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How does iCloud Photos work?

S

shenfrey

macrumors 68030
Original poster
May 23, 2010
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I have many photos and videos on my phone, but for some reason it isn't reflected in the storage so I can only assume these are all stored in the cloud? If that is the case, how is it I can still view them even when I don't have any internet connectivity?

Alternatively, maybe 462MB is the norm for 3,085 photos and 166 videos and I am just being misinformed?
 
Under Settings—>Photos, there is an option to “optimize storage,” which will cause your phone to upload the full size copy to iCloud and then store a small version of each photo on the phone to save space. If you open the photo, it will download the full version.

If you don’t like that option, just check “Download and keep originals.” You will then have you whole library on your phone. You just need to have enough local storage to hold your entire library.

With either setting, as long as you have iCloud Photo Library enabled and a large enough storage plan, all your photos will be stored in the cloud.
 
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Photo and video storage usage will be higher in megabyte than the amount of photos if they are stored on the iPhone. Each pic and video will be multiples of megabytes.

Setting > Photos

If iCloud Photo Library is toggled on its on.

Under that is a selection for “optimize iPhone storage” is on than a “preview” is being stored on the iPhone which is downloaded if you make it full screen.

Edit: poster above beat me to it
 
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Oh I see, thank you for the explanation.

So when I view the photo, and it downloads, will the full photo then be on my Phone or will it delete it again once I come off it?
 
shenfrey said:
Oh I see, thank you for the explanation.

So when I view the photo, and it downloads, will the full photo then be on my Phone or will it delete it again once I come off it?
Click to expand...

There is some algorithm Apple uses. It will stay on the phone for a while but eventually be removed.

I have 800 mb of my 22 gb photo library on my iPhone. I know I had 2 gb of my photo library on this phone a week or so ago.
 
Might as well keep the originals as when there in the cloud there not available to download unless you want to download one at a time!
 
Winterfibre said:
If you wanted to download say 100 from a wedding day it would take you 100 downloads
Click to expand...

In that circumstance wouldn’t you be sharing them with someone of some app?

It’s not like it matters on the iPhone because you can only see one at a time. And if you are sharing it would be one download of 100 photos.
 
I'm thinking of when you want to download a large selection on windows , i know its different on mac.
 
Winterfibre said:
I'm thinking of when you want to download a large selection on windows , i know its different on mac.
Click to expand...

Ahh ya I’m not familiar with getting my photos onto a PC. That would be a pita. Wouldn’t it potentially be easy to goto iCloud.com and select them to download (in the event iPhone storage is a commodity)?

For those curious, on a Mac the photo application is like the phone. Photos taken from an iOS device sync automatically via iCloud Photo Library. Like an iOS device you can have them save and store the original or optimize Mac store storage space and just show a preview. Very handy.
 
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