Why is Photos acting strangly with iPhone

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Level 1

89 points

Why is Photos acting strangly with iPhone

I imported a group of referenced photos into Photos app and then created a shared iCloud folder so I could see and access these photos on IOS devices since the regular album I put them in showed as empty albums in IOS. The group of photos I imported were jpegs and tiffs. When I tap the shared folder on iPad, the group shows, except there are a number of empty squares where pictures should be. If I tap on the blank square, I see that the photo's icon downloads and then shows every time I open the folder. Why did they not all download initially?

My other question is why on my iPhone does tapping this shared folder not only show these recently imported photos, but also another shared folder? This does not happen on my iPad.

Everything was created on my Photos on my iMac.

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), 3.4 GHz Core i7 16GB RAM

Posted on Apr 17, 2015 5:15 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

200,753 points

Apr 17, 2015 5:50 AM in response to DJMc

I imported a group of referenced photos into Photos app and then created a shared iCloud folder so I could see and access these photos on IOS devices since the regular album I put them in showed as empty albums in IOS.

Only managed photos will sync to iCloud Photo Library. That is probably the reason, that your regular albums with the referenced photos appeared as empty albums on your iOS devices.

Consolidate the referenced photos into your System Photos Library, if you want to sync them to iCloud.

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Answer 2

DJMc Author

Level 1

89 points

Apr 17, 2015 5:55 AM in response to léonie

Leonie,

Thanks for your assistance. Exactly what does consolidating my referenced photos do? How do I actually do this? (sorry for my ignorance)

I think I may have been under the wrong impression as to the safety of my original set of pictures in that uploading to iCloud copies but does not move photos from my HDD. Shared referenced photos does keep my iCloud space less filled, does it not?

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,753 points

Apr 17, 2015 6:10 AM in response to DJMc

Exactly what does consolidating my referenced photos do?

Consolidating will copy the referenced original image files into your Photos library. You do it by selecting the photos to be consolidated and then using the command "File > Consolidate".

I think I may have been under the wrong impression as to the safety of my original set of pictures in that uploading to iCloud copies but does not move photos from my HDD.

Yes, uploading files to iCloud Drive will create hidden shadow copied on your Mac. SO you will not save space, but you can use iCloud Drive documents offline, and Time Machine can make a backup.

Shared referenced photos does keep my iCloud space less filled, does it not

Referenced original files will not upload to iCloud Photo Library and you will save iCloud storage this way, but not, if the referenced originals are stored on iCloud Drive. Then they are using your iCloud Storage anyway.

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