In Photos for iPad and iCloud, what does the account initials icon do?

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Level 1

12 points

In Photos for iPad and iCloud, what does the account initials icon do?

I have been waisting a lot of time, sitting at my Mac Mini, waiting for photos I took to upload from my iPad. Photos on my Mac will say it just synced, several times before the photos actually begin to download. When I go into my Photos in iCloud, the photos haven't shown up there, either. This is hardly a seamless workflow!

After taking some photos on my iPad today and having them not sync to iCloud or my Mac, I was looking for a way to force the sync from the Photos app on my iPad. In the Library window, in the upper right corner, I noticed for the first time a round icon with my initials. When I tapped the icon, the upload began, and a blue line around the icon started counting down. I thought I had found the answer to prompting my iPad to sync photos with iCloud and Mac!

However, later I went to Photos in iCloud, saw the same initials icon in Library, tapped it, and a pop-up menu gave me a few choices, among them to log out of iCloud Photos. Going back to Photos on my iPad, I tapped on the icon and it gave me half-a dozen system settings that I could change.

Does tapping the initials icon in the Photos Library indeed start syncing photos to my other device and iCloud, or was it just a coincidence?

iPad, iPadOS 18

Posted on Aug 27, 2025 11:43 AM

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Answer 1

muguy

Level 10

90,158 points

Aug 27, 2025 11:55 AM in response to LC5701

Coincidence. Your files will sync when connected to a network (if you restrict cellular data, then only on WiFi), and when the device is not in low power mode (more generally, in the background when connected to power).

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Answer 2

Aug 27, 2025 12:13 PM in response to LC5701

What muguy said, and also since syncing uses processing power, and people hate slow-downs, the iPad will avoid syncing while you use it. So, for faster syncing, find good wifi, plug the iPad in, and leave it alone. All this applies to a lesser extent for the Mac. Sitting and staring at them is good for slowing them down.

The iPad and iPhone will pause syncing when it seems like it will slow things down, so at he ID icon

it may say "Synced Now," or "Paused," etc, and you can tap there to let it know that you don't want it paused.

This stuff used to be at the bottom of the Library view, but in iOS18 albums, memories, and other stuff are there, so they put this in the ID icon.

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Answer 3

LC5701 Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 31, 2025 09:39 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

Thank you, Richard, for the guidance. I already knew of the impedances muguy mentioned, because that information was provided online by Apple. However, learning from you that Apple devices avoid syncing while being used will in future prompt me to take a break so the little foreman inside will notice and call, "Push now!" :)

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

199,927 points

Aug 31, 2025 10:10 AM in response to LC5701

The syncing may also be paused to save battery power, when the device is not connected to a power source. Or if the Wi-Fi connection is not very fast. My devices are currently using every possible excuse to avoid the work of uploading or downloading photos and are enjoying a pause whenever I look.

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