Ondrej Holzman In iOS 8.1, Apple launched a new cloud service for photos, iCloud Photo Library, which, along with the return of the Camera Roll, should bring order to how the Pictures app works in iOS 8. But nothing is as simple as it might seem.
Here's how Pictures works in iOS 8 they wrote already in September. The basic principles remain the same, but now with the arrival of iCloud Photo Library, which remains in beta, we are finally getting the complete experience that Apple has been promising since iOS 8 in June, when it introduced the new mobile operating system. However, the experience changes depending on whether you activate iCloud Photo Library or not.
First, let's explain what the iCloud Photo Library (in Czech Apple writes "Knihovna fotografi na iCloud") is.
iCloud Photo Library
iCloud Photo Library is a cloud service that automatically stores all photos and videos taken in iCloud, which can then be accessed by all connected devices. You can thus access photos taken on the iPhone from the iPad and now also from the iCloud web interface (beta.icloud.com).
The key part of iCloud Photo Library is that it truly works as a cloud service. So the basic thing is to take a photo and automatically transfer it to the cloud, in this case iCloud. Then it is up to each user how and from where they want to access their photos. There are several options.
It will always be possible to access photos from the web interface, and when Apple releases the new Photos application next year, it will finally be possible to access them conveniently from a Mac and the corresponding application, which is not yet possible. In iOS devices, you have two options to choose from.
You can either have all your images downloaded directly to your iPhone/iPad in full resolution, or you can, in Apple's words, "optimize storage", which means that only thumbnails of photos will always be downloaded to your iPhone/iPad and if you want to open them in full resolution , you have to go to the cloud for it. You will therefore always need an internet connection, which may not be a problem these days, and the benefit is mainly in the significant saving of space, especially if you have a 16GB or smaller iOS device.
iCloud Photo Library ensures that as soon as you make any changes on any device, they are automatically uploaded to the cloud and you can see them on other devices within seconds. At the same time, iCloud Photo Library maintains the same structure on all devices. First, it displays all photos in a new mode Years, Collections, Moments, but if, for example, you create a new album with a selection of photos on the iPad, this album will also appear on other devices. Marking images as favorites works the same way.
To set up iCloud Photo Library, visit Settings > Pictures and Camera, where you can activate iCloud Photo Library and then choose from two options: Optimize storage, or Download and keep original (both mentioned above).
photostream
iCloud Photo Library appears to be an advanced successor to Fotostream, but we still find Fotostream in iOS 8 alongside the new cloud service. Photostream worked as a synchronization tool between devices, where it stored a maximum of 1000 photos (not videos) taken in the last 30 days and automatically sent them to other devices. The advantage of Fotostream was that it didn't count its content in iCloud storage, but it couldn't sync older photos, and you had to manually save those taken on the iPhone to the iPad from Fotostream if you wanted to keep them on the tablet.
The moment you deactivated Photostream, all the photos uploaded to it suddenly disappeared from the given device. But Photostream always just duplicated the contents of the Camera Roll folder, so you only lost those photos that weren't taken on that device or that you didn't manually save to it. And it also worked the other way around - a photo deleted in Camera Roll did not affect the same photo in Photostream.
It was only a kind of half-baked cloud solution, which iCloud Photo Library already offers in full glory. Nevertheless, Apple is not giving up on Fotostream and offers to use this service in iOS 8 as well. When you don't want to use iCloud Photo Library, you can at least have Photostream active and continue to synchronize the latest photos according to the system described above.
A little confusing is the fact that Photostream can be activated even if you have iCloud Photo Library turned on (more on that below). And here we come to the much-mentioned return of the Camera Roll folder, which originally disappeared in iOS 8, but Apple listened to user complaints and returned it in iOS 8.1. But not quite.
Camera Roll returns only halfway
You will only see the Camera Roll folder on your iPhones and iPads when you do not have the iCloud Photo Library service turned on.
When you turn on iCloud Photo Library, the Camera Roll turns into a folder All photos, which will logically contain all photos uploaded to the cloud, i.e. not only those taken by the given device, but also by all others connected to the iCloud Photo Library.
Fotostream's behavior can be just as confusing. If you don't have iCloud Photo Library turned on, you'll see the classic Camera Roll in Pictures and next to it the familiar folder from iOS 7 My photo stream. However, if you turn on iCloud Photo Library and leave Photostream active as well, its folder disappears. The option to have both services turned on does not make much sense, especially when their functions are beaten when you turn on iCloud Photo Library with storage optimization (only previews are downloaded to the device) and Photostream at the same time. At that moment, the iPhone/iPad connected to Wi-Fi always downloads the entire photo and the storage optimization function crashes. It will only appear after 30 days, when the image disappears from Fotostream.
