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iOS 8.1 Brings iCloud Photo Library to All Users, With Images Accessible on iOS Devices, iCloud.com

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iOS 8.1, released to the public earlier today, included Apple Pay support as its most notable feature, but it also brought several other updates to the mobile operating system, including iCloud Photo Library. With iOS 8.1, the iCloud Photo Library beta is now available to all iOS 8 users, as is a new iCloud Photos app that can be found within iCloud.com.

First introduced during WWDC, iCloud Photo Library stores all of the photos and videos that a user takes in iCloud, making them available on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Macs through iCloud.com. It will also work with the Photos app that Apple is creating for the Mac, which is expected in early 2015.

icloudphotolibraryhero.jpg
iCloud Photo Library. You're never without your camera. Now you'll never be without your photos. Every photo and video you take now lives in iCloud -- giving you the freedom to access your library from any device, anytime you want. So you can view a photo from last week or last year no matter where you are.
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iCloud Photo Library is designed to keep all of a user's photos synced on all of their devices at all times. When an image is edited on an iOS device in the Photos app with Apple's built-in editing tools, those changes are immediately uploaded to iCloud and visible on other devices right away.

iCloud Photo Library is also designed to free up valuable storage space on iOS devices. Full high-resolution photos and videos are stored in the cloud, while smaller versions of the images are displayed on devices, taking up far less storage space. iCloud Photo Library uses the iCloud storage space of each user, with 20GB of storage space available for $0.99 per month. Apple's iCloud storage plans go up to 1TB, which is priced at $19.99 per month.

iCloud Photo Library can be enabled on iOS devices in the Settings app by going to iCloud > Photos and toggling on "iCloud Photo Library." The Settings app also lets users choose whether to optimize iPhone storage or download and keep original full-sized photos on their devices.

icloudphotolibrarysettings.jpg
Once iCloud Photo Library is enabled, images and videos stored on iOS devices will be automatically uploaded to the cloud. They can be viewed as usual within the Photos app for iOS, and on the web, they can be viewed through the new iCloud Photos app on iCloud.com.

icloudphotosapp.jpg
In the iCloud Photos app, users can perform several actions that are also available in the iOS version of the Photos app. Images can be favorited, which sends them to a special "Favorites" album, they can be downloaded in full resolution, or deleted, which removes the photos from iCloud Photo Library on all devices. From the main "Moments" view, it's also possible to click on the "Select Photos" option to delete or download multiple images at once.

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iCloud Photo Library does not appear to be working flawlessly at the current point in time, which is likely why it's still given "beta" status. In MacRumors own testing, deleting some photos from the iCloud Photos app did not delete the photos from the iPhone 6 Plus they were taken on. A later sync even returned the photos to iCloud.com.

While iCloud Photo Library was available to developers during the iOS 8 beta testing period, Apple opted to pull it from the iOS 8 golden master ahead of iOS 8's public release and demote it to beta status.

The reason behind iCloud Photo Library's removal from the release version of iOS 8 was unclear, but it is possible Apple delayed the release in light of the negative press iCloud received in early September due to the celebrity photo leak.

With Apple having taken significant steps to bolster the security of iCloud, adding two-step verification and sending security emails when changes are made to iCloud or a device is restored, the company appears ready to let the public have full access to the new photo storage feature.

Article Link: iOS 8.1 Brings iCloud Photo Library to All Users, With Images Accessible on iOS Devices, iCloud.com
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/10/20/ios-8-1-icloud-photo-library/
Me shudders with memories of very beta "MobileMe" that was not quite ready for prime time. This camper passing until the kinks are worked out and it's more bug free.

Once burned, twice shy as they say!







"If one wants to live on the edge of high technology, you gotta be prepared to bleed.......been there, dome that, got the tee-shirt!"
 
so I guess I'll just leave photostream on so my photos go to my iPhoto on my mac, and then I'll turn on iCloud Photo Library for some extra backup? it looks like iCloud Photo Library wants nothing to do with iPhoto so I'm definitely going to keep photo stream on for my wireless syncing.
 
apperently i dont get it ...

wasn't the iCloud Photo Libary supposed to store ALL of your Photos and Videos so you can "make up valuable room on your iOS devices"?

But when i want to delete certain photos from my iPhone they are sent to the "recently deleted fotos folder" and will be deleted from iCloud within 30days too???

sorry but that doesn't make sense to me ... am i doing it right?
 
I'm starting to get confused about all these cloud and syncing services...

What are the differences between PhotoStream and iCloud Photo?

Photos in iCloud Photo take up alloted space on your iCloud subscription? If so, that means users have to UP their iCloud plan?

With iCloud Control Panel on my PC, I already get access to my photos via the Photo Stream folder in Pictures...how does iCloud Photo differ?
 
TheLisnakFactor said:
Not being able to have camera roll and enable this at the same time stinks. #AppleFail
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When using iCloud Photo Library, why exactly would one need the Camera Roll when Recently Added serves the same purpose?

It's essentially a name change, since photos can be added to the library by multiple methods in addition to the camera (iPad, Mac).
 
Works really well for me. I've been waiting so, so long for Apple to do this. Finally. I can't wait to have a photos app for OS X, as I thought it would be part of the beta. Oh well, iCloud.com works fine for now!! Way to go Apple.
 
dmylrea said:
I'm starting to get confused about all these cloud and syncing services...

What are the differences between PhotoStream and iCloud Photo?

Photos in iCloud Photo take up alloted space on your iCloud subscription? If so, that means users have to UP their iCloud plan?

