How Does iCloud Optimized Storage Impact Media Transfers to Mac?

[purdnost]

Instead of storing all my media solely on iCloud, I regularly move my iPhone photos and videos to the Photos app on my Mac. If I have optimized storage activated, which replaces full-resolution media with smaller versions, I wonder if the transfer retrieves the originals from iCloud or the downsized versions.

 

[Mike Boreham]

It sounds like you do not have iCloud Photos turned on, and that you are manually transferring them to a non iCloud Photos Lib on your mac using a USB cable.

If this is correct your originals are not in iCloud. The Optimise Photos setting only applies to iCloud Photos Libs. You can’t have optimise turned on for photos unless iCloud Photos is turned on.

If you do have iCloud Photos turned on, then all your full sized originals are in iCloud, and the optimise setting will determine what is stored locally. If this is the situation I don’t understand why you are manually transferring, it happens automatically.

 

[purdnost]

It sounds like you do not have iCloud Photos turned on, and that you are manually transferring them to a non iCloud Photos Lib on your mac using a USB cable.

If this is correct your originals are not in iCloud. The Optimise Photos setting only applies to iCloud Photos Libs. You can’t have optimise turned on for photos unless iCloud Photos is turned on.

If you do have iCloud Photos turned on, then all your full sized originals are in iCloud, and the optimise setting will determine what is stored locally. If this is the situation I don’t understand why you are manually transferring, it happens automatically.

I have iCloud enabled to sync media across my devices, but I haven't expanded my storage capacity to accommodate all of my media. Instead, I transfer everything to my Mac on a monthly basis. So, when I use the Photos app to import media from my phone, I'm curious whether it automatically downloads the full-resolution files or if it retrieves the lower-resolution files that have replaced the high-resolution ones stored in the cloud.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I have iCloud enabled to sync media across my devices, but I haven't expanded my storage capacity to accommodate all of my media. Instead, I transfer everything to my Mac on a monthly basis. So, when I use the Photos app to import media from my phone, I'm curious whether it automatically downloads the full-resolution files or if it retrieves the lower-resolution files that have replaced the high-resolution ones stored in the cloud.

I'm sorry this does not make any sense to me. I must be misunderstanding your set up.

If all your devices have iCloud Photos is turned on, then all pics your iCloud Photos Library are in iCloud at full size. Any photos you take on the phone will automatically be uploaded to iCloud at full size and then sync'd down to your Mac. If your Mac is set to "Optimise" then it may still download full size to your Mac if there is enough space. If there is not enough space then it may download small size versions. Optimise gives permission for small size if necessary, it does not force small size.

If iCloud Photos is turned on, you have to have enough iCloud Storage to accept the full size Photos library on iCloud. There is no way round this. You will get a warning and invited to increase your storage if it isn't big enough.

I don't understand transferring all to your Mac every month...why is this necessary?

 

[purdnost]

I'm sorry this does not make any sense to me. I must be misunderstanding your set up.

If all your devices have iCloud Photos is turned on, then all pics your iCloud Photos Library are in iCloud at full size. Any photos you take on the phone will automatically be uploaded to iCloud at full size and then sync'd down to your Mac. If your Mac is set to "Optimise" then it may still download full size to your Mac if there is enough space. If there is not enough space then it may download small size versions. Optimise gives permission for small size if necessary, it does not force small size.

If iCloud Photos is turned on, you have to have enough iCloud Storage to accept the full size Photos library on iCloud. There is no way round this. You will get a warning and invited to increase your storage if it isn't big enough.

I don't understand transferring all to your Mac every month...why is this necessary?

Good question. I don’t have iCloud enabled on the Mac. I only want a month of media in iCloud for syncing purposes. When I’m done transferring, I delete everything from iCloud and the originals remain on the Mac’s hard drive. This keeps me from having to pay for a much higher iCloud tier in order to accommodate everything. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Good question. I don’t have iCloud enabled on the Mac. I only want a month of media in iCloud for syncing purposes. When I’m done transferring, I delete everything from iCloud and the originals remain on the Mac’s hard drive. This keeps me from having to pay for a much higher iCloud tier in order to accommodate everything. Hope that makes sense.

Ah makes sense now (I misunderstood "I have iCloud enabled to sync media across my devices"....I thought that would include your Mac).

Your Mac will receive full resolution files when you transfer from the phone. If iCloud is not enabled on your Mac it can't download them from iCloud.

It sounds like your Phone has optimise turned on, so the photos in your phone may be low or high res depending on how much space you have on the phone. There is no way of knowing which photos are low and which are high. Apple doesn't publish its optimising algorithm. When you transfer a photo which is low res on the phone to the Mac it will download a full size one to the phone first.