Should I enable iCloud library on iPhone 6S if I want to use iPhoto (vs. Photos) on my iMac?

[blachman]

I've stayed with iPhotos app because my older TiVo uses TiVo Desktop to stream to my TV and that older program doesn't recognize the Photos app.
I have both iCloud library and Photo Stream enabled on my iPhone 6S and my iMac.
I just got a message on my iPhone that there is not enough device storage and gives me the option to optimize iPhone storage.
1. Should I optimize the storage?
2.Can I undo optimizing?
3. Should I have both iCloud storage and Photo Stream enabled on my iPhone?
4. What's the best way to have photos sync from my iPhone to the iPhotos (older app) on my iMac?
5. If I switch to the Photos app, how would I get it to "see" all the photos that are in iPhoto?

 

[msm0511]

I've stayed with iPhotos app because my older TiVo uses TiVo Desktop to stream to my TV and that older program doesn't recognize the Photos app.
I have both iCloud library and Photo Stream enabled on my iPhone 6S and my iMac.
I just got a message on my iPhone that there is not enough device storage and gives me the option to optimize iPhone storage.
1. Should I optimize the storage?
2.Can I undo optimizing?
3. Should I have both iCloud storage and Photo Stream enabled on my iPhone?
4. What's the best way to have photos sync from my iPhone to the iPhotos (older app) on my iMac?
5. If I switch to the Photos app, how would I get it to "see" all the photos that are in iPhoto?

You should be able to toggle off optimizing storage via settings.

I'm not really sure of the best way to have photos sync between iPhone to iPhoto. Do you still get updates to iPhoto or has Apple completely abandoned to app?

When you switch to Photos everything from iPhoto transfers over. You don't have to do anything special.

 

[doogald]

I've stayed with iPhotos app because my older TiVo uses TiVo Desktop to stream to my TV and that older program doesn't recognize the Photos app.
I have both iCloud library and Photo Stream enabled on my iPhone 6S and my iMac.
I just got a message on my iPhone that there is not enough device storage and gives me the option to optimize iPhone storage.
1. Should I optimize the storage?

Yes. All this does is allow the Photos app and iCloud Photo Library to replace all older photos on your phone with smaller thumbnails which don't take up as much storage. If you view, edit, etc., any optimized photos, then iCloud downloads the full-resolution version on the fly and probably replaces the local copy of another photo with a thumbnail.

2.Can I undo optimizing?

I believe so, but, again, you'd have storage issues if full resolution versions are downloaded back to the phone.

3. Should I have both iCloud storage and Photo Stream enabled on my iPhone?

You don't need to, but I do.

4. What's the best way to have photos sync from my iPhone to the iPhotos (older app) on my iMac?

Not sure. I have switched to the new Mac Photos app and have not used iPhotos in a long time. I do not think that the old iPhotos app supports iCloud Photo Library. (It may, however, support Photo Stream, so that's a good reason to keep that feature on.)

5. If I switch to the Photos app, how would I get it to "see" all the photos that are in iPhoto?

It automatically finds your iPhotos library and offers to convert it to the new Photos library.

See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204655 for more official information.

 

[blachman]

Thanks for the information. At times, my iMac will automatically download my latest photos from iCloud to iPhoto when I open up iPhoto. Right now (and also in the past) it doesn't. I'm thinking that because I recently enabled iCloud library on my iPhone that perhaps the photos are downloading to Photos instead of iPhoto. Both iCloud Library and Photo Stream are enabled. But, it seemed earlier that with both enabled the photos were downloading to iPhoto as desired. It also seems this stops working (I don't know how to test this) if I do something like save a Facebook photo to my iPhone library.

Regarding switching to Photos, when the photos transfer over, do the folders and albums I've already created in iPhoto also transfer? If so, do the photos automatically sort into those transferred photos and albums?

Thanks.

 

[blachman]

Yes, I think you're right about the iPhotos app not supporting iCloud photo library. It doesn't show up anywhere in the iPhotos preferences. Thanks also for the support.apple doc. In reviewing that, it does seem like my manually created folders and albums (including nested?) do transfer and that facial recognition is preserved.
I guess the only thing keeping me back from using Photos is finding an inexpensive way to stream them to my TV. I guess Apple TV does that, but I can't see spending that amount of money (including monthly charges?) just to occasionally stream photos by selecting the album they're in. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[doogald]

Yes, the transfer will move albums over - I still have all of mine, including my photo book projects.

iPhoto will still run, so you can still share albums. It's just that photos you edit in Photos will not be edited in iPhoto. Should be fine. In that link in my last post above, see:

[h=2]Using iPhoto and Aperture after you migrate to Photos[/h][FONT=&quot]iPhoto—and Aperture, if you downloaded it—remains on your system in the Applications folder, and you can continue to use it. If you open iPhoto or Aperture after you upgrade to Photos, you’ll be asked if you want to open your library there or in Photos.
Any changes or edits you make in iPhoto or Aperture aren't reflected in Photos. And any changes or edits you make in Photos aren't reflected in iPhoto or Aperture.

[/FONT]

 

[blachman]

Thanks again!