Using Mac Photos and iCloud Photos

Howard Brazee · Dec 16, 2017

I don't know why it is so hard for me - and I don't know where to get help - but I try various ways to get both my Mac Photos app and iCloud Photos to work well.

In the old days, I would take pictures on my iPhone, and use Image Capture to get them off. I would put them on my Mac's Photos app, and separately on my wife's photos app, and edit them to add names to the faces. Then I would go into iTunes, select a few albums and photos from the last 6 months to synchronize from Mac's Photos to my iDevices.

Right now I have my iPad synchronizing everything from my Photos app. No smart albums, unfortunately, but it works OK.

I switch on and off "iCloud Photo Library", "My Photo Streem", and "iCloud Photo Sharing" experimenting. My wife's iCloud account has lots of space, and I back up my devices there. Right now my iPad & iPhone only have iCloud Photo (and Summarize photos) on sharing on and both have "Apps using iCloud" "iCloud Photo Library" off, "My Photo Steam" off, & "iCloud Photo Sharing" on. But something is different.

In Image Capture, my iPad shows one photo. In Image Capture, my iPhone shows 11,776 items. (There's a cloud symbol next to it). I have no idea how to find the pictures I took last night on my iPhone and load them on my Mac's Photo app. (I don't see them there).

I infer that there's a big advantage in storing the photos on iCloud, allowing others to see them, but I'm not figuring it out. And I'm not finding directions on the Web on how to learn how to use these. Obviously there must be a setting difference between my devices that I am not finding.

When I try to turn on "iCloud Photo Library" on my iPad, it threatens to remove 18,160 photos, and turn off iTunes settings, so I cancel.

So could you please advise me or point me to directions? Thanks.

MacInWin · Dec 16, 2017

Can you provide version numbers for the operating systems on your Mac, iPad and iPhone? Also the version of Photos on the Mac, along with what Mac it is? Once you provide that, someone can help you with the issue, I'm sure.

Howard Brazee · Dec 16, 2017

MacInWin said:
Can you provide version numbers for the operating systems on your Mac, iPad and iPhone? Also the version of Photos on the Mac, along with what Mac it is? Once you provide that, someone can help you with the issue, I'm sure.

All software is current. (One would think that is the default here).

And this issue is older than current software versions.

But here they are:
macOS High Sierra Version 10.13.1(17B1003)
Phone & pad use ios 11.2.1
Photos for Mac is Version 3.0 (3231.11.210)

Mac is a 27-inch late 2013 iMac

MacInWin · Dec 16, 2017

One would think that is the default here

Nope, this forum supports all Macs, all versions of the OS and all versions of the various apps. We have users on everything from Leopard onward. Hence the questions.

I cannot give you specific suggestions on how to accomplish what you want, there are others here who can and most likely will. However, I will say that with 11,000 photos syncing from the iPhone to the cloud and back down to your Mac will take quite a while.

As for getting last night's photos from the iPhone to Photos, that's pretty easy. Attach your iPhone to your Mac, open Photos and on the sidebar on the right you should see your iPhone. Click on that icon and the main window will show everything from the iPhone, probably sorted into Already Imported and New Photos. You can then select the New ones you want and then click the Import new Photos button and they will be pulled in.

Howard Brazee · Dec 17, 2017

Thanks. I tried it twice, it worked once, and the other time I accidentally deleted them. I'll be more careful next time. It used to be simpler.

badshoehabit · Dec 18, 2017

I champion Photo Stream rather than using cables. Switch on PS on all devices and all photos will sync when wifi is enabled. The 'master' copy will be retained in Photos on your Mac.

Howard Brazee · Dec 18, 2017

I connect my iDevices to my Mac every night. What I want to do is select photos from where I took my picture that I want to keep. Does that mean when I set it up properly, I will need to go to my Mac's and my wife's Mac's Photos app periodically and delete pictures?
Right now my iPad is set up in Settings/Photos with everything green except "iCloud Photo Library", "Unlimited Updates", and "Keep Originals". My phone also has "My Photo Stream" turned off. So I just took a picture with my iPad and then opened Photos on my Mac. My iPhotos doesn't see the picture. I went to my wife's Mac, and its photos is uploading 238 photos (our libraries were identical). We are using her iCloud as we paid money to make it bigger. 20 minutes later, her Photos app is still uploading 238 photos. I'd really like to have them uploaded to my Mac instead of hers. I would like to test changes on my iPad before testing them on my iPhone. What settings do I need to change?

