iCloud is all about making it easier for your iOS mobile devices to share data online, and between themselves and your Mac or PC. A key part of this is the Photo Stream feature, which synchronises your 1,000 most recent images across all of your iOS devices, as well as with Apple TV, and iPhoto 11, version 9.2 or later, installed on a regular Mac.
Images are automatically retired from the stream after 30 days, even if you don't have 1,000 in the queue. They won't be removed from the device that originally took them, though, or any other device that has downloaded them from iCloud.
Images in your photo stream don't count against the 5GB limit of your free iCloud account, which is good news, as few of us want to think about capacity issues when we're shooting the family on holiday -- shooting photos, that is.
Set up photo synchronisation
Like all of iCloud's features, Photo Stream is activated on your iOS 5 device through 'settings' and then 'iCloud'. Tap 'Photo Stream' and set the slider to 'on'. A complex, 5-megapixel shot from the iPhone's camera can top 2.5MB, so, to save hammering your 3G connection, Photo Stream only works when you're connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Activate the other half of the Photo Stream equation on your Mac. Go to 'system preferences' and then 'iCloud' and then check the box beside 'Photo Stream'. The find the matching setting in iPhoto at 'preferences' and then 'Photo Stream'. Check at least the boxes to 'enable Photo Stream' and allow 'automatic import'. Now, whenever you shoot an image on your iPhone, it will be automatically written to your iPhoto library the next time you start it up with your Mac connected to the Net.
Sharing images
With Photo Stream now working, each of your registered devices will watch iCloud for updates and automatically import them. iPhoto will automatically keep a copy of everything that appears in the Stream, but, on iOS devices, you need to pick and choose which to keep.
To do this, open the Photos app and tap back to the 'albums' menu. Tap into the new Photo Stream album and scroll through your images. When you find one you want to transfer to this device, tap it, and then tap the shortcut button and select 'save to camera roll'.
Because iPhoto, iTunes and iMovie control the Mac's media browser, which is used by many of Apple's consumer apps and several others from third parties, your Photo Stream will also show up in Pages, Keynote and Numbers, both on the Mac and your iOS device.
On the Mac, open the media browser, click 'photos' and select either the monthly Photo Stream entry that appears in the iPhoto section or, if you need an image from an earlier month, pick 'events', followed by the relevant month.
On an iOS device, tap the toolbar's media button and select Photo Stream from the list of sources, where you will find each of the images synchronised from your other devices.
Photo Stream works in both directions, so you can just as easily use it to upload images from your regular camera to an iOS device via iPhoto. Import your images either by dragging them into the iPhoto library, at which point you'll find them by clicking 'last import' in the sidebar, or by clicking 'file' and then 'import to library' and selecting your source media.
Drag the images onto the Photo Stream entry in the sidebar to send them up to iCloud and make them visible on your iOS device.
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Comments 14
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anonymous 16 October, 2011 00:27
This does not match anything in the system prefs on my iMac. Everything is upto date but I do not have an iCloud icon. Any advice please? "Go to 'system preferences' and then 'iCloud' and then check the box beside 'Photo Stream'. "
anonymous 16 October, 2011 04:55
Too good to be true. Be careful before you update to iOS5. First some apps are massively slower after the update, it consumes more space and lots of pictures got deleted on my iPod.
Luckily I have a backup. Never trust Apple as a backup solution - otherwise you might easily loose everything. The sync function with my PC does not work so far.
anonymous 16 October, 2011 05:53
so does the icloud only work with a mac or mac desktop? what about a dell home computer
anonymous 16 October, 2011 11:26
Same for me, no iCloud icon in system preferences, using Lion and an iOS5 iPhone 4.
Interewsting that Firefox says "this browser is not supported" on my MAC, but works fine on my PC ! Same versions of Firefox by the way.
anonymous 16 October, 2011 13:03
If you don't have the iCloud icon, you need to download the 10.7.2 combo update. The update ADDS the icon.
anonymous 16 October, 2011 20:45
In order to use iCloud as it was designed to be used, it is first necessary to BUY a £21 10.7.2 upgrade ie the debugged 'OSX Lion' from the App Store.
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/os-x-lion/id444303913?mt=12&ls=1
That's always something worth mentioning when writing instructional reviews, as there are still some people who are using Snow Leopard. Imagine that!
