Problem with Photos not updating

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Dwyerfen Author

Level 1

23 points

Problem with Photos not updating

Mid 2011 iMac 21.5 on Sierra 10.12.6

iPhone 5s

iCloud sync on with available space

For a few weeks now Photos app not updating with the pics taken on iPhone - constantly in a state of 'updating'

Pics on iCloud fully up to date - just a problem with Photos app.

I've tried connecting iPhone in order to import but pics are not showing up - just shows some random videos that I've already imported from the distant past.

The only way I can get these items into Photos is to download them to the desktop from iCloud and drag them into Photos manually. (I have 'Download originals to Mac' checked in Photos preferences so I'm assuming I'm dealing with originals here, even with this method?)

I've always used the iCloud Photo Library option but wondered what would happen if I switched to My Photo Stream in Photos Mac preferences? (and presumably in the iPhone settings also?). I don't need my entire library on my phone - happy enough with recent pics as long as all existing ones are safe from deletion in Photos. I'm assuming iCloud would then not show my entire library but only recent items but that everything already imported into Photos would be safe? I've read a number of articles on this which leave me confused beyond belief.

iMac, macOS Sierra (10.12.6), null

Posted on Dec 15, 2017 7:13 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Dec 15, 2017 9:33 AM in response to Dwyerfen

what changed just prior to this occurring? What is the exact, complete status on the Mac? Check the status of your library in Photos for macOS - Apple Support what do the two smart albums described in this article show?

LN

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Answer 2

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Dec 29, 2017 8:46 AM in response to Dwyerfen

I had warning messages about full storage on both iCloud and iPhone

Ok - that is why things stopped syncing

To free up space on iPhone I turned off iCloud Library for Photos

That totally stops syncing by the phone - to free up space on devices with limited storage you use optimized photos on those devices

TO have things sync you need ICPL on (probably with optimized storage) and adequate storage on iCloud

My Photo Stream on iPhone

That is a totally different service and does not upload photos to iCloud at all - it streams all new photos between devices - no syncing, just a one time transmission

Photos - Official Apple Support

iCloud: My Photo Stream overview

My Photo Stream FAQ - Apple Support

My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing limits - Apple Support

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Answer 3

swandy

Level 4

2,545 points

Dec 15, 2017 9:01 AM in response to Dwyerfen

I had a similar issue but on an iPad Mini 4 - was constantly updating one item. Never figured out what was causing it. Tried signing out of and into iCloud Photo Library and my Apple ID, finally did complete wipe of the iPad and a restore from back up and now the issue is gone - hopefully not to return.

That would make me think that there might be an issue with the Photo Library on the Mac. (Assuming you have already tried turning OFF and ON iCloud Photo Library on the Mac.) To start a repair hold the OPTION and COMMAND keys while clicking on the Photos app and just let it go. See if that resolves the issue.

As far as syncing when connecting the iPhone to your Mac, if iCloud Photo Library is being used, you can no longer sync the old manual/cable way, just won't work. But the way you got the photos from iCloud.Com should have downloaded the full originals to your Mac. The setting you are referring to only applies to using iCloud Photo Library for transferring photos between devices and computers.

Also iCloud Photo Library does not give you the option of only syncing part of your library. You would have to start a second library on the Mac, move whatever photos you want synced to the other devices to that library and make that your System Library. (Yes a pain - I did it for a while.)

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Answer 4

Dwyerfen Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 15, 2017 9:31 AM in response to swandy

Thanks for this - helpful suggestions which I'll try. If I manage to sort things this way I'll come back and update the post.

One thing has never been clear to me - would would happen in the Photos App on the Mac if I turned off iCloud Photo Library and turned on My Photo Stream in Photos Prefs - would I risk losing items?

..or, what would happen if I turned off iCloud Photo Library in iPhone 5s settings and turned on My Photo Stream (leaving iCloud Photo Library selected in the Photos App on the Mac)

I'd like to leave my current full library intact on the Mac and switch to using the iPhone for syncing recent pics only

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Answer 5

Dwyerfen Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 29, 2017 4:18 AM in response to Dwyerfen

Update (which may or not be helpful for some)

iCloud started to sync with Photos app on Mac - not sure what kick-started this.

In the meantime I had warning messages about full storage on both iCloud and iPhone

To free up space on iPhone I turned off iCloud Library for Photos - after a good few hours nothing much seemed to have changed, all the photo thumbnails were still there but couldn't be accessed and videos wouldn't play. I tried again the next day and this time the entire library had gone apart from about 30 random photos which I deleted.

I then turned on My Photo Stream on iPhone wondering if recent photos would be sent to iCloud and then to Photos on the Mac. So far this hasn't happened but I can plug in iPhone to Mac and transfer manually ok.

Re iCloud storage I decided, for now at least, to upgrade to 2TB €9.99 option (a 1TB €4.99 option would be good Apple!). But now wondering whether to turn off iCloud Library on Mac also and downgrade back to €2.99 and just have external drives and Time Machine for photo/video back ups - maybe then if I choose My Photo Stream on Mac as well as iPhone this feature will work for iPhone photo syncing? (Don't think it works for video in any case)

So at the moment I need to manually import items to Photos on Mac and these upload to iCloud ok.

Side note - What I can't do is transfer a photo from the mac desktop for e.g. to the iPhone. Bluetooth is pretty much useless since Sierra update and Airdrop doesn't work. There is no iTunes file system when plugged in via USB. I've had to install a third party app to do something as basic as this which makes me miss my android device!

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Answer 6

Dwyerfen Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 29, 2017 9:18 AM in response to LarryHN

I had the sync issues also way back when storage wasn’t an issue.

I think I may have sorted iCloud for my purposes.

I had thought that ICPL & MPS were mutually exclusive. But now I have both checked on the Mac and just MPS on the iPhone. So some recent iPhone photos synced ok to iCloud and Photos app on Mac.

I’m not worried about the photos eventually disappearing from the iPhone - I never wanted my entire library on the phone even with optimised checked. I just want my entire Photos library on the Mac synced to iCloud Including, hopefully, the new pics via MPS.

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Answer 7

Feb 12, 2018 9:44 AM in response to Dwyerfen

I have this issue also. It began about mid-December 2017. The photos do move from the IPhone to iCloud but not to my Mac. I have called support several times, each time getting a different solve. Each one works once. Repairing the photos library does not help. This is apparently an Apple issue not one on MY computer. I too can download and drag but that is a pain.

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Answer 8

Dwyerfen Author

Level 1

23 points

Feb 12, 2018 10:17 AM in response to Josephine Lazarus

Hi,

It was always random whenever Photos would sync with iCloud for me. Sometimes I’d be waiting days for just a handful of recent pics.

Alongside this I experienced iPhone srorage issues due to iCloud Photo Library. I’ve now turned off iCloud for photos on my phone. I prefer now to import manually to the Mac and keep the phone with a small amount of photos and video at any one time.

Currently with no photo content on my phone the Photos app still has 1.66GB of documents and data. No idea why

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Answer 9

Feb 12, 2018 10:28 AM in response to Dwyerfen

Thanks for your reply. I also have previously had delays in the syncing between phone and desktop. The complete inability seemed to begin after a recent update. At least I am no the only person that has this issue. I may take your work around and just do a manual update.

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