iOS backs up my entire photo library even though I use iCloud photos

[chris4565]

Hi guys,

Basically the title. I'm using iCloud photos and it works great but SOMETIMES (not always) my iPhone X and also my iPad Pro want to back up the entire library as part of the normal backup. I sometimes delete the huge backups, and then it all goes well for a couple of days until suddenly iOS decides to do the useless, additional backup of the photo library again. See here:

Anyone has an idea what's the reason?

Thanks and best wishes
Chris

 

[0128672]

I can understand maybe it's a regional difference, but the app icon shown in your screenshot isn't the one for Apple Photos (which also has an "s"). Do you have another app called Photo with that icon?

 

[chris4565]

I can understand maybe it's a regional difference, but the app icon shown in your screenshot isn't the one for Apple Photos (which also has an "s"). Do you have another app called Photo with that icon?

No, I don't have an app that's called like that. (edit: Yup, that's Affinity Photo) I did some more searching online and found a thread which also described the problem (in the iPad forum) (Link). Looks like there's definitely a bug going on here.

 

[digitalexplr]

No, I don't have an app that's called like that. I did some more searching online and found a thread which also described the problem (in the iPad forum) (Link). Looks like there's definitely a bug going on here.

That is the icon and name for Affinity Photo.

 

[chris4565]

I can understand maybe it's a regional difference, but the app icon shown in your screenshot isn't the one for Apple Photos (which also has an "s"). Do you have another app called Photo with that icon?

That is the icon and name for Affinity Photo.

Ah, yeah, now I get it, sorry. Yup, I have Affinity Photo. But that app doesn't seem to be the issue (only around 100 MB backup). The issue is the "Fotomediathek" (translated: Photo library) at the top which tries to back up almost 40 GB. So it's trying to back up my photo library even though I have iCloud photos on.

 

[TheIntruder]

It's questionable whether Camera Roll backups are included by design, or a bug, when iCloud Photos is enabled, but the easy workaround is to simply slide the switch, and they won't be included.

I don't subscribe to iCloud storage, and don't have iCloud Photos enabled, so I have to disable CR backups to have enough space backup all of my devices. I backup my photos elsewhere.

That setting actually disappeared in iOS 12 (never used 11 or 13), so for a while, I didn't have any iCloud backups of my phone at all. I'm glad it returned in 14, so the "iPhone hasn't been backed up in XXX days" is no longer present.

 

[neilr_]

It's questionable whether Camera Roll backups are included by design, or a bug, when iCloud Photos is enabled, but the easy workaround is to simply slide the switch, and they won't be included.

This workaround *might* work, but isn't a certainty.

My dad (very far away from and debugging over the phone) is seeing this behavior and his iCloud Backup fails because there isn't enough free space in iCloud. I've had him try disabling Photo Library in the iCloud Backup, but it turns itself back on (I've seen that on my own phone, but for non-photo data). Toggling iCloud Photos also did not help. He is running iOS 14.1 on an iPhone X.

On my phone (with iCloud Photos enabled), my iCloud Backup indicates that my Photo Library isn't included because iCloud Photos is enabled. This is what I would expect.