With iCloud Control Panel on my PC, I already get access to my photos via the Photo Stream folder in Pictures...how does iCloud Photo differ?
Click to expand...

I am also confused but here's what I think:

for me photostream won't DL videos on my Mac, I'm guessing that icloud photo library will put video into the cloud.

I think there is like a 300 photo limit or similar on photo stream folders, iCloud will probably be limited to the 5gb or more if you pay.
 
Unless I'm missing something, it seems that when you download any photos and videos from iCloud.com, it doesn't preserve EXIF data, such as the photo's original date (the photo's date is when you downloaded it) and any location information. I've also noticed that downloading anything from iCloud.com also only downloads an optimized version of the photo or video. Hopefully that will change.
 
shootingstar64 said:
apperently i dont get it ...

wasn't the iCloud Photo Libary supposed to store ALL of your Photos and Videos so you can "make up valuable room on your iOS devices"?

But when i want to delete certain photos from my iPhone they are sent to the "recently deleted fotos folder" and will be deleted from iCloud within 30days too???

sorry but that doesn't make sense to me ... am i doing it right?
Click to expand...

Yes, it stores ALL photos/videos in full resolution. On each device you have the option to store full copies of all the photos/videos, or you can optimize storage and only store iphone/ipad display optimized versions.

If you delete something there's a "recently deleted", kind of like a trash bin that will get emptied after 30 days. What about that doesn't make sense?

dmylrea said:
I'm starting to get confused about all these cloud and syncing services...

What are the differences between PhotoStream and iCloud Photo?

Photos in iCloud Photo take up alloted space on your iCloud subscription? If so, that means users have to UP their iCloud plan?

With iCloud Control Panel on my PC, I already get access to my photos via the Photo Stream folder in Pictures...how does iCloud Photo differ?
Click to expand...

Photostream: Keep 1000 most recent photos (not videos). They're duplicate from the camera roll and don't count toward your iCloud storage.

iCloud Photo Library: Keep ALL photos & videos in full resolution with full sync across all your devices (iOS & Mac). No limit, but you'll have to pay for storage (Apple isn't in the game of handing out free storage).

Tommy7 said:
How to upload photos from Mac to iCloud photo library?
Thank you :apple:
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Wait until 2015 with the Mac Photos app. Or if you want to now, copy photos to an SD card and import them using an iPad with the SD - Lightening adapter.
 
haruhiko said:
Photos and beta and cloud coming together... Not a good sign. I will only enable it after the beta tag has been removed.
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hahaha I agree man I had it enabled for a minute or two but then thought the better of it. I'll hang out with photostream and iPhoto until the kinks are worked out.
 
Can't sync photos from iTunes/Aperture and use iCloud Photo Library

I sync a bunch of photos from Aperture, all nicely organized into albums, to my iPhone.

I just tried turning iCloud Photo Library on, and it tells me that I can't sync photos from iTunes and use iCloud Photo Library at the same time. If I turn it on, it'll delete the nearly 6000 photos from my device.

I guess I'll have to wait and see what the Photos app on OS X will eventually offer. I don't like the current organization of "moments"/etc - I want my own specific organization into albums.

(I'm OK with the "moments" stuff for random pics I take on my iPhone, but photos sync'd from my Mac should allow me to choose albums/organization - I hope the new Photos app allows this)
 
Does iCloud Photo Library break Aperture & iPhoto's auto-import of iCloud photos?

Wondering if anyone has tested whether enabling this Beta stops Aperture and iPhoto's auto-import of iCloud photostream from functioning properly.

That feature is the easy-button to my photo workflow that I don't want to give up until there's a suitable replacement. And like other have said: beta cloud features for my photos make me nervous!
 
I'm still not completely convinced of Apple's competence with cloud storage. The road to iTunes Match has been pretty rocky. But I'll give them a chance. Apple is certainly building out their capacity, so hopefully it will go smoothly.

For photos, Flickr gives me 1 tb for free. That should be plenty for the rest of my life.
 
Is this an all or nothing thing? Can I just have "favorited" pictures or some other designation get backed up?

For example, I'd like to back up family photos, but not pictures of the shopping list on my fridge.
 
Gave it a go then restored my 6 Plus

Enabled iCloud Photo Library (Beta). When I noticed all photos were off the iPhone I could not find them anywhere, not in iCloud Photo Library. At that point I needed to have access to my photos, for both me and my clients.

My only choice was to restore the 6 Plus from backup. Now that all is corrected, I can continue syncing with iTunes and Aperture. Again looking in iCloud Photo Library still there are not any photos. Truly do not know what is going on, however as a photographer there were some scary moments there. My need is to have access at all times to all my photos, on both my MBP and iPhone 6 Plus.

Nope, I will not again turn on iCloud Photo Library (Beta). Not until I am assured my access to all photos is immediate, and that I can sync with Aperture as well; of course up to the time they come out with their new photos app.
 
easteraries said:
Wondering if anyone has tested whether enabling this Beta stops Aperture and iPhoto's auto-import of iCloud photostream from functioning properly.

That feature is the easy-button to my photo workflow that I don't want to give up until there's a suitable replacement. And like other have said: beta cloud features for my photos make me nervous!
Click to expand...
My limited testing says it still works fine. When I plugged in my iPhone, iPhoto starts as normal and I can import my phones and then say DELETE as normal. However, they are still in Photo Library and on my Phone via Photo Library. I am testing now by not Syncing my iPhoto Library to my iOS device so I can test Photo Library. I just do no know how to duplicate Events.
 
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