No way to wirelessly sync recorded video?

[iStrat]

As far as I can tell, iOS 5 currently offers no way to wirelessly transfer recorded video from my iPhone to my computer.

Photo Stream only handles photos, not video. iTunes appears to only offer me the option of syncing my iPhoto library to my iPhone, not videos from my iPhone to iPhoto. Home Sharing only seems to work in the wrong direction, from the Mac to the iPhone, so I can't send anything from the iPhone to the computer that way.

Am I missing something? Is the only way to get recorded video off my iPhone to plug it in with a cable, still (email and SMS do not count as a real solution to this problem). If so, it means I can't really cut the cord, which is really sloppy of Apple. I can see them not wanting to handle the bandwidth through iCloud, but there is no reason not to have a local network WiFi sync solution.

 

[iStrat]

"Sync" may have been the wrong word for the title. "Transfer" might be more accurate, since I'm really only trying to get the videos from my iPhone to my Mac. Then I typically would delete them on the iPhone, and keep them permanently on the Mac, which is not really syncing, I guess.

Can anybody confirm that there is currently no way to do this wirelessly (without a non-free 3rd-party app), or tell me how if there is a way?

 

[scottish]

You do exactly what I do (transfer and delete) and would also like to know if there is a way to wirelessly transfer.

 

[iStrat]

You do exactly what I do (transfer and delete) and would also like to know if there is a way to wirelessly transfer.

Yeah. It seems like a pretty basic and common function. It's very disappointing to me that it was somehow overlooked. I guess I'll just complain via the feedback page and hope they offer a solution through an update, hopefully soon. Basically, this makes the whole wireless sync feature nearly useless to me, especially since I now have to keep track of when I record videos so I remember not to delete the entire "Camera Roll" before I sync to iPhoto via USB. Seeing all my new photos in iPhoto will make me think everything has been transferred from my iPhone, so there will be a good chance that I'll accidentally delete my Camera Roll and permanently lose home videos at some point.

Also, if you take more than 1000 photos (which is quite possible on a vacation, especially with HDR duplicates) during a period when iPhoto is not running, the same issue applies to photos. You have to plug in via USB to transfer the photos to your Mac, since only the most recent 1000 are stored in Photo Stream.

There should be an option to transfer videos and photos from your iOS device to your Mac via local WiFi. Sloppy. Ugh.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

 

[Schtibbie]

There should be an option to transfer videos and photos from your iOS device to your Mac via local WiFi. Sloppy. Ugh.

Wait, so photos DO transfer over the wifi sync? Even without going through photostream via iCloud? I was hoping that was the case - I was hoping that the wifi sync my phone accomplishes when I plug it into my bedside table at night does ALL the same stuff that a USB plug-in does. But videos are somehow left behind?

WHAT?

 

[iStrat]

Wait, so photos DO transfer over the wifi sync? Even without going through photostream via iCloud? I was hoping that was the case - I was hoping that the wifi sync my phone accomplishes when I plug it into my bedside table at night does ALL the same stuff that a USB plug-in does. But videos are somehow left behind?

WHAT?

No. Photos do not transfer via WiFi sync, only through Photo Stream, which is not a reliable alternative to a proper local WiFi transfer, because of the 1000 photo limit. So, neither photos or videos transfer to a Mac over a local WiFi network. Additionally, videos are not included in Photo Stream, which makes the situation even worse for videos than for photos.

 

[Stangs55]

I also wish we had this feature....You'd think when a large part of their pitch for the 4S was the upgraded camera with 1080p, they'd integrate that into their new streamlined software...

So, sadly, we still have to tether to the computer to transfer video.

 

[tigress666]

Heh, what I got annoyed with (not really an iOS 5 thing but an iOS thing) is that you can't seem to get video back *on* an iPhone once you take it off (yes, you can use itunes but I'm talking about in a form that ReelDirector or iMovie will recognize as a video clip to edit).

 

[liquidsuns]

I feel like, in this update, they have done a very poor job all around of PC-freeing and iClouding photos and video. You really still need a PC if you care about photo/video organizing even the slightest bit.

 

[scottish]

I feel like, in this update, they have done a very poor job all around of PC-freeing and iClouding photos and video. You really still need a PC if you care about photo/video organizing even the slightest bit.

I agree completely.

Things may be different if I owned a Mac but I have just turned off Photostream on my iPhone and will revert to what I did previously which was plugging in once in a while to transfer pictures/videos using Windows picture importer. It meets my needs and is really simple.

 

[PNutts]

No. Photos do not transfer via WiFi sync, only through Photo Stream, which is not a reliable alternative to a proper local WiFi transfer, because of the 1000 photo limit.

I'm puzzled by your comment that it is not a reliable alternative, but I might be missing something. When you take photo is it delivered to the computer via PhotoStream. PhotoStream can only hold the last 1000 but they and the ones before them are on the computer.

 

[Schtibbie]

I'm puzzled by your comment that it is not a reliable alternative, but I might be missing something. When you take photo is it delivered to the computer via PhotoStream. PhotoStream can only hold the last 1000 but they and the ones before them are on the computer.

How's this for you: I'm NOT USING PHOTOSTREAM because I don't have iCloud set up. I don't have iCloud set up because I'm one of those folks who has an iPhone, a wife with her own iPhone, and a shared Macbook that we both use. That Macbook has one iTunes and one iPhoto library. All of our pictures go in there.

I thought wifi sync would do what USB sync does: back up my phone, sync apps and music, and upload photos from either of our phones into OUR iPhoto. Apparently not.

