Confused about iPhone/photos integration ?

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Confused about iPhone/photos integration ?

I've read so many articles about this and they all seem to talk about iCloud and the differences with photo stream.

FIrstly I have little interest in using iCloud, mainly bc there are so many free cloud services with gigs of storage.

Now I think I understand the premise of photostream.

All I really want to make sure is my photos are downloaded locally , to my iMacs hd,in the Photos app when I take a photo with my iPhone.

IS this done automatically, or do I have to drag them into albums from photostream? Or is it just the case that photos I take with my iPhone are downloaded to the main database when data or wifi is available and I just need to reference them to albums ?

I Just want to make sure my photos are safe and I'm not deleting from Photos app from iOS devices or from albums, I don't find the Photos app very intuitive from a database point of view.

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.0.1

Posted on Sep 30, 2015 5:26 AM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

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106,142 points

Sep 30, 2015 6:11 AM in response to h4ndcrafted

FIrstly I have little interest in using iCloud, mainly bc there are so many free cloud services with gigs of storage.

Well unless you use iCLoud Apple provides no way to integrate your photos between your phone and your Mac as all Apple services to do that involve iCLoud - it you want to use a different service then you need to choose it and follow their instructions for use

http://www.apple.com/icloud/

My Photo Stream FAQ - Apple Support

LN

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Answer 2

h4ndcrafted Author

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Sep 30, 2015 7:42 AM in response to LarryHN

I've been taking pics with my ipad air for ebay shots etc for the past couple of years, and they are still all in my photo library ?

I thought they would get deleted when photostreams clears, but they are all there in the albums i have put them in, so they are syncing.

Thanks for the links, i have read them though and still don't understand why all my photos are synced to the photos app without getting deleted, is it because I'm putting them in albums, I though that only provided a pointer from the photostream ?

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Answer 3

h4ndcrafted Author

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Sep 30, 2015 9:14 AM in response to h4ndcrafted

I guess a more basic way to ask is, ..

How do I import iphone pics into the Photos app, surely I don't have attach it to my mac everytime, I thought photostream was the way ?

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Answer 4

Old Toad

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216,112 points

Sep 30, 2015 9:46 AM in response to h4ndcrafted

As long as you don't have the iCloud Photo Library enabled you can automatically import photos taken on your iPad into your Photos library if you setup the Photos' iCloud preference pane as shown below:

Of course the download doesn't begin until the iPad is connected to WiFi and the Mac is turned on and connected to the internet.

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Answer 5

LarryHN

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106,142 points

Sep 30, 2015 12:24 PM in response to h4ndcrafted

MyPhotoStream is a way - but it is an iCloud service and you specified that you did not want to use iCloud

FIrstly I have little interest in using iCloud, mainly bc there are so many free cloud services with gigs of storage.

With Photos if MyPhotoStream is enabled every thing placed in MPS by an IOS device is imported into the Photos library so when it is removed from MyPhotoStream is is not removed from Photos

LN

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Answer 6

h4ndcrafted Author

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Sep 30, 2015 12:47 PM in response to h4ndcrafted

Ok thank you guys.

This is how I have it setup, as shown, and as suggested.

Thanks Larry, this is how I understood it, but once the photostream is 30 days old won't those pictures get deleted, or are they considered 'imported' now on my mac. I haven't really questioned this till now bc I was on android and most of my photos where going to Photos for OSX via Dropbox, save screen captures.

I notice in Info they are tagged as Photostream, even the ones from say around two years ago.

Just to confirm, I don't mind using Photostream, it is the paid for iCloud service I have no use for really, what with Dropbox, Flckr etc giving you more space for free. Other than that Photostream has served me well up untill now in Aperture , which I have stopped using, as I know I'll have to stop using it soon anyway.

So once Photos came in it has made me question how photostream works, bc it seems to handle it in a different way than Aperture.

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Answer 7

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 30, 2015 12:52 PM in response to h4ndcrafted

Yes Photos handles MPS differently thatn Aperture or iPhoto which is why I said

With Photos if MyPhotoStream is enabled every thing placed in MPS by an IOS device is imported into the Photos library so when it is removed from MyPhotoStream is is not removed from Photos

LN

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Answer 8

h4ndcrafted Author

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Oct 2, 2015 5:43 PM in response to LarryHN

This is what I am confused about, because if i do remove something from photostream within photos, it is completely removed from photos for osx. From any album , from the all photos tab from the header photos tab.

I thought if I deleted it from photostream it would remain in the application somewhere ?

If I delete from an ios device from MPS it doesn't effect Photos for osx, which I understand.

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Answer 9

Old Toad

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216,112 points

Oct 3, 2015 10:15 AM in response to h4ndcrafted

I get the same response. It doesn't matter if the photo came from the Mac or a mobile device. If it's deleted from the My Photo Stream on the Mac it's deleted from the Photos library.

I agree that it's not the result one would suspect. Report the anomaly to Apple via https://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html.

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Answer 10

h4ndcrafted Author

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Oct 4, 2015 1:31 PM in response to Old Toad

Ok ty.

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Answer 11

h4ndcrafted Author

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Oct 4, 2015 1:35 PM in response to h4ndcrafted

It is a concern really, especially if those photos expire and people think those photos are safe.

I suppose the work around is to export the ones you want at full rez, then import them again.

Bit backward Apple lol

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Answer 12

Old Toad

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216,112 points

Oct 4, 2015 3:04 PM in response to h4ndcrafted

Why not just let them be in the My Photo Stream. They will be gone after 30 days.

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Answer 13

h4ndcrafted Author

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Oct 6, 2015 7:07 AM in response to Old Toad

Not sure what you mean, I'm happy for them to expire in photostream, as long as they are imported to my albums in the photo app.

but as I have said, once they get deleted they are removed from those albums. So if a photo expires in MPS will it disappear from my albums in MPS ?

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Answer 14

Old Toad

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216,112 points

Oct 6, 2015 9:23 AM in response to h4ndcrafted

So if a photo expires in MPS will it disappear from my albums in MPS ?

No. Photos expiring naturally from MPS remain in your library as long as this checkbox is checked in Photos' iCloud preference pane:

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Answer 15

h4ndcrafted Author

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Oct 8, 2015 6:55 PM in response to Old Toad

Thank you Old Toad. I realise you had posted this before and had found this option previous to posting. I'm not too sure why I was finding so confusing the other day. Things just seem a bit more obvious today, not sure whether that is age or a neuro condition I have lol

So to clarify

With option ticked, photos are imported , also sent to MPS for viewing and potential import on those devices.

However, and where I got confused, if you delete from MPS in Photos for OSX it will delete from the actual Photos for OSX library , and therefore any albums that contain that image. So my concern about expiring photos is mute, as long as the box is ticked.

On a side note, I wish Apple hadn't decided to call Photos for OSX 'Photos' maybe there is a marketing reason, because it is a nightmare to search a topic for in google, as well as confusing to discuss. I find myself having to refer to it as 'Photos for OSX' just for clarity.

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