Mac Os Catalina do not sync photos with iOS Devices

• To my knowledge, Apple has not solved the issue.
• I began experiencing the syncing issue when I updated to Catalina & iOS13.
• It would appear that others experienced it before the updates.
• Like many others in this thread, I have folders within folders and have since the dawn of iPhotos and it always worked.
• Also like others, I don't plan on changing the way I file my images to suit Apple's software. If a fix does not come into play, oh well.
• While this will not be a solution for everyone, a few years back I began using a small Synology server and that have a Photography app called PhotoStation on their box that works like a champ, far superior to Photos. There are 2 downsides, Synology's GUI is not as clean as Apple's (but still doable) and the images will not be on your iPhone or iPads but rather on the Synology server and you can view them with a Synology App called DSPhoto.
• Clearly we'd all like Apple to step-up and fix what they broke, but, who knows if they will. Personally I find this solution works for me and I have stopped pinning my hopes on a Catalina/iOS13/Photos fix.

Good Luck All!

Hi,

I'm having the same problem since update to Catalina. I hoped that the update 10.15.2 would have solved the issues, but unfortunately there is no way to sync from Mac to iPhone.

after selecting the albums to sync, i click on Sync button, the sync-arrows begin to rotate (in Finder and on iPhone) endlessly (without syncing!).

...and my photos are not in subfolders.

i tried a solution posted here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250712544?answerId=251609353022#251609353022

but it run well only one time.

and even that, it cannot be the right way for syncing!

other solutions?

thanks

andrea

spiranhas

Your method describes what is SUPPOSED to happen, but it doesn't always work properly. Please see my thread here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250927454

I have been waiting for months for a solution (I had an earlier thread as well, and a pre-Catalina thread, all are in my thread above).

Glad to know it's not just me - I've let Apple know about all of these issues on their Feedback website - in macOS Photos section and in the iOS Photos section and macOS section : https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos-ios-ipados.html https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

bwfc0907

Hi, I know I keep jumping in with my threads but want to remind people it's not just the app. Synching through Finder in Catalina isn't fit for purpose either (if you don't use the app).

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250927454

Was broken in Mojave before Catalina (using iTunes and not using the Photos app).

The only opportunity is to send them feedback. I spoke with a few advisors now a few really realize that there is a problem a few not and a few don’t know what I’m talking about. I had one good one who escalated the issue but he can’t give any indication if and when this will be reviewed or solved.

As long as we and everybody of us in this thread don’t write to Apple and as long as we complain and share our experience only here nothing will happen (very quick).

So I really suggest that if we want to make something happen we write to them. Maybe we use all the same subject and describe in short what is going on or happening.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos-ios-ipados.html

Subject: [Photos for Mac] - Mac Os Catalina do not sync photos with iOS Devices

I did it because the reason for my latest Apple Investment worth USD 5000 (MacBook Pro) is simple photos beside that I built up in the last few years an Apple environment for me and my family.... not to mention what I invested, so I want to have this fixed

I have also recently written an email to Tim Cook describing to him the ongoing issues we are all having with syncing our iOS devices with Catalina and submitted multiple feedbacks to Apple (submitted under macOS Photos, iOS Photos and macOS since I didn’t see any Finder link to submit to) at https://www.apple.com/feedback/

[Edited by Moderator]

You are probably right - and not sure that inundating him with emails is the best thing either... Apple Feedback website is probably the best place to let them know our issues. https://www.apple.com/feedback/

XX007

Since I don't use the Photos app, but use Finder, this may not help you. But in case it does - try this to get the photos off of your iPad. The "bin button" certainly won't work but there is a way around that. I learned this trick from this support forum!

Go to your iPad settings - Photos - and you'll see "iCloud Photos" - choose this. Your photos should start to delete themselves off of the iPad. Depending on how many photos you have, you might have to return to "settings" more than once (I go back and forth between the photos on my iPad and settings, takes a few minutes). They will eventually all leave the iPad. (I'm not talking about screenshots or photos you TOOK with your iPad).

If you want to sync through USB/ Finder at this point, delete the "iPod Photo Cache" from your Macbook. Then plug your iPad in and sync through Finder like you'd do if this whole mess hadn't happened. For my library of 30k+ photos this takes about 2 hours and I have to do it every time, with every device.