For users, such as me who still use OSX Snow Leopard, mainly due to observing the gradually settling fallout from Lion upgraders from a safe distance, the lure of using an iPhone 4 or 4S fully, now means having to buy an upgrade. Just saying.
anonymous 17 October, 2011 14:46
How is a photo deletes from Phono Stream, I failed.
MM
anonymous 17 October, 2011 14:49
How is a photo deleted from 'Photo Stream', I failed.
MM
re spelling error on first try
anonymous 18 October, 2011 07:21
So I can get my photos from my iPhone to my computer. Big deal; I could do that before by just syncing manually. I do that for my other cameras anyway. What I want to do is share albums with friends and family, and I could do that just fine with MobileMe. No longer possible with iCloud? Well, that's a huge step backwards.
anonymous 18 October, 2011 12:07
iCloud users and Iphone 4S owners are BETA testing for next years iPhone 5 owners. Simple. You pay them, then you work for them and they charge you more money to get what you helped to design. Apple had better change its ways as the marketing dream bubble has definitely burst!
anonymous 31 December, 2011 15:55
I don't like the iCloud. I find that uploading photos to Photo Stream pretty much uses up my bandwidth. Also, trying to disconnect from the ICloud brings with it the statement that "If you Delete all Documents and Data from the Cloud, all documents and data will be removed from this machine." or words to that effect. I should be given the choice of continuing to store the data/documents/calendar/contacts/photos in the Cloud or be allowed to remove them from the Cloud.
anonymous 15 January, 2012 05:49
I had over 174 photos in my photo gallery on the Ipod touch and then when I downloaded itunes to my ipod all the pics in the photo gallery were not there anymore what happened to them and how do I get them back. When I clicked on my click on my gallery how it says you have no photos in the Photo Stream. I have no idea what happened to my pic, Please help me to retrieve my photos, Thank you
champrizi 13 July, 2012 14:35
The iPhone 4S also features a camera upgrade that will leave you (and your friends) asking “That picture was taken with a phone?” While the iPhone 4 had a very nice 5 megapixel camera, the iPhone 4S brings smartphone photography to new heights with an 8 megapixel, f/2.4 aperture camera with built-in autofocus, LED flash and geotagging capability. Even in low light, the new camera delivers stunning photographs, and the color accuracy and white balance are spot on. You can even edit your photos right on your iPhone 4S with included apps and film HD video at 1080p.The brand new mobile operating system, iOS 5, offers an entire package of more than 200 new features and upgrades to your iPhone 4S. Some favorites include a streamlined notification center, convenient messaging between all your Apple devices (and your friends Apple devices, too!), as well as iCloud and AirPlay integration, subscription management and much more. This smartphone comes with a whole suite of built-in apps, including the advanced voice control feature known as Siri. With an innovative, intuitive, almost sentient design, Siri allows you to speak to your smartphone as if you were speaking to your own personal assistant. Whether you’re looking for the nearest parking garage or asking Siri to look up your mother-in-law’s phone number, this intelligent app listens to what you say and then chooses the right app to complete your request.The new Apple iPhone 4S is also giving Mac users some extra options that have never been available before. AT&T and Verizon provide different iPhone services for a long time, but right now Sprint also offers amazing plans. The iPhone 4S will also be available in a 64GB model for the first time ever.For more information about the iPhone 4S, visit your local Apple retail store or your local service provider. For the more visual crowd, iPhone photography is a hobby that’s taking the world by storm, and with the advanced camera on the iPhone 4S, you’ll be taking high-quality pictures that will leave you scratching your head and wondering “That photo was taken with a phone?” The perfect colors and the awesome high-resolution will give you the great opportunity to make quality photos almost everywhere. Plus, with the most intuitive user interface on the market, anyone can produce beautiful, fun, unique and creative images with the iPhone 4S. For photo-sharing (since you’ll want to brag about how great your photos are) and fun filters and effects, Hipstamatic and Instagram 2.0 top the charts. Both iPhone apps integrate instantly with Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites so you can share your view of the world with your friends and family. Hipstamatic allows you to order prints of your favorite photo creations, and Instagram lets you preview filters and effects live as you shoot. For even further iPhone photo fun, try apps like CameraBag, Toy Camera, Color Splash, Photogene and iDarkroom. Adobe Photoshop Express is also a must-have app for instant, easy photo editing on your iPhone.
anonymous 16 January, 2013 18:42
ClipClock makes it super easy to share videos I upload straight from my phone, with the best moments highlighted!Check it out: www.clipclock.com/download/4290