Therefore, we recommend turning off the Photostream function when using iCloud Photo Library, as using both at the same time does not make sense.
Images in iOS 8 at a Glance
At first glance, the seemingly trivial Pictures application can turn into a rather confusing application with unclear functionality for an uninitiated user in iOS 8. In simple terms, there are two basic modes that we can choose between: Pictures with iCloud Photo Library and Pictures without cloud service.
With iCloud Photo Library active, you get the same library on all iPhones and iPads. Images tab with viewing mode Years, Collections, Moments will be the same and synchronized across all devices. In the same way, you can find a folder in the Albums tab All photos with a complete library of images collected from all devices that can be easily browsed, manually created albums, possibly even an automatic folder with tagged photos and also a folder Last deleted. Just like the Years, Collections, Moments mode, Apple introduced it in iOS 8 and stores all deleted photos in it for 30 days in case you want to return them to the library. After the period expires, it irreversibly deletes them from the phone and the cloud.
With inactive iCloud Photo Library you get in the folder in the mode Years, Collections, Moments on each device only those photos that were taken with it or stored in it from various applications. A Camera Roll folder will then appear in Albums Last deleted and in the case of an active Photostream, also a folder My photo stream.
Sharing photos on iCloud
From our of the original article we can safely refer only to the middle tab in the application called Shared:
The middle tab in the Pictures app in iOS 8 is called Shared and hides the iCloud Photo Sharing feature underneath. However, this is not Photostream, as some users thought after installing the new operating system, but real photo sharing between friends and family. Just like Photostream, you can activate this function in Settings > Pictures and Camera > Sharing photos on iCloud (alternative path Settings > iCloud > Photos). Then press the plus button to create a shared album, select the contacts you want to send the images to, and finally select the photos themselves.
Subsequently, you and other recipients, if you allow them, can add more pictures to the shared album, and you can also "invite" other users. You can also set a notification that will appear if someone tags or comments on one of the shared photos. The classic system menu for sharing or saving works for each photo. If necessary, you can delete the entire shared album with a single button, which will disappear from your and all subscribers' iPhones/iPads, but the photos themselves will remain in your library.
Storage cost for iCloud Photo Library
iCloud Photo Library, unlike Fotostream, is included in your free space on iCloud, and since Apple basically only offers 5GB of storage, you will probably need to purchase additional free space to upload photos to the cloud. This is especially so if you already back up your iPhone and iPad to iCloud.
However, Apple in September introduced a new price list that is more user-friendly. You can change your iCloud plan in Settings > iCloud > Storage > Change Storage Plan. Prices are as follows:
- 5GB storage - free
- 20GB storage - €0,99 per month
- 200GB storage - €3,99 per month
- 500GB storage - €9,99 per month
- 1TB storage - €19,99 per month
For many, 20 GB will certainly be enough for the successful functioning of iCloud Photo Library, which costs a reasonable amount of just under 30 crowns per month. It is also worth remembering that this increased storage also applies to the additional cloud service iCloud Drive. In addition, you can easily switch between plans, so if you need a bigger one, or if you could do with less space than you are currently paying, it is no problem.
Otherwise, I get the impression that "Photo Sharing" works by me taking 50 photos and putting them in the Shared Album.
I don't have to share this album with anyone and I will see it in other iZariadenia.
Already at that moment, when they are in the shared album, I can delete them from CameraRoll and I can still find the 50 photos in the shared album.
In addition, I noticed that this shared album did not take away any space from my iCloud space.
I just take a picture, put it in an album and I can delete it from CameraRoll, it doesn't take up space either in the iPhone (only the size of some previews) or in iCloud, and in addition, I can send a link to people who don't have iZariadenie and can view this album.
Could someone confirm that it really behaves like this?
I think that's how it works, or it worked anyway. It has the disadvantage that if I edit the original photo, the change is not transferred to the shared album. they are simply two photos without any connection.
That is possible.
But if it really works like this (I only checked it once), then the advantage is that I don't pay anything extra and I have photo albums on Apple's servers.
but I think that the quality of the photos is decreasing.
I just don't know. I guess I'll find some time and check it thoroughly. Because this solution is partially solved by your post about sharing photos with your wife. Even the wife can contribute to the album if she took photos with the Device.
Well, the wife doesn't deal with it, so she takes another picture... I want it to go to one pile automatically, or to be able to reach for it somewhere. Ideally something like iDrive for the family.
