HT204655: Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X

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M Senft

Q: Adding Photo Stream photos into Photos

How do I import Photo Stream into Photos so I can delete them from my phone?

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jun 12, 2015 5:54 AM

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Q: Adding Photo Stream photos into Photos

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  • Helpful answers

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Jun 12, 2015 6:14 AM in response to M Senft
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Jun 12, 2015 6:14 AM in response to M Senft
    How do I import Photo Stream into Photos so I can delete them from my phone?

     

    Do you have iCloud Photo Library enabled on your Mac or not?

    • If you are using iCloud Photo Library all My Photo Stream photos will be added automatically to your All Photos Album.
    • If you are not using iCloud Photo Library, you will see a separate My Photo Stream album in "Albums" view. You can ctrl-click them there and add them to the Photos library.   (              From My Photo Stream       )
  • by M Senft,

    M Senft M Senft Jun 12, 2015 4:00 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jun 12, 2015 4:00 PM in response to léonie

    So the Photo Stream photos are automatically saved to disc? And it's safe to delete them from the phone?

     

    Thanks!

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc Jun 12, 2015 5:02 PM in response to M Senft
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 12, 2015 5:02 PM in response to M Senft

    Well you didn't say whether or not you are using the iCloud Photo Library.

    If you are, then deleting a photo on a device with iCloud Photo Library will delete it from iCloud and all devices using the iCloud Photo Library.

     

    Assuming you are not using the iCloud Photo Library and you have PhotoStream enabled on you iPhone and Computer, the pictures you take on your iPhone will automatically upload to PhotoStream. They will be put on any device with PhotoStream enabled automatically, but the device needs to be active to load the photos from PhotoStream. The Photos application doesn't have to be open on a computer, but the computer does need to be active and connected to the internet.

    Since the photo was taken on an iPhone, deleting it from the phone will also delete it from PhotoStream. So, be sure the photos get loaded to all devices you want them on before you delete it from the camera roll on the iPhone.

  • by M Senft,

    M Senft M Senft Jun 14, 2015 3:28 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jun 14, 2015 3:28 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc

    Photos is *not* connected to my iCloud photo library.

     

    All I want is to get photos in my Photo Stream on my iMac's hard drive so it's safe to delete them from my phone.

     

    Thanks.

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc Jun 14, 2015 8:13 PM in response to M Senft
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 14, 2015 8:13 PM in response to M Senft

    Enable PhotoStream on the iPhone and the computer. They will automatically upload to the Photos app. Verify they are on the computer, then delete them from the iPhone.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jun 15, 2015 12:47 AM in response to M Senft
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Jun 15, 2015 12:47 AM in response to M Senft

    My Photo Stream is no longer as versatile on Photos, as it used to be in iPhoto.  When you enable it on both your iPhone and your Mac, any new photos you add to your mac's Photos Library will also upload to your iPhone. You can no longer be selective and have automatic download, but not automatic upload. You will have to disable the photo stream again after you imported the photos, if you do not want all your new mac photos to stream to your iPhone.

  • by milkatz,

    milkatz milkatz Nov 27, 2015 3:27 PM in response to M Senft
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2015 3:27 PM in response to M Senft

    This is the only way I found to to get photo stream pictures moved to my mac and have them stay there even after deleting them from photo stream.

    1. Take a photo on my iPhone
    2. Get out of camera app
    3. Go to wireless network
    4. Wait for photo to get on photo stream; make sure you view photo on mac photo stream
    5. Delete photo from photo stream
    6. On mac, go to recently deleted folder.
    7. Select photo
    8. Recover photo

    When done, the photo will be in photo app on your mac, and not in photo stream.

     

    Round about method, but I couldn't get other methods to work.

  • by M Senft,

    M Senft M Senft Nov 27, 2015 3:40 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Watch
    Nov 27, 2015 3:40 PM in response to léonie

    I'm running iCloud Photos, no Photo Stream, no Photo Stream folder.

  • by milkatz,

    milkatz milkatz Nov 27, 2015 4:33 PM in response to M Senft
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2015 4:33 PM in response to M Senft

    I'm running:

    iCould Photo Library OFF

    My Photo Stream ON

    My scenario is this:

    1. I'm traveling and my computer is at home
    2. I'm taking a lot of pictures on my iPhone
    3. At night, in my hotel, I have wireless access.  My photos are sent up to photo stream.
    4. I loose my phone
    5. I still want my photos...and they're on Photo stream.
    6. I come home and I still have my photos on Photo Stream
    7. I can now 'recover' my hundreds of photos!

    And this is because I don't want to pay for extra storage on iCloud.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Nov 27, 2015 5:12 PM in response to M Senft
    Level 10 (84,585 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Nov 27, 2015 5:12 PM in response to M Senft

    M Senft wrote:

     

    I'm running iCloud Photos, no Photo Stream, no Photo Stream folder.

    THere is no service named iCLoud Photos

     

    There are

    iCloud PHoto Library

    MyPhotoStream

    iCloud Photo sharing

     

     

    to get valid advice you have to give us exact details

     

    LN