iPad syncing - what does it do?

Question

Level 1

8 points

iPad syncing - what does it do?

After ten years with an iPad, I still have no idea what the SYNC function does. Does it copy Desktop to iPad, or iPad to Desktop? Which is master, and which is slave?

I ask because some photos and screen caps on my iPad seem to have disappeared after a sync. But I was trying to save them to my desktop, to keep them secure. Now they are gone.

And on syncing again, some photos on iPad have duplicated themselves.

And while some photos on iPad have been transferred to desktop (no idea how), there are whole sections (years) that refuse to transfer.

And while this helpful Apple page describes how to transfer from iPad to desktop, I do not have this iPhoto page. Mine just says 'Moments' at the top - there is no 'Import' page.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201302

iPhoto V 1.5 (370.42.0)

iTunes V 12.7.3.46

Desktop El Capitan V 10.11.6

Any ideas?

.

iPad Pro Wi-Fi, iOS 11.2.6

Posted on Mar 17, 2018 4:47 AM

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Answer 1

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Apr 6, 2018 4:32 AM in response to ralphy

iTunes doesn't copy photos from a device, you copy them off in a similar way as you would form a proper camera or memory card : Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

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Answer 2

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Mar 17, 2018 5:10 AM in response to Eddfu

Syncing copies content from your computer to the device.

I do not have this iPhoto page

The page that you linked to refers to the Mac Photos app, not iPhoto - are you using Photos ? If you are, have you connected the iPad to the Mac and selected it on the left-hand sidebar in Photos as shown on the image on that link ?

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Answer 3

Eddfu Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 17, 2018 5:32 AM in response to King_Penguin

((The page that you linked to refers to the Mac Photos app, not iPhoto - are you using Photos ?))

Sorry, I meant Mac Photos (on desktop).

The iPad is connected. The Photos page says Moments at the top. The left side does not display an iPad icon. It says ... Photos, Shared, Albums, Projects. There is no 'Library' or 'Devices', as shown in that Apple image.

And I cannot change from Moments to Import. If I select 'Import', it just brings up the standard 'file search' page, to search for something on the hard-disk.

Ed

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Answer 4

Eddfu Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 17, 2018 5:36 AM in response to Eddfu

.

I know what it means on Photo by 'Import' page. It auto-selects that 'Import' page if I connect my camera, and then I can import from the camera. But my iPad does not activate this page, and I have no idea how to do it manually.

Ed

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Answer 5

Eddfu Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 17, 2018 5:50 AM in response to King_Penguin

It is recognised by iTunes. And iTunes has a wonderful 'Sync Photos' page on iTunes that says: "you can choose which photos you want to transfer to your iPad'.

Yeah, brilliant stuff, Apple..!! My iPad has a camera, and my desktop does not, so why would I ever want to transfer from desktop to iPad....??

Moving along - the iPad is not recognised by 'Finder', nor is it recognised by 'Photo. So I am still at a loss as to how to transfer from iPad to desktop.

Prior to this, I have been sending my photos from iPad to desktop by email, but that is a really ludicrous solution.

Ed

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Answer 6

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Mar 17, 2018 6:00 AM in response to Eddfu

Yeah, brilliant stuff, Apple..!! My iPad has a camera, and my desktop does not, so why would I ever want to transfer from desktop to iPad....??

People take photos with proper cameras and copy them to their computer, they can then use iTunes to copy them to an iPad (or other iOS device) e.g. if they just want copies of them on it for their own use, or for showing to other people (an iPad is easier to take somewhere compared to a computer). And I'm not Apple.

the iPad is not recognised by 'Finder'

It won't be, iOS devices aren't designed to mount as drives on Macs.

What is Image Capture?

It's a built-in program, it should be in Applications folder, it's just a basic program for copying photos from a device (or memory card) to a folder in Finder.

If iTunes is open you've closed it, and tried doing a soft-reset/reboot of the iPad whilst it's connected ?

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Answer 7

ralphy

Level 1

20 points

Apr 6, 2018 3:48 AM in response to King_Penguin

>>People take photos with proper cameras and copy them to their computer.

I think that observation is about ten years out of date. 90% of people take photos with an iPhone, and want to copy them to a desktop for safe-keeping. But there appears to be no easy method for doing so. Just how does iTunes transfer ohotoes, from iPhone or iPad, to the desktop??

.

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Answer 8

ShagCA

Level 5

6,335 points

Apr 6, 2018 9:27 AM in response to ralphy

ralphy wrote:

>>People take photos with proper cameras and copy them to their computer.

I think that observation is about ten years out of date. 90% of people take photos with an iPhone, and want to copy them to a desktop for safe-keeping. But there appears to be no easy method for doing so. Just how does iTunes transfer ohotoes, from iPhone or iPad, to the desktop??

.

That's even easier than copying photos from computer to iPhone/iPad. I just dig in to the folder(s) and copy the photos I took with my iPad and paste them into my computer.

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Answer 9

Apr 6, 2018 9:42 AM in response to ralphy

ralphy wrote:

>>People take photos with proper cameras and copy them to their computer.

I think that observation is about ten years out of date. 90% of people take photos with an iPhone, and want to copy them to a desktop for safe-keeping. But there appears to be no easy method for doing so. Just how does iTunes transfer ohotoes, from iPhone or iPad, to the desktop??

What could be easier than plugging in my phone, launching Photos, and then clicking "Import"?

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Answer 10

ralphy

Level 1

20 points

Apr 13, 2018 6:54 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

>>What could be easier than plugging in and clicking ‘import’.

Because that would not work. Photos refused to recognise my iPad was connected.

I have updated Photos, and now it does recognise my iPad. But I am pretty sure I was only one Photos version out of date, so this upgrade (to allow imports) must be fairly new.

Apples does seem to be pretty slow, on some basic requirements sometimes. Things like no longer having ‘save-as’ as an option on Pages. Most infuriating.

R

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Answer 11

Apr 13, 2018 7:10 AM in response to ralphy

ralphy wrote:

>>What could be easier than plugging in and clicking ‘import’.

Because that would not work. Photos refused to recognise my iPad was connected.

I have updated Photos, and now it does recognise my iPad. But I am pretty sure I was only one Photos version out of date, so this upgrade (to allow imports) must be fairly new.

Except it does if your software is up-to-date. That's one of the first things to check in troubleshooting. You can also use Image Capture if you prefer.

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Answer 12

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Mar 17, 2018 5:42 AM in response to Eddfu

The iPad is still recognised in iTunes on that Mac, and the iPad is connected directly to the Mac (e.g. not via a hub) ? Does the iPad show in Image Capture ?

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