I miss this a lot, I don't see why my wife and I should think about moving the photos manually to shared albums after every photo. I want it to happen automatically, I don't take pictures of girls in nightclubs, and even if the wife enjoys herself a little too. Then I draw it so that I have everything logged in to one ID, however, in iOS 8 it is already so strange, for example, when searching for friends, it is no longer possible to have iCloud set to one ID on the device and the application to another, it requires the same thing and must only one device will be determined to share the location. So I'm looking for a wife by looking for an iPhone. :( which is not very comfortable.
Anyway, I played with it a bit today and then I don't understand at what point the full photo is downloaded to the device? It seems to me that there is only a preview, which is even downloaded at the moment when I open the picture application and the photo is downloaded and I enlarge it. I was also hoping that on the other device, where it is downloaded, it will then be automatically backed up to G+, where since Picasa we have been trying to keep some Albums under the wife's honor, so it will be convenient for me to open the G+ on the iPad, where they will already be uploaded all the photos, "enhanced" with autogenial google edits, I just tag them, create a new album, share with my family and close. Unfortunately, not much happens after that. :(
Well, the boys still have a lot of work to do. But I think that what you dreamed about and what I long for is not so out of line. They will try to support the family and this may appear as a trait.
when I take a photo on my iPhone, it is sent to the cloud depending on the connection, and then I have it on my iPad as well. how high quality do you think you are in the settings. da full or optimized for XXX. In the second case, videos are not downloaded, but must be online to view.
Apparently, it remains in full quality on the device where you buy it. I just don't know what will happen when the space runs out, if it somehow reduces it, deletes the videos...
Well, if you want to edit a photo and you don't have a full one with you, it will be downloaded, just like a video
Okay, I can download photos to the iPad reliably and after turning on the G+ application, they will all be moved to G+, the application would deserve an update, but it can be used and it is almost what I wanted. What I like about Apple is that we can take advantage of all platforms and ecosystems, which is not the case with any other platform.
Exactly. The size of the photos is approx. 1MB compared to the original which is 2-3MB (iPhone 5S)
The idea is good, but what I'm missing is:
– the ability to create dynamic albums that I can share
– to be able to share the entire content within Family Sharing – my wife and I both take photos, but only I process the photos
– The ability to edit moments – names, locations, I'm just not sure how Apple breaks it down is ideal, even if it's the least bit of work :-)
I totally agree. I hope that these features will be added gradually and that the current version is a first approximation. After all, Apple itself calls it beta, so hopefully it will be. We'll probably have to wait another year :-/
I also believe that they will come to that .. just waiting again .. :-)
One thing surprises me in connection with the iCloud photo library, namely the fact that it says that the photostream deletes itself after 30 days from the photo, or that the photo is deleted. I've been using photostream since the beginning (so far I don't see a single reason to switch to iCloud) and it has never deleted my photo, I can prove that the photo was taken at the beginning of Zari.
However, the second thing is that I quite often struggle with the fact that the stream is not the same on the iPad and iPhone and iMac. The last photos are everywhere, but some older ones are missing on different devices.
And now what about that :-)
Photos in Fotostream are deleted after 30 days, or if you have 1000, the older ones are deleted. If you've never turned off Photostream and you don't have 1000 of them there, you have them all there. However, if you turn it on on another device or turn it on again in the iPhone, it will only have those that were taken within the last 30 days.
we are talking here about photos that are shared on another device, i.e.: If you take photos on an iPhone and have photostream turned on, you will logically have all the photos there, but if you look at the iPad (that is, if you have any other device) in the photostream folder you will see the photos you took iPhone, but only in the last 30 days.
It's getting so complicated that I decided not to use this service at all. What where and when is it deleted or not and track it? It's not like that. Thanks.
I would rather be interested in whether there is a way to upload photos to iCloud Photo Library, which I now have on my iMac in the Aperture library?! Because after turning on iCloud Photo Library, it is no longer possible to synchronize albums with iPhone/iPad via iTunes...
That bothers me too. I wonder if it's really not possible or if it's just me being stupid... I assumed it would really work as a cloud for any photos, I even bought iCloud storage just for this... As a friend wisely advised me - don't cheat -, to which I described my displeasure: the best is simply to display every photo I have on the disk on the screen and take a picture with an iPhone... :)
It bothers me the most
Share and save photos and movies to the classic MS OneDrive Cloud and you have 40GB free.
