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Keep iCloud Photo Library but (temporarily) suspend uploads/downloads?

I like and use iCloud Photo Library on my iDevices. I don't want to turn it off and lose all the photos currently on my 6+ etc.


I will be traveling abroad for 2 weeks, during which I expect to take a lot of pictures. However, cellular data is really expensive and I want to temporarily suspend the automatic uploads and downloads of pictures without disabling iCloud Photo Library. I can resume normal functions after I return home.


Any way to do that?


Aloke

iPhone 6 Plus, Windows 7

Posted on May 20, 2015 6:52 PM

Reply
15 replies

Aug 16, 2017 1:55 AM in response to bsjdmac

The situation really stinks, as devices are now available with tons of storage and could easily hold enough pictures for visits abroad.

Hopefully, as usage of Apple devices increases in countries like India, where cellular hotspot bytes are precious, they will implement this feature (setting to disable picture uploads to iCloud).

Oct 14, 2017 10:47 AM in response to Aloke

After reading through much of the documentation my original guess and practice works well. If you don't intend to use iCloud Photo Library, your options are to manually sync your phone to your computer, which then your computer does the sync to iCloud. Because of this, you can toggle that on and off. Essentially this is what you will need to do while you are away...


This comes from the fact that I've used Photos and iTunes for quite some time without using iCloud Photo Library. I'm confident that will be your best experience.

May 20, 2015 7:01 PM in response to Aloke

Photos apparently upload to iCloud Photo Library only over wi-fi. See the quote below from iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support

When you turn on iCloud Photo Library on your iOS device or Mac, your photos and videos will upload after you connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi and your battery is charged.

The same link states that you can download original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular. There is no mention of photos uploading over cellular.

May 20, 2015 7:05 PM in response to FoxFifth

That won't work for me.


I use a WiFi hotspot device abroad. The device uses a SIM card and provides WiFi to local devices but uses cellular data (expensive) back-end to the cellular provider. Like a MiFi device.


So, the 6+ sees it as a WiFi connection and proceeds w the expensive uploads/downloads.


Aloke

Jun 29, 2016 7:30 AM in response to Aloke

Did you submit to apple demand to fix the problem and provide a way to disable that ******* picture uploads? Overall it already costed me around $1000+ at first it used cellar data by default when I was traveling and taking pictures, it cost me more than using most expensive photographer. This time I use portable mobile hotspot that uses a sim card, originally my intention was to use data for emergency and emails only. Funny ****: after connecting to it within 5 minutes I receive email saying that I had used 95% of my data plan.

******* iphone

Oct 15, 2016 11:52 PM in response to Aloke

This situation really stinks. I just burned up a bunch of MiFi data due to my iPhone connecting to the MiFi thanks to shared WiFi connections with my iPad. The iPhone proceeded to upload a bunch of photos I took today to iCloud via the MiFi... and used even more MiFi data presumably downloading the photos to my iPad. iOS should have a way to restrict "Photos" use of WiFi - i.e. disallow Photos -> iCloud for certain WiFi SSIDs.

Dec 22, 2016 8:29 PM in response to Aloke

I have exactly the same issue during my latest trip to a place where data is really expensive. It seems the only workaround is to use some photo vault apps that can take picture and store picture in their own app space. This way photos will not appear in photo stream and hence the photo app won't use expensive MiFi syncing new photos. Note that you will have to disable iCloud backup in the meantime otherwise iPhone will still upload the picture in apps.

Keep iCloud Photo Library but (temporarily) suspend uploads/downloads?

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