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User profile for user: michand
michand Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

My Photo Stream does not update

How can I force My Photo Stream to update? I love the idea of Photo Stream, but the reality is it just does not work in a dependable manner. I have read all the Apple Support directions on turning Photo Stream off and on on all devices, etc. I have followed all of those directions to a T on multiple occasions, and I can never get it to sync when I need. Yes, both devices are on a wi-fi network. Yes, I have shut down the photo programs. Yes, I have turned off Photo Stream on each device, and then switched it back on. It updates, but often not for 1-2 days. Why is there no way to force-sync? I'm not paying to move my photos to iCloud, and it is a hassle to import all of my photos via Air Drop when Photo Stream should serve this function.


Any ideas that are not already in the Apple Support trouble-shoot page for Photo Stream?

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on Oct 21, 2019 1:37 PM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
195,113 points

Posted on Oct 22, 2019 1:06 AM

Which system versions are running on your devices? Which kind of devices are you trying to sync?

How many photos are you transferring with My Photo Stream?

Where is your Photos Library stored on your Mac? If it is on an external volume, is this volume always connected?

Are you using a firewall or antivirus software?

Two things to note:

  1. You cannot use My Photo Stream permanently. Because it is a free service, there are upload limits and My Photo Stream will pause. Could it be, that you have used it exessively and exceeded some limits? See: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202299
  2. Apple is about to phase out My Photo Stream. The writing is on the wall. New users cannot enable My Photo Stream at all any longer. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205743: "If you recently created your Apple ID, My Photo Stream might not be available. If My Photo Stream isn't available, use iCloud Photos to keep your photos and videos in iCloud." And My Photo Stream has not been updated to support new media formats for quite some time now. For example, you cannot transfer Live Photos or videos with it.

Sooner or later you will have to abandon My Photo Stream and find a different methods to transfer photos between devices.


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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
195,113 points

Oct 22, 2019 1:06 AM in response to michand

Which system versions are running on your devices? Which kind of devices are you trying to sync?

How many photos are you transferring with My Photo Stream?

Where is your Photos Library stored on your Mac? If it is on an external volume, is this volume always connected?

Are you using a firewall or antivirus software?

Two things to note:

  1. You cannot use My Photo Stream permanently. Because it is a free service, there are upload limits and My Photo Stream will pause. Could it be, that you have used it exessively and exceeded some limits? See: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202299
  2. Apple is about to phase out My Photo Stream. The writing is on the wall. New users cannot enable My Photo Stream at all any longer. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205743: "If you recently created your Apple ID, My Photo Stream might not be available. If My Photo Stream isn't available, use iCloud Photos to keep your photos and videos in iCloud." And My Photo Stream has not been updated to support new media formats for quite some time now. For example, you cannot transfer Live Photos or videos with it.

Sooner or later you will have to abandon My Photo Stream and find a different methods to transfer photos between devices.


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User profile for user: David Barger2
David Barger2
User level: Level 1
4 points

Oct 24, 2019 11:03 AM in response to léonie

Same issue as michand. Photos will not transfer from iPhone SE (iOS 13.1.3) to My Photo Stream on MacBook Air (10.15). Not a problem until the past week. I, too, went through all the usual troubleshooting tips recommended by Apple. My Apple ID was not created recently....same ID for years. Likewise, I have no need for iCloud Photos but prefer the functionality of My Photo Stream. As for upload limits, I've not even come close to these....


The My Photo Stream limits below are based on anticipated upload patterns. These are the My Photo Stream upload limits:

  • Uploads to My Photo Stream per hour: 1000 photos
  • Uploads to My Photo Stream per day: 10,000 photos
  • Uploads to My Photo Stream per month: 25,000 photos


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My Photo Stream does not update

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