thread - and on many others. We all look up to you. I mean it.

If there is one area where I think Apple has failed to explain itself, it's the whole Camera/Photos/Sync business. Quite clearly, if My Photo Stream is not shown on your iPhone, then all pics are in Recents, I presume,?? and Image Capture will see them all.

I think I need to find out exactly what settings the OP and his wife have on his iPhone, her iPhone, and the Mac.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

In Recents on the iPhone I have images going back to 2009. The most recent is a screenshot I took today to clip to put in this thread. Things don't seem to ever disappear from Recents. They have persisted there through multiple versions of iOS (and Photos), macOS (and Photos) and even three hardware changes from iPhone 8 to X to 11. But I have no My Photo Stream and I don't recall ever seeing one.

 

[IWT]

@tobindia

I'm sorry to bother you but here we are after numerous posts and none the wiser all round.

Can you do me a big favour and tell us exactly what settings you have as follows:

On YOUR iPhone: Settings > Photos. iCloud Photos ON or OFF. My Photo Stream ON or OFF

On your WIFE'S iPhone: Settings > Photos iCloud Photos ON or OFF. My Photo Stream ON or OFF

On the Mac. Photos app > Photos Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Photos ON or OFF. My Photo Stream ON or OFF

Once we have that, we can make adjustments to the Settings if necessary or at least explain your dilemma.

Ian

 

[IWT]

In Recents on the iPhone I have images going back to 2009. The most recent is a screenshot I took today to clip to put in this thread. Things don't seem to ever disappear from Recents. They have persisted there through multiple versions of iOS (and Photos), macOS (and Photos) and even three hardware changes from iPhone 8 to X to 11. But I have no My Photo Stream and I don't recall ever seeing one.

That being so, all these will continue to be seen in Image Capture as you correctly said. What I can't explain is how pics from your wife's iPhone appear there because they should be in My Photo Stream and not in Recents. But upward and onwards till we get a solution.

Thank you for your kind patience.

Ian

PS I'm retiring for the night as it's way past midnight.