I was hoping updating to iOS 8.3 would help me with this issue. I'm on 8.1.3, and since switching on iCloud Photo Library (beta) on my iMac, I've had huge issues.
Not only was Photos using 50%+ background activity (as described here), but it made my photos app completely unusable on my iPhone. I have a large photo library (40k+ pictures), which are all safe on my mac. I loved the idea of being able to view any of them from my iPhone. This simply doesn't work. In spite of having correct settings on my iPhone (keep mobile optimised versions on iPhone), turning this feature on has turned my phone into a hot brick (literally - the battery is working serious overtime, and is making the phone HOT).
When I try and sync with iTunes, it tells me that my device content is 118GB over capacity, the majority of which is photos. Space on my iPhone is being constantly eaten up. If i make more space by deleting music, podcasts or apps, it isn't long before all space is used up again, presumably by photo data (it can't be anything else).
When I look at my photos, it tells me I have 42K+ images - the vast vast majority of which are just black or white empty images. In other words the photos are not there.
It has also prevented me using any pictures from my library in Instagram, a massive annoyance.
So, I switched off iCloud Photo Library, and it has made no difference. I am stuck with a corrupted Photos library, and an iPhone that I can't back up in iTunes, so can't update either. Photos is still eating battery life (now averaging 35% background activity)...
Very disappointed with Apple, who like Podcasts, have released another truly awful app to its users. Boy, when they use the word "Beta", do they mean it. I didn't sign up for being a guinea pig at risk of damaging my iPhone and my Photo Library.
Has anyone found a way to solve this issue? Preferably one that doesn't involve resetting my iPhone (because I haven't been able to back it up since this began).
Thanks!
😟