Do uploaded photos to My Photo Stream count against iCloud storage?

Question

Do uploaded photos to My Photo Stream count against iCloud storage?

In FAQ it states: 'Photos uploaded to My Photo Stream don't count against your iCloud storage.'

This sounds like there is no upper limit on how many photos I can save to iCloud? Is this correct?

When I click on Photos on my mbp, then click System Preferences, then click iCloud, when I try to tick the box next to Photos I can't, and then the following box appears:

‘THIS LIBRARY EXCEEDS YOUR AVAILABLE ICLOUD STORAGE. UPGRADE YOUR STORAGE TO KEEP ALL YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS SAFELY STORED IN ICLOUD PHOTO LIBRARY’. Then Apple want £2.99 per month.

Sorry, the above does not need to be in higher case, but I just copied it from my notes.

The above seem to be contradictory, or most likely, I'm doing something wrong. Are the above connected, and can I only upload my full Photo stash to iCloud by paying 2.99 per month. NB, I don't store anything else in iCloud, no documents, I can just see my mailboxes. Are these the culprits?

iPhone is iOS 7.1.2

Thanking you. Please reply in dummy language.

iPhone 4

Posted on Jul 19, 2015 1:13 PM

Reply

Answer 1

braden85

Community Specialist

Jul 21, 2015 11:00 AM in response to barneyhairball

Hi barneyhairball,

I understand that you have some questions about storing your photos in iCloud. Your questions reference My Photo Stream, and the information you have regarding that is correct, but you are attempting to turn on a different feature called iCloud Photo Library. More information about this service can be found below:

iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204264

Additionally, there is some other information about My Photo Stream that you may have missed:

How long are My Photo Stream photos stored in iCloud?

The photos you upload to My Photo Stream are stored in iCloud for 30 days to give your devices plenty of time to connect and download them.

Your iOS devices keep a rolling collection of your last 1000 photos in the My Photo Stream album. From there, you can browse your recent photos or move the ones you like to another album to keep them on your device forever.

My Photo Stream FAQ - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201317

Thanks for being a part of the Apple Support Communities!

Reply

Answer 2

Jul 22, 2015 3:02 PM in response to braden85

Gotcha! But I always have a few more questions.

Is the following correct?

1. In iCloud Photo Library I can store up to 5 GB for free, but then have to pay for more.

2. If I had space left in My Photo Stream (but I don't) and which can be found in iCloud, iCloud would store my photos for 30 days until I decide what to do with them. (I don't have anything in My Photo Stream in iCloud to see).

What is the point of iCloud storing my Photos if they sit in Photos on my mac for me to play with anyway?

Also, I have photos in My Photo Stream in the Photos app on my mbp. In 30 days will they vanish if I just leave them there? I can't imagine that this is the case because I have never yet moved any photos in Photos around my mac and I can't recall any vanishing. I haven't got up to 1000 yet so that doesn't apply to me yet.

Also, in my old iPhone I can see a My Photo Stream from 2014, so surely the 30 days doesn't apply?

It took me days to find My Photo Stream on my mbp as I did not realise one has to click Albums to see it! I think Apple is at fault here, but I hear others saying it's the opposite!

One more thing, honest. I have read in Apple that when I take a photo with my iphone it will appear on all my devices automatically. They only appear when I attach my phone by cable to the mbp. Am I doing something wrong - again?

I have had my phone for years, and only now have had to time to try to understand it. Age must be messng with my brain, cos it ain't easy, and when I put my mind to it I need to know the ins and outs of a ... ..... And it is driving me mad.

Hope you can reply to the above cos it will save my sanity. Many thanks in anticipation.

Reply

Answer 3

braden85

Community Specialist

Jul 23, 2015 2:55 PM in response to barneyhairball

Hi again barneyhairball,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issues or questions you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action.

Cheers

Reply

Answer 4

Jul 28, 2015 5:37 AM in response to braden85

Thought is good manners to update you. I have now reset my phone and all is well. Nothing else worked. I suppose my phone was not connecting to the cloud and a reset fixed it. However, all my devices were enabled for My Photo Stream. Thanking you for your input anyway, from which I learnt loads. Ta.

Reply