Sync photos from Mac

[Mike G]

Looks like it has now thrown all my photos in one big fat "folder"  - all 12 000 of them no more separate folders - only in separate years, (which helps me none

Elsa, if you mean one big fat folder on your iPhone? At the bottom of the iPhone Photos app you should see four options,

Photos
Memories
Shared
Albums

Try clicking Albums and see what you get!

I know how frustrating Apple devices can get, I've just spent several days trying to delete a book from iBooks, only to find that I can't delete it, only hide it, bugger

[elsa hoffmann]

I get all those - click on Albums - some half assed albums (mostly those created by my Iphone - eg Camera Roll, Favourites etc) - some with nothing in it (ones that were supposed to be transferred from my Mac
Click on photos - and it looks like there are 12000 of them there - arranged by year, not albums (not that I could count them)

[CS]

I get all those - click on Albums - some half assed albums (mostly those created by my Iphone - eg Camera Roll, Favourites etc) - some with nothing in it (ones that were supposed to be transferred from my Mac
Click on photos - and it looks like there are 12000 of them there - arranged by year, not albums (not that I could count them)

Elsa, in the screen shot of your sync attempt that you posted, you'll see the "Learn More >" link on the bottom right of the window. Have you clicked on that, it shows detailed info on syncing.

[Andrea B.]

At this point I would be making an appointment with the Apple store to have one of the tech guys figure this out. Do you have an Apple store?

[elsa hoffmann]

Carl - did that already - no better off
Andrea - The Apple Store already consulted. They are clueless too and say they have heard about issues - but I suspect thats an excuse of some sorts.

[Les Olson]

iCloud - now there I am lost - dont even know how to get to my iCloud - I dont have an iCloud folder?

Aghhh!  This is important!  As Mike has pointed out, you do have an iCloud account, by default, and by default your iPhone uploads everything to it and keeps them permanently - things stay on the cloud when you delete them from the phone.  This is how Jennifer Lawrence and others had their privacy invaded: they took images on their phones, but did not realise the images were all also on the cloud, from where they were hacked.  If you have clients' photographs on the phone you really do need to turn automatic cloud storage off.

You can do this in Settings - but note that you have to turn off "photos" and "backup".  If you have a Apple computer it also may be sending all your images to the cloud, both what is on it and everything on the phone when you sync, so you may need to turn the cloud off there as well (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207689). 

[PeterN]

I may have missed something but did you try using the Photos App?
It's installed on everything that has an apple logo and syncs via iCloud.
I no longer use iTunes.
I use it for quick selection, editing and sharing.
If you want we can setup a skype call to walk through it.

Another thought (may have missed that suggestion too): did you try turning off your iPad and switching it back on? Sometimes that solves problems.

[elsa hoffmann]

Thanks Peter!
I am on tour from tomorrow till Sunday - let me get back and when I have energy to tackle this again - I will give you a shout.

I ran out of steam on this one.

[PeterN]

Thanks Peter!
I am on tour from tomorrow till Sunday - let me get back and when I have energy to tackle this again - I will give you a shout.

I ran out of steam on this one.

Hopefully the tour Will bring you new steam. Have fun!

[elsa hoffmann]

Peter - I am back but preparing for another tour - please bear with me!
Did a road trip to the Karoo (thats where they farm with rocks)

[elsa hoffmann]

PeterN - don't ask me WHAT I did - but I changed a bunch of things again - turning this off and that off (iCloud things I think) and deleting a cache somewhere along the line and whatever else I did I dont know, restarted for the 20th time - but I managed to sync!! Thank the pope.
I was almost too scared to say this out loud - never-mind type this - just incase I jinx it for next time...

[bobfriedman]

did you make sure that  iCloud Photo Library on your iOS device or Mac is turned on?

[elsa hoffmann]

no its turned off now. This is one of the things I turned off last night.
Just checked - it's still sync'ing - thank the pope

[ColinM]

I find this thread fascinating.

I'm basically a user of Windows & Android devices, plus a single iPad, which has required me to use iTunes etc.

I look in amazement at the prices of Apple devices, but assumed that their users paid the higher prices in exchange for a seamless integrated ecosystem between all their different devices.

So I'm glad Elsa has found a solution, but the shine has slightly faded from Apple's foolproof reputation.

[elsa hoffmann]

Colin - ye it's sometimes a challenge. With updates, things change which affect other things - and I know the cloud thing can create issues too
and it was HUGELY frustrating - took me MONTHS to get this far.

Having said that - I will not swap working on a Macpro for anything. How I am going to be able to afford it in future is quite another story.