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How to Set Up iCloud Photo Library On Your Mac, iPhone, and iPad

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How to Set Up iCloud Photo Library On Your Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Apple’s iOS 8.3 is here with iCloud Photo Library in tow –– Here’s EVERYTHING you need to know about the photo app


User guides

Apple has released OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite and iOS 8.3 to the public. Each update brings some pretty big new features for the Mac and iPhone and iPad, respectively, but the two updates do sport one big shared feature: iCloud Photo Library. 

Apple has already released the beta of iOS 8.4 as well, although that update isn’t expected to hit gold standard for a good while yet. As we move through 2015 towards WWDC, Apple has officially confirmed that this year, ahead of the launch of iOS 9, will see the company renew its focus on stability and coherence, after a couple of years of hardcore innovation and upheavals within its mobile platform

Beats Audio combined with iTunes, AKA Apple’s Spotify rival is tipped to show up this year, as is the company’s new VOD service which will apparently feature access to 25 US cable channels for around $25-$25 a month. You can see what Apple has in store for iOS for the remainder of the year in our iOS 8 to iOS 9 piece

But before we get into that lets first take a look at what iCloud Photo Library is and how you set it up. 

But just what is iCloud Photo Library and how do you set it up? Read on.

iCloud Photo Library: What Exactly Is It? 

iCloud Photo Library stores every image and video from your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Macs in one central location: the cloud. That’s right: every picture and video you take lives online with iCloud Photo Library. The big idea behind this is if your photo library lives online you can access it from any device at any time, be it a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

But not only does iCloud Photo Library keep your photos and videos stored on a big hard drive in the sky, it also syncs all your edits you make across devices. So, if you take a photo on your iPhone it will automatically be uploaded to your iCloud Photo Library, which then makes that photo available on all your devices, including your Mac. Now if you make an edit to that photo on your Mac, that edit is synced across iCloud Photo Library so that picture now appears with that same edit on all your devices. Edits are synced the other way too: make an edit on an iOS device and that edit appears on your Mac.

Further, iCloud Photo Library stores all your pictures and videos in their original high-resolution format (including RAW). You can then choose to keep local copies of recent or favorite pictures in the original format or in a more compressed format on all your devices. The ability to keep device-optimized lower quality pics (like a JPEG version of an image on your iPhone instead of a RAW) means iCloud Photo Library allows you to save room on the smaller hard drives found in iPhones and iPads.

What Apple Devices Do I Need To Use iCloud Photo Library?

You need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 8.3 or later and a Mac running OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 or later. If you only have a PC, you can also interact with your iCloud Photo Library via a web browser by going to the iCloud.com Photos app.

Does iCloud Photo Library Cost Money?

Yep. Well, mostly “yep”. Every iCloud user gets 5GB of free iCloud storage, which you can also use for iCloud Photo Library. Unfortunately if you have years worth of photos, your iCloud Photo Library is going to be much, much larger. If you want to upload it all to iCloud Photo Library (and it is an all or nothing proposition) you need to shell out money for extra iCloud storage space.  Right now that extra storage costs £0.79 a month for 20GBs, £2.99 a month for 200GBs, £6.99 a month for 500GBs, and £14.99 a month for 1TB. If you go over your storage limit iCloud Photo Library will stop uploading and syncing photos and edits between devices until you pay for more storage space.

How To Set Up iCloud Photo Library On iPhone, iPod touch, iPad:

  1. First make sure you are running iOS 8.3. Go to Settings>General>Software Update to get the latest iOS.

  2. If you’ve got the current version of iOS, go to Settings>iCloud>Photos.

  3. Toggle the iCloud Photo Library switch to ON (green).

  4. If you’ve been syncing photos through iTunes, you’ll get a warning saying those photos will be removed. Click Remove Photos.

  5. Tap ‘Optimize iPhone/iPad/iPod Storage’ to keep the full-resolution photos and videos only in your iCloud Photo Library. You iOS device will download device-optimized versions of those photos to save storage space.

  6. Alternately, tap ‘Download and Keep Originals’ to store all the full-resolution, original file format photos on your iOS device. This could potentially eat up all the storage on your device, however.

Setting up iCloud Photo Library on a Mac:

  1. First make sure you are running OS X Yosemite version 10.10.3. From the Apple menu in the Finder choose About This Mac. In the screen that appears if your OS X is anything less than 10.10.3 click the Software Update button on the same screen to update Yosemite to the latest version. OS X 10.10.3 and above includes the new Photos app, which you need to use iCloud Photo Library.

