Can't sync photos from iPhoto to iPhone 6 with iTunes 12.1?

Question

Can't sync photos from iPhoto to iPhone 6 with iTunes 12.1?

Macbook Pro: late 2008

Mac OX: 10.7.5

iTunes: 12.1.0.50

iPhoto:

Was the option to sync photos from iPhoto removed in iTunes?

I recently went through the chore of importing (and deleting) all of my photos from my iPhone 6 into iPhoto.

Now, I want to sync some of the albums from iPhoto back onto my iPhone. There used to be an option called "Sync Photos From" with "iPhoto" as an option to choose from (as shown in step 3 of this guide).

However, I no longer have this option. What I see now is "Sync Photos" with the option "Copy photos from", which is a drop down list that only contains "Pictures" and "Choose Folder." There is no "iPhoto" option in this drop down list.

If I select "Choose Folder" and navigate to where my iTunes library is, the library file itself is greyed out and cannot be chosen. (Note that my iPhoto library is stored on a networked storage drive (Western Digital MyBook Live), so there are no photos under the "Pictures" directory. Not sure if this could be related.)

Any insight is appreciated.

Cheers,

Steve

iPhone 6, iOS 8.1.3

Posted on Feb 21, 2015 2:05 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Feb 21, 2015 2:24 PM in response to steve.connell

steve.connell wrote:

(Note that my iPhoto library is stored on a networked storage drive (Western Digital MyBook Live), so there are no photos under the "Pictures" directory. Not sure if this could be related.)]

Very likely.

Try this.

Quit iTunes.

Open iPhoto and leave it open

Open iTunes and see if you can select the iPhoto library.

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Answer 2

Feb 22, 2015 7:19 PM in response to Chris CA

Hi Chris,

Thanks a lot for your reply. Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck with that. Also tried rebooting and trying steps from scratch, as well as ensuring that the drive was mounted/connected first by navigating to it in a finder window, but no luck.

Next thing I tried was to make a symbolic link to the iPhoto library within the /Users/<my user directory>/Pictures directory, but this didn't work, either.

I also noticed that iPhoto didn't seem to keep the album organization that I created in the Photos app on my iPhone (e.g. I created an album "Honeymoon" on my phone, which is now empty on the phone itself. But, there is no "Honeymoon" album in iPhoto after importing).

So, even if I could choose the iPhoto library, it seems that the next issue might be that I'd have to try to remember/find all of the pics that I had saved in each of those folders, in order to "refill" them on my iPhone.

Still stuck here ...

Cheers,

Steve

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Answer 3

Feb 27, 2015 5:24 PM in response to steve.connell

Having a similar issue with new iPhone 6, that actually started with the 5s and was the last "umpf" to buy the new phone today.

iOS 8.1.3

iTunes 12.1

For some reason it picked a day to just stop syncing from (iPhoto-->iPhone).

All the imports are there. I've taken a test photo, uploaded, cleared camera roll: it just adds to the iPhoto Library and says there. No matter how many ways I try to sync the phone, no new photos come back.

iCloud photo sharing is OFF

I've rebuilt the library (iPhoto Library Manager) - that didn't fix it

I've cleared the iPod Photo Cache - that didn't fix it

Anyone have a clue?

Thanks - Jamie

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Answer 4

ETTX

Level 1

0 points

Mar 7, 2015 4:12 PM in response to steve.connell

Hi Guys and Apple,

Have the same problem , one day , iTunes decided not to recognise iPhoto when I wanted to sync my iphone 6. Have tried rebuilding database , still to no avail. I cannot download photos to iPhoto but I can't sync it.

Really need help here Apple. Thanks

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Answer 5

tcstream

Level 1

0 points

Mar 8, 2015 10:21 AM in response to steve.connell

I am having this exact same issue. I also tried the beta of Photos to see if that would help sync. No dice.

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Answer 6

Mar 17, 2015 2:09 PM in response to steve.connell

I was having the same problem, but I seemed to have figured out a workaround for it to work.

Figure out where your iPhoto Library is kept.
Close iPhoto
Close iTunes
Move the iPhoto file somewhere you can find it again.
click iPhoto open while holding down the option key.
Click create new library.
Close iPhoto again.
Delete the newly created iPhoto File.
Move the original file back into place.
Open iPhoto
Dialogue box will open asking which library
Choose the only option available
Open itunes

It should work now.

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Answer 7

ETTX

Level 1

0 points

Mar 17, 2015 7:11 PM in response to Community User

Thanks , but unfortunately I still can't . For your information , my iPhoto library is in an external drive . Prior to this , it has never been a problem. Now , when iTunes in on and the iphone is connected , it will not highlight iPhoto file or app .

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Answer 8

Mar 31, 2015 10:45 PM in response to Community User

XResolution: I tried this twice to no avail. I don't see anyone commenting or clicking the "This helped me" - anyone have any luck or perhaps make a small tweak?

I posted about 6 weeks ago and never got a resolution to the issue on that device, BUT, the phone completely **** the bed one day so I got a new one and the problem disappeared...

Guess who's back?

Same ****, different day.

It just started doing this again the other day. Does anyone have a solution?

I've already rebuilt library, rebooted phone, etc etc etc. I've done everything suggested in this entire string and I'm still stuck.

Thanks

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Answer 9

billsbek

Level 1

0 points

Jun 3, 2015 7:07 PM in response to Community User

Tried this as well but to no avail.

I'm pretty sure this is an iOS 8.3-specific issue. Until I updated to 8.3 last night, my Photos library was syncing fine. After updating, the drop-down box in iTunes doesn't show up. Can anyone else confirm by commenting your iOS version?

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Answer 10

Jul 5, 2015 7:46 PM in response to billsbek

I had this problem too, and found that if i went to iPhoto preferences, and selected "use as system photo library", and then relaunched iTunes, I was able to see the iPhoto library as an option for syncing again.

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Answer 11

Oct 23, 2015 2:32 AM in response to steve.connell

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201313

firstly go to link above to try to sync photos from iPhoto to iPhone 6. If it can't work, just use FonePaw iOS Transfer to manage photos. Pretty easy. I do it all the time.

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