Specifically, I take a photo and I know that by using iCloud it gets backed up.
According to the Apple website, iCloud stores fill-size versions of the photo on the cloud and smaller versions on the device.
That makes no sense. What if I plug my phone into my PC, not using iTunes, and transfer photos from my phone? Am I now getting compressed photos and videos? That would stink.
Once again... it is your choice to optimize the photos in your iCloud Photo Library.
You keep stating it as default.
If you choose this setting, the phone will have "optimized" or smaller versions of your photos while iCloud will have the full size versions. You can download the full size version from iCloud.com any time you choose, or choose to download the full size versions of your photos back to your device by turning the optimization off.
The iCloud Photo Library is a real time sync. When you take a photo, the full sized version uploads to iCloud and leaves a smaller version on your phone.
The upside of the optimization is that a 10GB iCloud Photo Library will only be ~1GB on your phone after optimization. Keep in mind, the optimization is not controllable by the user. It will run when iOS and iCloud determines it needs to run. It can't be triggered or tweaked by the user.
Once again... it is your choice to optimize the photos in your iCloud Photo Library.
You keep stating it as default.
If you choose this setting, the phone will have "optimized" or smaller versions of your photos while iCloud will have the full size versions. You can download the full size version from iCloud.com any time you choose, or choose to download the full size versions of your photos back to your device by turning the optimization off.
The iCloud Photo Library is a real time sync. When you take a photo, the full sized version uploads to iCloud and leaves a smaller version on your phone.
The upside of the optimization is that a 10GB iCloud Photo Library will only be ~1GB on your phone after optimization. Keep in mind, the optimization is not controllable by the user. It will run when iOS and iCloud determines it needs to run. It can't be triggered or tweaked by the user.
So, if I have it on then any photo I take from my phone to my computer will be low res? This really makes no sense. How do I turn this off so I can have the full res photos to download to my computer as I don't want to mess with my high res photos?
Regardless of setting, will it affect the photos I take from my phone to my computer?
I have ios 10.3. I go to settings>icloud>photos but see no option as such. I see:
photo library
photo stream
photo sharing
I have all three turned off anyhow but that shouldn't make a difference. I realize that my photos are backed up as part of iCloud Backup and that is my concern. I want to make sure I have full res. Obviously I am missing something here.
If you are not using the iCloud Photo Library, you are not optimizing your photos and have no concerns.
Your full sized photos will be stored in your iCloud backups.
You have read the website incorrectly and jumped to several conclusions. Backups do not optimize your photos.
However, be aware that your photos are not being "backed up" in real time. Your backup will only run when you meet the 3 conditions for auto-backup to iCloud.
Your device is on wifi, connected to a charger and locked.
Otherwise you can click on BACKUP NOW in Settings > iCloud > Backup to run a backup on demand.
iCloud will only store as much data as you have space for and only the last 3 backups.
That's what I figured. Thank you so much!!
So, if I were using the photo library, it would optimize so the pics on the devices are scaled down so to speak? So how would someone download the full res photo if using this? It would no longer be on the phone, right? So where do the full res photos go? Not on device so I assume you have to download them from the cloud in order to get the full res?
A reduced size will be stored on your phone if you have Optimization turned on. If you don't have it turned on, the phone pictures will be full resolution.
You do not have to optimize your photo library. It's a choice you made and can change.
Settings - icloud - photos and choose download originals on this device.
iCloud Back-Up and Photo Compression