  2. If you’ve got the current version of OS X, open the Photos app. You can find it by activating Launchpad in your Dock or navigating to the Applications folder on your Mac.

  3. From the menu bar in Photos, select Photos>Preferences.

  4. Click the iCloud tab in the preferences window.

  5. Check the iCloud Photo Library box. 

  6. Photos calculates the amount of iCloud storage you need based on the size of your Photos library. If you need more than the 5GB basic storage, iCloud suggests a paid plan that will give you enough storage to meet your needs. Click the Next button to proceed with purchasing the additional iCloud storage.

  7. Select whether you want to ‘Download Originals to this Mac’, which gives you access to every single, full-resolution photo and video on your Mac even when it’s not connected to the Internet or ‘Optimize Mac Storage’, which stores the full-resolution photos and videos only in your iCloud Photo Library and downloads the full-res versions to the Mac only if you have enough free hard drive space.

After you’ve set up iCloud Photo Library on your Mac you’ll notice only one visible change with your Photos Library: if you had My Photo Stream enabled before, that album will be gone. My Photo Stream automatically downloaded the last 1000 pictures takes on your iOS devices. Since iCloud Photo Library downloads and syncs all your pictures and video, there’s no need for My Photo Stream anymore.

Besides the removal of My Photo Stream, all your other pictures and albums will look the same. The only thing that has changed is that any photos from your other Macs and iOS devices automatically sync and download to your All Photos album in Photos’ Source List on your current Mac. You can then interact with any of these photos as normal: favorite them, edit them however you want–and all the changes you make to them will be synced across all your iCloud Photo Library-enabled devices.

Once iCloud Photo Library is set up on all your Macs and iOS devices you’ll be able to access any photo or edit on any device as any time.


Michael Grothaus

09:27, 14 Apr 2015

Apple's iOS 8.3 is right here with iCloud Photo Library in tow –– Here's EVERYTHING you wish to have to understand concerning the photograph app

User guides

Apple has launched OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite and iOS 8.3 to the general public. Each update brings a few lovely large new options for the Mac and iPhone and iPad, respectively, however the updates do game one large shared function: iCloud Photo Library. 

Apple has already launched the beta of iOS 8.4 as smartly, despite the fact that that update isn’t anticipated to hit gold same old for a just right at the same time as but. As we transfer thru 2015 against WWDC, Apple has formally showed that this yr, in advance of the release of iOS 9, will see the corporate renew its center of attention on balance and coherence, after a few years of hardcore innovation and upheavals inside of its cellular platform

Beats Audio mixed with iTunes, AKA Apple’s Spotify rival is tipped to display up this yr, as is the corporate’s new VOD carrier so one can it sounds as if function get right of entry to to 25 US cable channels for round $25-$25 a month. You can see what Apple has in retailer for iOS for the rest of the yr in our iOS 8 to iOS 9 piece

But ahead of we get into that shall we first check out what iCloud Photo Library is and how you put it up. 

But simply what's iCloud Photo Library and how do you put it up? Read on.

iCloud Photo Library: What Exactly Is It? 

iCloud Photo Library retail outlets each and every symbol and video out of your iPad, iPhone, iPod contact, and Macs in a single important region: the cloud. That’s proper: each and every image and video you are taking lives on-line with iCloud Photo Library. The large concept at the back of that is in case your photograph library lives on-line you'll be able to get right of entry to it from any tool at any time, be it a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod contact.

But now not most effective does iCloud Photo Library stay your pictures and movies saved on a large exhausting pressure within the sky, it additionally syncs your whole edits you are making throughout units. So, if you are taking a photograph for your iPhone it's going to mechanically be uploaded to your iCloud Photo Library, which then makes that photograph to be had on all of your units, together with your Mac. Now if you are making an edit to that photograph for your Mac, that edit is synced throughout iCloud Photo Library in order that image now seems with that very same edit on all of your units. Edits are synced the opposite direction too: make an edit on an iOS software and that edit seems in your Mac.

Further, iCloud Photo Library retail outlets your whole footage and movies of their unique top-solution layout (together with RAW). You can then make a selection to stay native copies of up to date or favourite footage within the unique layout or in a extra compressed layout on your whole units. The skill to stay tool-optimized decrease high quality % (like a JPEG model of a picture in your iPhone as an alternative of a RAW) method iCloud Photo Library lets in you to shop room at the smaller onerous drives present in iPhones and iPads.