MacInWin · Dec 19, 2017

Your post has several confusing areas, to me. Can you clarify the following?

1. You gave the setup on your iPhone, but then said you took a picture with your iPad. Which is it?
2. You talked about Photos and iPhoto. Two different apps. Which is it?

In any case, if you and your wife have two separate iCloud accounts, then the only way to share photos between them may be to open a Family Share. Here is Apple's documentation on that:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201088

From a quick read fo that article, I don't know how photo sharing actually works. The article said

Share family photos and videos. Open the Photos app, tap Family in the Shared tab, and add what you want to share.

I don't know if that sharing is automatic, or you select image by image.

What is certain, is that Apple will keep your two accounts separate until and unless you take some action. That's how it works.

I have also noted that when I turned on iCloud for pictures that it took a while for the pictures to get in sync and that the message about downloading/uploading pictures seems not to go away right away, even though the images are actually transferred. But eventually it did disappear from my iPad and iPhone.

Howard Brazee · Dec 19, 2017

I tried to tell the setups for both my iPad and my iPhone. I experimented with my iPad because it isn't how I normally take photos. When it works right, I will make the same settings for my iPhone. My iPhone currently iCloud Photo Library off, My Photo Stream off, iCloud Photo Sharing on, Cellular Data on, Summarize Photos on, Show Holiday Events on, Transfer to Mac or PC Automatic. Currently my iPad is the same, except "My Photo Stream" is on.

iPhotos is a mistake, the app on my Mac and the app on my devices are both called "Photos".

We have Family Share. I'd love to transfer all of my old purchases to a family ID. Right now, some purchases won't update on her computer unless I add my ID.

A few hours after I opened her Photos app on her Mac, she turned off her computer. I just re-opened Photos on her Mac, and it is still updating 238 items. Her Photos says "180 items on this Mac only", mine doesn't have anything like that.

MacInWin · Dec 19, 2017

OK, thanks for clearing it up. On your iPhone, with iCloud Photos library off, Photo Stream off, then nothing is going to transfer from the iPhone, except when you connect to YOUR mac and Photos copies from your iPhone to your Photos library. Just taking a picture will NOT copy it over to anywhere.

On the iPad, you said

everything green except "iCloud Photo Library", "Unlimited Updates", and "Keep Originals".

With those settings, photos in the iPad Photos app will not sync to anything except the Photos App on your Mac. Again, just taking a picture will NOT copy it anywhere.

I would turn on PhotoStream and iCloud Photo Library, but the challenge is that your iPhone will be tied to YOUR iCloud account, not your wife's. But given that you have Family Sharing set, if I understand what the link I gave earlier means, you and she should be able to see one another's pictures. However, your account will also need expanded storage so that all of YOUR pictures can go to YOUR iCloud account to be shared with her.

Now, I'm no expert, so if anyone who is wants to correct what I just said, come on in and help out. However, that should work, according to what I think Apple is saying.

pm-r · Dec 19, 2017

@Howard Brazee

iPhotos is a mistake, the app on my Mac and the app on my devices are both called "Photos".

I'll have to admit the "photos" and iCloud can be quite confusing and maybe that's why we use it as little as possible but sure don't delete anything, basically we're afraid to,especially with a family share.

Have a read here as I think it still works the same way and makes things a bit easier to understand:
https://www.macworld.com/article/31...-photo-library-theyre-deleted-everywhere.html

- Patrick
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Howard Brazee · Dec 19, 2017

My phone and pad back up to her iCloud (when I can remember - the default is to my Mac). They are way to big to back up to mine.

I just switched "iCloud Photo Library" on on my iPad, and 18,172 photos will be removed. I'll see what that means. I want them back, as I want them available when I am not connected. Umm, it looks like they're there, with a note that it has 18,174 Photos Updating... My wife's Mac's Photos still is updating its 238 photos.