HT204264: iCloud Photo Library
Learn about iCloud Photo Library
Q: iCloud storage and apple id
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Aug 16, 2015 2:52 PMby efg819,OK, so in reading about iCloud backup- Someone told someone else to sync on itunes versus back-up with icloud. Can you explain the difference to me? I'm interested in keeping photos off my phone, but the quantity I have on my iMac is slowing the computer down, so I'm looking to iCloud to perhaps resolve this problem.
Also, once you upload photos from your phone to say, your iMac, how do you download some of them back to your phone?
Thanks!
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Aug 16, 2015 2:57 PMby efg819,OK, so in reading about iCloud backup- Someone in the apple support community told another newbie like me, when talking about storing things in iCloud, to sync on itunes versus back-up with icloud. Can you explain the difference to me? I'm interested in keeping photos off my phone, but the quantity I have on my iMac is slowing the computer down, so I'm looking to iCloud to perhaps resolve this problem.
Also, once you upload photos from your phone to say, your iMac, how do you download some of them back to your phone?
Thanks!
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Aug 16, 2015 3:06 PMby Phil0124,Backing up to iCloud creates a compressed package with all your iPhone's data and stores it in iCloud.
Backing up to iTunes does the same thing except it stores the package on your computer.
About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support
This package is not directly accessible in either location.
If you are storing large quantities of Photos iCloud is not a good solution. Any photos you store in iCloud are mirrored on your computer. i.e you are not saving space on your computer by doing this.
If your computer is running low on space, an External Hard drive. is a better option. Much cheaper for much more space than iCloud.
After you have exported Photos to your computer from your iPhone, you can use iTunes to put them back onto your iPhone if you want.
Sync photos from your computer to your iOS device using iTunes - Apple Support
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Aug 16, 2015 3:15 PMby efg819,Thank you! You have at least helped me understand iCloud and how it won't help me with my situation. If I already have an external HD which I use for TimeMachine backups, do I need to get a separate hard drive and just move my photos from the iMac onto that hard drive so my computer runs faster?
If I do this, will they simply be stored as jpg files on the external HD without my needing to have the Photo software on the hard drive? Like storing files on a disc in the dinosaur days?
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Aug 16, 2015 3:30 PMby Phil0124,You can:
Use a Single External Hard Drive for Time Machine Backups and File Storage
http://osxdaily.com/2013/05/01/use-single-hard-drive-time-machine-and-file-stora ge/
You can choose how to transfer your Photos, either inside the Photos or iPhoto Library file, or as standard JPEGs.
If you transfer the entire library file, you can points Photos or iPhoto to the new location. It will load the library from there.
How to Move Your Apple Photos Library to Another Location
http://www.howtogeek.com/214569/how-to-move-your-apple-photos-library-to-another -location/