What Apple Devices Do S Need To Use iCloud Photo Library?

You want an iPhone, iPad, or iPod contact operating iOS 8.3 or later and a Mac operating OS Y Yosemite 10.10.3 or later. If you most effective have a PC, you'll be able to additionally have interaction together with your iCloud Photo Library by means of a internet browser via going to the iCloud.com Photos app.

Does iCloud Photo Library Cost Money?

Yep. Well, most commonly “yep”. Every iCloud consumer will get 5GB of loose iCloud garage, which you'll be able to additionally use for iCloud Photo Library. Unfortunately when you have years value of pictures, your iCloud Photo Library goes to be so much, so much greater. If you wish to have to add all of it to iCloud Photo Library (and it's an all or not anything proposition) you wish to have to shell out cash for additonal iCloud space for storing.  Right now that additional garage prices £0.79 a month for 20GBs, £2.99 a month for 200GBs, £6.99 a month for 500GBs, and £14.99 a month for 1TB. If you pass over your garage restrict iCloud Photo Library will prevent importing and syncing pictures and edits among units till you pay for extra space for storing.

How To Set Up iCloud Photo Library On iPhone, iPod contact, iPad:

  1. First make sure to are operating iOS 8.3. Go to Settings>General>Software Update to get the recent iOS.

  2. If you’ve were given the present model of iOS, pass to Settings>iCloud>Photos.

  3. Toggle the iCloud Photo Library transfer to ON (inexperienced).

  4. If you have got been syncing pictures thru iTunes, you'll be able to get a caution pronouncing the ones pictures might be got rid of. Click Remove Photos.

  5. Tap ‘Optimize iPhone/iPad/iPod Storage’ to stay the whole-solution pictures and movies most effective on your iCloud Photo Library. You iOS tool will obtain software-optimized variations of the ones pictures to shop space for storing.

  6. Alternately, faucet ‘Download and Keep Originals’ to retailer all of the complete-solution, unique document layout pictures for your iOS software. This may just probably consume up all of the garage for your software, then again.

Setting up iCloud Photo Library on a Mac:

  1. First make sure to are operating OS Y Yosemite model 10.10.3. From the Apple menu within the Finder make a selection About This Mac. In the monitor that looks in case your OS Y is anything else not up to 10.10.3 click on the Software Update button at the similar monitor to update Yosemite to the recent model. OS Y 10.10.3 and above comprises the brand new Photos app, which you wish to have to use iCloud Photo Library.

  2. If you’ve were given the present model of OS Y, open the Photos app. You can in finding it through activating Launchpad on your Dock or navigating to the Applications folder in your Mac.

  3. From the menu bar in Photos, choose Photos>Preferences.

  4. Click the iCloud tab within the personal tastes window.

  5. Check the iCloud Photo Library field. 

  6. Photos calculates the volume of iCloud garage you wish to have in response to the dimensions of your Photos library. If you wish to have greater than the 5GB fundamental garage, iCloud indicates a paid plan as a way to come up with sufficient garage to meet your wishes. Click the Next button to continue with buying the extra iCloud garage.

  7. Select whether or not you wish to have to ‘Download Originals to this Mac’, which provides you with get right of entry to to each and every unmarried, complete-solution photograph and video in your Mac even if it’s now not hooked up to the Internet or ‘Optimize Mac Storage’, which retail outlets the whole-solution pictures and movies best on your iCloud Photo Library and downloads the whole-res variations to the Mac most effective when you have sufficient loose onerous force area.

After you’ve arrange iCloud Photo Library for your Mac you’ll realize just one visual amendment together with your Photos Library: in case you had My Photo Stream enabled prior to, that album will probably be long past. My Photo Stream mechanically downloaded the final 1000 footage takes for your iOS units. Since iCloud Photo Library downloads and syncs all of your footage and video, there’s little need for My Photo Stream anymore.

Besides the removing of My Photo Stream, your whole different footage and albums will glance the similar. The best factor that has modified is that any pictures out of your different Macs and iOS units routinely sync and obtain to your All Photos album in Photos’ Source List in your present Mac. You can then have interaction with any of those pictures as standard: favourite them, edit them on the other hand you wish to have--and all of the adjustments you are making to them shall be synced throughout all of your iCloud Photo Library-enabled units.

Once iCloud Photo Library is about up on your whole Macs and iOS units you’ll be in a position to get entry to any photograph or edit on any software as any time.

Michael Grothaus 09:27, 14 Apr 2015
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