 

[iStrat]

I'm puzzled by your comment that it is not a reliable alternative, but I might be missing something. When you take photo is it delivered to the computer via PhotoStream. PhotoStream can only hold the last 1000 but they and the ones before them are on the computer.

Only if your computer is on. I'm on vacation. My computer is off. I take more than 1000 photos with my iPhone (which I've done before) during this vacation. I get home and turn my computer on. Only the last 1000 photos are moved over. The only way to get the remaining vacation photos over to my computer is to plug it in via USB. Also, all my videos still need to be transferred via USB as well, since Photo Stream doesn't handle them.

 

[dave420]

I agree that would be a good feature. The way it is now is an improvement from before. With wireless syncing your photos and videos are still backed up when you sync. If you lose or drop your phone you at least will be able to restore your photos and videos to your phone. Then you will still have a chance to transfer them to your computer.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Even prior to iOS5 I didn't like the fact that iTunes sync took care of everything EXCEPT bringing photos/videos to the computer. Had to import them separately in iPhoto (or whatever program you use).

It appears that this is still the case, wifi or cable, iTunes knows nothing of your phone's photos/videos other than to back them up along with the rest of the data - but it won't sync/copy them into iPhoto.

I've used an app called "Photosync" ($1.99) for a while and it works pretty well, looks like I'll still be using it

 

[sdavies8]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Hi guys anyone help can't find my pictures on my computer after I used photo stream via wifi , there is a folder there but it's saying iPod photo cache & when I try 2 open it says folder empty , strange as I'm using iPhone #

 

[calimed]

Heh, what I got annoyed with (not really an iOS 5 thing but an iOS thing) is that you can't seem to get video back *on* an iPhone once you take it off (yes, you can use itunes but I'm talking about in a form that ReelDirector or iMovie will recognize as a video clip to edit).

I really don't understand this either. I took a video with an iPhone 4s then transferred it into an album/event. I click the radio button to sync videos. And the same video that was taken with the iPhone 4s won't transfer back over. This makes no sense.

This is by far the most confusing update...not to mention a huge hardware letdown...

 

[scottish]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Hi guys anyone help can't find my pictures on my computer after I used photo stream via wifi , there is a folder there but it's saying iPod photo cache & when I try 2 open it says folder empty , strange as I'm using iPhone #

I'm assuming your on Windows otherwise you should be looking in iPhoto I think. Have you downloaded the iCloud control panel pane for Windows from apple.com? When you do you get the option to turn things on and select where photostream saves photos.

 

[sclawis300]

seriously. I can't believe this. So you don't need a cord...unless you want to put a video on your computer. I would settle for transferring via bluetooth. Thats only been available like forever on other devices like that garbage storm I had.

 

[diamond.g]

seriously. I can't believe this. So you don't need a cord...unless you want to put a video on your computer. I would settle for transferring via bluetooth. Thats only been available like forever on other devices like that garbage storm I had.

I don't think you want to transfer 1080P video via BT...

 

[Small White Car]

How's this for you: I'm NOT USING PHOTOSTREAM because I don't have iCloud set up. I don't have iCloud set up because I'm one of those folks who has an iPhone, a wife with her own iPhone, and a shared Macbook that we both use. That Macbook has one iTunes and one iPhoto library. All of our pictures go in there.

So...why aren't you using Photostream?

You're complaining that you can't sync photos. And you can't sync photos because you have wife and a Macbook?

What?

 

[diamond.g]

So...why aren't you using Photostream?

You're complaining that you can't sync photos. And you can't sync photos because you have wife and a Macbook?

What?

He isn't using photostream cause his wife and him share 1 macbook. That would mean they need to share an iCloud account in order for the photostream to be shared. Since they only have 1 iPhoto library.

Nor does photostream (or wireless sync) address videos taken on the device.

 

[Small White Car]

He isn't using photostream cause his wife and him share 1 macbook. That would mean they need to share an iCloud account in order for the photostream to be shared. Since they only have 1 iPhoto library.

Well, it looks like he wants to have the photos shared so they all go in to the Mac, right?

Since he can do that I'm not sure why he isn't.

Am I misunderstanding what he wants?

 

[diamond.g]

Well, it looks like he wants to have the photos shared so they all go in to the Mac, right?

Since he can do that I'm not sure why he isn't.

Am I misunderstanding what he wants?

I am assuming (and I could be wrong) that he wants his photos and his wifes photos to be put in iPhoto wirelessly. I think that he doesn't want to share an iCloud account to do it. He thought that the wireless sync would put the photos in iPhoto.

 

[Steamrunner]

How's this for you: I'm NOT USING PHOTOSTREAM because I don't have iCloud set up. I don't have iCloud set up because I'm one of those folks who has an iPhone, a wife with her own iPhone, and a shared Macbook that we both use. That Macbook has one iTunes and one iPhoto library. All of our pictures go in there.

I thought wifi sync would do what USB sync does: back up my phone, sync apps and music, and upload photos from either of our phones into OUR iPhoto. Apparently not.

I'm similar - I have iPhone, wife has iPhone, we have a shared iMac (we also have Airs but that's irrelevant).

I've set up both iPhones with the same iCloud account. That way our photos are synced to each other's phones, and also back to Aperture on the iMac. For us, this is perfect, but what would have been better is if you could sync multiple Photo Streams to a single iPhoto/Aperture library. That way each family member could have their own iCloud account, and you choose whose streams to sync.

Obviously this won't be suitable for everyone, but so far I can't think of a better way of doing it and it works for us.

And as far as I can see, wifi sync does do what a USB sync does - a USB sync, as far as I'm aware, never transferred photos into iPhoto. iPhoto does that, not iTunes. And since iPhoto now has Photo Stream, that takes care of the photo syncing wirelessly.