Can someone please explain to me why if I delete a photo from the "camera roll" why is it also deleted from Photostream? It then loses a bit of meaning! Otherwise, I don't understand how Apple imagines that I will upload all my photos and videos (approx. 40GB iPhoto library) to iCloud in the future? I think the current solution of own library and device streams is much better, it would be enough if they added an automatic video stream and maybe simplified iPhoto a bit, although I think it's OK if a person takes care of it a little. Thanks for the Camera roll, but it's still a mess, not to mention the Mac events aren't sorted by date like before!
Can anyone advise me? About half a year ago I installed iOS 8 beta and since then all my pictures have disappeared. It still says downloading at the bottom but nothing loads. I was hoping that with iOS 8 or 8.1 will fix it thanks to iCloud Photo library, but not. Also, I still don't see the images icon on beta.iCloud.com. When I turn on iCloud Photo Library in the settings, it says this. Personally, I think this is related to the previous issue. Thanks.
the only thing that bothers me the most is that the free 5GB is linked to the apple ID and not to the device. I think that if someone has an iPhone and has 5GB of backup, photos and iCloud drive and other iPhones and iPads, it's not fair that they only have 5GB of backup and photos from two devices... because that's not enough! Apple does not favor loyal customers who buy both a phone and a tablet, for example, but on the contrary, they pay extra because the free 5GB is not enough for two devices and photos. So they have to buy more space. Yes, I know that storage prices have changed now and it's not that bad, and I know that many of you will probably be of the opinion that if I can buy a second device, then what is 1 euro for 20 GB per month, for example, but also so I think it's not fair to us from Apple.
Can anyone advise me? About half a year ago I installed iOS 8 beta and since then all my pictures have disappeared. It still says downloading at the bottom but nothing loads. I was hoping that with iOS 8 or 8.1 will fix it thanks to iCloud Photo library, but not. Also, I still don't see the images icon on beta.iCloud.com. When I turn on iCloud Photo Library in the settings, it says this. Personally, I think this is related to the previous issue. Thanks.
if I buy 20GB will I have a total of 20 or 25 GB? (20 paid + 5 free from the start? has anyone tried it? thanks
only 20
The cancellation of synchronization with iTunes surprised me. Then how do I get the photos onto the iPad so they can be browsed?
and what happens to the shared photostreams, won't it be scattered? I typically use it in such a way that I throw photos in the shared photo stream in aperture and my friends or I can watch it, and it doesn't take up space on the phone
Right question. I think even Apple doesn't know the answer to it at the moment….
The differences between Photostream and iCloud Photo Library are defacto only 3.
1.) You can put photos and videos on Photostream with a limit on the size of photos and videos.
But it is always an individual question whether the full size is necessary.
2.) There are no size restrictions on iPL, But you pay for it and even 20 GB will soon be insufficient for full size photos and videos..
3.) You are not limited by any space on Photostream, you can cram as much as 10 TB there
The question is why Apple kept both of these services. I think it's because Photostream is used by the vast majority of users who have millions of photos and videos there, for which they haven't paid anything so far, and they don't mind the photo size limitation. These people have no reason to switch to a paid service that only offers the full format option. And Apple can't just slam the door on these people and force them to switch.
I like iPL, it's really great to have only one library, sometimes albums across all devices, I edit something somewhere and it's everywhere. I now understand Photostream as such a necessity to get photos on MacOS. So, even if you like to turn off the photo stream in the article, I personally don't see how the photos would get to my iPod, probably only via wire.
After starting and then syncing iCloud Photo Library, all photos and videos on iPhone and iPad synced correctly and completely. Unfortunately, no longer in the iCloud web interface. I have no idea what the problem could be.
lady.. do you really mind that ALL your photos will be in the cloud? I won't say shared albums, where you choose photos that if someone sees, steals, etc., it doesn't matter.. but all of them... just because you delete it in 5 minutes doesn't mean that it doesn't stay on their servers somewhere... it doesn't just affect Apple, but in general... it seems strange to me... because there are also people sitting in the server room... and "watching" your whole life...
My biggest problem since iOS 8 is that the photos in the albums are not aligned chronologically, which really turns me off. I couldn't find any settings to align the photos anywhere, does anyone know what to do with it? (e.g. in the last vacation album, I have photos from several devices, but I had the correct time set on all of them, and the groups of photos are scattered in such a way that they do not even correspond to the devices on which they were taken). Thanks for the ideas
Hello, can someone advise me how to arrange so that I have all the photos on iCloud and there are no photos in the mobile phone as a gallery?? he could easily delete them, but were they on the photostream or was there access to the book???