My thread about it is here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250927454

I hope this helps you regain space on your iPad anyway! 😀

I've submitted a bug report for my phone and will probably go back and do the same for my MacBookPro. Suggest everyone reading this forum send a report to Apple's online submission page for device bugs and feature requests. At this point I think we need to amp up the pressure on Apple to do something about this long-standing issue. Here's a link to that page: https://www.apple.com/feedback/

After my fifth report of this issue to Apple, and getting yet another level two tech support with zero knowledge of the issue, she suggested that I fill out https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html which is feedback that Apple actually read instead of wasting our time here, because that is al we are really doing here. We may as well be ******* into the wind for all the good complaining on this forum is doing, but if everybody starts filling out an actual bug report we can at least cross our fingers and hold our breath waiting for something to happen.

I made a new thread about this but came across this one, just thought I'd put more detail with what I'm using and have tried etc.

"Hello everyone,

I've posted this one before but didn't get a reply so trying again but maybe give more information for people.

I have an iPhone X with 256 GB but using about 60 GB running on iOS 13.3.1 syncing with a 2016 MacBook Pro, running Catalina 10.15.3 through Finder.

I use a USB-C cable to sync my Photos rather than iCloud Photos and my photo library size is 55 GB consisting of 10,556 photos and 143 videos which I do not sync across.

The Problem:

1. When I sync my photos, all of my photos are taken off my device and put back on and then the process doesn't finish, it'll be stuck on syncing. This stays like this no matter how long I leave it, hour or two or more. With that, every time this happens my photos curate each time and I don't have any memories come up.
2. Sometimes it'll sync my photos as duplicates and black blank 'photos' or square tiles and then I can have around 20,000 photos.
3. I've been on the photo with Apple Support for about 5 hours with this issue, screen sharing my phone and my MacBook but they couldn't find a fix either.
4. I've reported this many times to Apple via the support feedback

I've seen quite a lot of threads on this and wondered if anyone else had a fix or anything that worked? It's been like this since iOS 13 and Catalina, it was ok running iOS 12.4 and Mojave."

I don't really know what else to do or try, slowly losing confidence

OMG!! OK, I finally think Apple are working on this.

So, I was doing the "smart album" work around all this time, and today I decided I would start over and see if I can get this to work.

disclaimer** I am using developer beta's for both macOS Catalina and iOS. - So, I would assume perhaps in the next public release there might be a change?

macOS 10.15.4 Beta (19E234g)

iOS 13.4

So I did a total restore (wiped) and set the iPhone 11 Pro Max up as a brand new phone.

Installed all my apps, sync'd some music (I don't use Apple Music), and I then tried to sync an album that is WITHIN A FOLDER, not a smart album, but an actual album!.

At first I selected one album, to test, rather than the whole lot.. and I got an error saying that the Photos Library is not ready? or something like that, so I Opened the Photos App, browsed the album I wanted to sync, and then left Photos.app open whilst I sync'd again.

Just as another few points I will mention

• When I re-sync, it still removes the content and then re-adds it all again... not the end of the world, but it would be good if they fixed that as well
• I use two types of 'camera devices' I take pictures with. Apple Devices are .jpg and .heic and are in Albums starting with [iOS] and my Canon RAW (CR2) photos are stored in the [EOS] Albums within the locations of the photos taken (Folder names)

I have a lot more to sync, and will let you all know how it goes. ! can't believe this appears to be working -

*fingers crossed*

In the screenshot below, the FOLDER name is [AU-ACT] Canberra & Jervis Bay and the Albums are below that root folder. It's been a long time since I have seen that !

Wow, there are 62 pages of this topic. I do NOT use the PHOTOS app but have 2 threads about my earlier issues (similar to those here).

With this latest update series, my photo sync issue appears to be fixed. Have a look here if you are interested. Again, not using iCloud OR the PHOTOS app.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250927454

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250716061

rodm7

I've jumped into this long thread many times and will do so again because I wanted to point out something for you to try - if you are interested - because it works for me since the latest updates!!

Try "NOT" using the Photos app. Just sync your photos from the folders in Finder. Detailed info (the steps myself and others took) is in my threads here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250927454

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250716061