can't stop photos on mac from syncing to iphone

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can't stop photos on mac from syncing to iphone

Running ventura on MacBook pro and 16.2 on iPhone. I recently got a new 14 pro max. I had been using an old 7. I knew I couldn't use iTunes for back up anymore, and I go through the finder for back up now. However, now when I plug usb from phone to mac, the backup software is no longer allowing me to choose not to sync photos, nor to sync only certain albums. Thousands of photos loaded from the mac to the phone, and I can't get them off, as they lack the trash can symbol.

I've tried numerous methods. Most recently I made an empty folder on the photos app on the mac, and tried to select that folder as the folder to sync the phone to. Is anyone familiar with this problem that's new to me? If so, what do you recommend to get the photos off my phone, and to stop the sync when I plug in to back up? Thanks.

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Posted on Jan 28, 2023 9:42 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 29, 2023 7:44 AM in response to NEmacuser

What are your settings like for Mac Photos? Do you have iCloud Photos checked in Photos>Settings>iCloud?

How about on the iPhone? In Settings>[name]>iCloud do you have Photos turned on, and Sync this iPhone turned on?

Turning on iCloud synchronizes all your pictures so that the phone's pictures go to the Mac and the Mac's pictures go to the phone and they all are stored under your name at iCloud.com. It also means if you delete a picture from one device, it is deleted from them all.

This will tell you more:

Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support

You don't have to use this service, of course, and it may cost a few bucks a month if you need more storage on iCloud.

Let us know if this is what's going on, or if it's something else.

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Answer 2

NEmacuser Author

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Feb 3, 2023 2:03 PM in response to Richard.Taylor

Hi Richard, thanks for trying to help me. I really would like to get the over 8k photos off of my phone, and be able to back my phone up to my mac w/out this continuing to occur.

I can show you a photo of the settings on my phone, but I can not bring up the Finder/backup settings w/out connecting my phone, and the moment I do that the photos begin syncing again. Here's a photo from the mac when I go to settings, then iCloud:

The backup area in Finder gives you choices at the top. iCloud, or no iCloud, then if you choose iCloud, When it gives choices of syncing all photos, or just certain albums in the Photo app. All the albums you have in the Photos app appear under the Finder back up area.

Here are the screenshots from Photos, then settings. I only found 2 setting windows to choose from. One is General, and the other is iCloud:Here's the iCloud:

I don't know how to get these to upload smaller.

Here's a screenshot from my iPhone iCloud settings:

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Answer 3

NEmacuser Author

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Jan 31, 2023 9:34 AM in response to NEmacuser

Hi Richard, thanks for your response. I am not using iCloud for my photos to do anything other than share a few albums.

I have over 21k photos on photo on my mac, so I don't want to sync. I would like to sync a couple of albums, and I would like to use my mac to back up my phone, rather than using iCloud to back up my phone.

Since purchasing my iPhone 14 pro, backing up (through the Finder) has been problematic, as the sync all photo options keeps getting automatically selected, even though I keep switching it off. Before I realized that was happening, over 8k photos synced to my phone, and now I can't get them off. Most of them have no trash can symbol.

That's why I described that I tried to have an almost empty album, and telling the mac to only sync that album. However, even when I did that, it kept syncing ALL my photos and videos. What's going on? How do I get the photos w/out a trash can off my phone, and how do I use my mac to back up my iPhone w/out having this reoccur?

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Answer 4

NEmacuser Author

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Jan 31, 2023 9:59 AM in response to NEmacuser

On the phone, when I go to iCloud, I have photos set to on, but only for shared albums. On the MacBook Pro, I don't have it set to only use iCloud to share a few albums. Is that what you mean?

In the finder, when the phone is connected, I only sync selected albums, and then I have to check the box(es) for those albums.

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Answer 5

Jan 31, 2023 10:06 AM in response to NEmacuser

We're not using the same words. For instance, there are no "albums" in "Finder." Can you send a screenshot of the iCloud Photos screen on your phone, and screenshots of the three settings windows for mac Photos, and the boxes you check?

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Answer 6

Feb 4, 2023 8:32 AM in response to NEmacuser

I am curious about the Finder settings-- when you click on your phone and click Photos on the phone settings. I'm syncing with iCloud, so mine doesn't show up, and I don't know what the options are. Sync is a loaded word-- it means keep the same both ways, and that is what's happening to you. I wonder if there's a check box there for syncing that shouldn't be checked...

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Answer 7

NEmacuser Author

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5 points

Feb 7, 2023 6:15 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

On my phone, I went to settings, then photos, and I don't see anything checked to sync. The only thing checked is to share albums. At the bottom there is a choice for Transfer to Mac or PC. You can choose automatic, or keep originals. I have that selected to automatic. The fine print says:

"Automatically transfer photos and videos in a compatible format, or always transfer the original file without checking for compatibility."

I can't see how those settings would create the problem I'm having.

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Answer 8

Jan 31, 2023 9:49 AM in response to NEmacuser

But what are your settings on the phone and in Photos?

Exactly what settings have set to get the effect that you say you want?

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can't stop photos on mac from syncing to iphone

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