You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: Cabocel
Cabocel Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Iphone Photos uses ICloud but Mac Photos does not, what is the best option for easy transfer?

My Iphone has Icloud Photos on with "Optimise Iphone Storage" enabled.

Because of this (as I understand?) upon syncing Photos on Mac does not allow transferring over of Photos.

From what I understand this option means the phone stores low-quality version of the photos and full version are on Icloud.


My computer does not have icloud photos turned on.


To allow transfer, would it be a simpler solution to enable icloud photos on my Macbook, or to disable icloud photos on phone?


Would disabling icloud photos on my phone redownload the full photo files onto the phone? (or would deselecting "Optimise Iphone Storage" at least do this)?


Would activating icloud photos on my computer mean the computer itself no longer stores my photos (so inaccessible without internet) , or would it simply have duplicates on the cloud?

How would one access the iphone photos from the cloud once it's turned on?


Sorry for the many questions, I'm confused about how icloud works and just want to make a separate physical backup of my photos.


Thanks in advance for your help

iPhone 6, iOS 12

Posted on Oct 10, 2020 7:30 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: TonyCollinet
TonyCollinet
User level: Level 7
23,954 points

Posted on Oct 10, 2020 7:53 AM

So - easiest way to sync phone and mac is via Icloud - but only if you have enough space in Icloud to store all your photos. To enable this make sure you mac is signed into icloud in settings, and then in photos preferences, turn on I cloud photos.


It will download all of your I cloud photos to the Mac photos library so you will have a local copy as well as the cloud copy.


Iphone photos will simply appear in your photos library, just as any other photos in your mac library will be visible in your phone (this is why you need enough I cloud space for everything.)


If instead, you choose to disable Icloud on the phone, then before you do so, de-select "optimise Iphone storage" (assuming you have enough space on your phone) and wait for all the full resolution images to sync to your phone first. You will then have to Sync to the mac via USB and finder.


View in context

Similar questions

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: TonyCollinet
TonyCollinet
User level: Level 7
23,954 points

Oct 10, 2020 7:53 AM in response to Cabocel

So - easiest way to sync phone and mac is via Icloud - but only if you have enough space in Icloud to store all your photos. To enable this make sure you mac is signed into icloud in settings, and then in photos preferences, turn on I cloud photos.


It will download all of your I cloud photos to the Mac photos library so you will have a local copy as well as the cloud copy.


Iphone photos will simply appear in your photos library, just as any other photos in your mac library will be visible in your phone (this is why you need enough I cloud space for everything.)


If instead, you choose to disable Icloud on the phone, then before you do so, de-select "optimise Iphone storage" (assuming you have enough space on your phone) and wait for all the full resolution images to sync to your phone first. You will then have to Sync to the mac via USB and finder.


Reply

Iphone Photos uses ICloud but Mac Photos does not, what is the best option for easy transfer?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up