Will_Ldn

Q: Assigning/using keywords in iOS Photos

I'd like to organise my photos in the iOS and OS X Yosemite Photos app using keywords instead of albums. I've realised that having only one keyword (effectively, what happens if I am using an album structure) creates limitations. Creating keywords is very straightforward in OS X Photos, but is there any way to assign keywords in the iOS Photos app? Equally, as I'm just starting on this process, will the search function in iOS Photos run a search based on keywords?

iPad Air Wi-Fi, iOS 8.3

Posted on May 11, 2015 10:55 PM

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Q: Assigning/using keywords in iOS Photos

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  • by gnhill_nz,

    gnhill_nz gnhill_nz May 15, 2015 2:53 PM in response to Will_Ldn
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 15, 2015 2:53 PM in response to Will_Ldn

    I am currently in the process of doing exactly this. Unfortunately, there is no way of assigning keywords on iOS without using a third party app. You just have to import them into Photos on Mac and do it there.

     

    Once the keywords have been entered though, you can search using keywords ( or combinations of keyword, location, faces etc.) in Photos on iOS.

  • by GetFoxy,

    GetFoxy GetFoxy Sep 29, 2015 11:27 AM in response to gnhill_nz
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 29, 2015 11:27 AM in response to gnhill_nz

    Actually, that's not 100% true.

     

    You can ONLY search by keyword or description if you are using the iCloud Photo Library. 


    I really don't understand why the IOS Photos App doesn't have keyword syncing built in when syncing photos via iTunes - but it doesn't.  OS X Photos sent to IOS Photos (via iTunes sync) that have keywords or descriptions don't come up in search results in the IOS Photos App. 

     

    This is a giant problem for anyone that doesn't (or can't) put all their photos in the iCloud Photo Library.


    Apple really needs to FIX THIS BUG.

  • by Apple Iceman,

    Apple Iceman Apple Iceman Oct 3, 2015 3:12 AM in response to GetFoxy
    Level 1 (27 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 3, 2015 3:12 AM in response to GetFoxy

     

    You can ONLY search by keyword or description if you are using the iCloud Photo Library. 

     

    Crazy, isn't it? I sync through iTunes and this is driving me nuts. Faces, description, title and keywords are all missing. Also, nested folders.

     

    Furthermore, photos synced back to an iOS device via iTunes don't appear in many apps that open the Camera Roll.

     

    Apple really needs to FIX THIS BUG.

     

    Yip!

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Oct 3, 2015 12:15 PM in response to Apple Iceman
    Level 10 (140,908 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Oct 3, 2015 12:15 PM in response to Apple Iceman
    Apple really needs to FIX THIS BUG.

    Doesn't do any good to complain here as we're all users just like yourself.  Tell Apple what features you'd like added via http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

    OTsig.png

  • by Apple Iceman,

    Apple Iceman Apple Iceman Oct 4, 2015 6:21 AM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (27 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 4, 2015 6:21 AM in response to Old Toad

    Doesn't do any good to complain here as we're all users just like yourself.

     

    I've found that Apple responds well to long threads picked up by populist journalists.

     

    A headline such as, "Is Apple crippling iOS Photos for users who don't pay for the cloud?" Tends to do more more than a feature request.

  • by Alien Duck,

    Alien Duck Alien Duck Mar 22, 2016 6:25 AM in response to Apple Iceman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 22, 2016 6:25 AM in response to Apple Iceman

    Today we live at the speed of apple and all its many devices. Not being able to organize on the fly slow me down. Like many people, I take pictures that are memories of people, places, and events. I also take pictures for reference such as snapping a shot of a price tag, or product that I may want to recall at a later time. And I take pictures for business. Pictures of products we've produced, ideas for future designs or simply receipts for accounting. I have to wait until I have time to sit down with my laptop to divide out these separate categories. Often enough a receipt will pop up on our apple TV screensaver followed by a price tag and a pic of a new nail polish color.  My iPhone has more processing power than my old G3-Power Mac, and I could keyword on that old beast. So, why not on the iPhone?  --

  • by Mike K,

    Mike K Mike K May 15, 2016 8:34 AM in response to Alien Duck
    Level 2 (228 points)
    iLife
    May 15, 2016 8:34 AM in response to Alien Duck

    Just chiming in to subscribe. All above complaints are true, and absolutely ridiculous. There are third-party IPTC editors, but they all want you to "export" and recompress your photos, Apple apparently won't let them edit IPTC data on the original (like it will let them edit the original visually via extensions). Apple seems determined to make sure iOS always stops just short of actually being useful. I guess they're afraid it'll eat into laptop sales if iPad was more than an expensive toy.