Can't Photostream from iPhone to iMac

DaveWT

Well-Known Member
I do not store my photos in iCloud. When I take a photo on my iPhone I want it to appear on my iMac. I am on Big Sur 11.2.3 and iOS 14.4.2
Previously I used Photostream to get the iPhone photos just taken, to move over to my iMac (in Photos). This no longer works and I can't think of what setting I have messed up. On the iPhone (11) I see Settings > my name at the top > iCloud > Photos > My Photo Stream with a green (on) switch. On the iMac I see System Preferences > my name at the top > Photos with a check mark beside it but I don't see other options.

What am I missing?
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
If you have (Apple ID/iCloud) -> Photos with a check mark next to it, then you are in fact syncing photos with iCloud, and the "photo stream" option is thus not available.

I believe -- can't test this at the moment but will report back when I can -- that turning Photos sync OFF in the System Preferences will make the Photo Stream option available again in Photos.
 

DaveWT

Well-Known Member
Well that sure wouldn't be intuitive. As I have iCloud Photos turned off on my iPhone and far more photos on the iMac that would fit in my measly iCloud allotment, I wouldn't have guessed at that. But I did try unchecking that box for Photos in System Preferences on the iMac, took a few test photos on my iPhone but no sign of them showing up on the iMac. Very strange as all this used to work.
 

DaveWT

Well-Known Member
I found the solution: I looked at a support document: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201317
A statement there said on the Mac to "Go to Photos > Albums > My Photo Stream." but there was no sign of "My Photo Stream" in Photos. But that clued me in that I should be looking in Photos rather than in System Preferences perhaps. So in Photos I checked Preferences and found:

Screen Shot 2021-04-09 at 10.51.14 PM.png

The "My Photo Stream" box was unchecked so I added the checkmark. Instantly my recent test photos appeared in Photos on the iMac. And a "My Photo Stream" heading appeared in the sidebar under the Photos heading. Now if only I knew how that box in Preferences got unchecked from back when it was all previously working just fine. But in case that is my fault, I won't delve deeper.
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
Yes, I erred in saying you should uncheck iCloud Photos in **System Preferences -> [Name] --> Photos.**My mistake.

Glad you found where I *meant* to say uncheck.

As for how it happened, I think this was a change in Big Sur that reset the preference. rather than user error, since I've seen this happen to other people.
 

DaveWT

Well-Known Member
As for how it happened, I think this was a change in Big Sur that reset the preference. rather than user error, since I've seen this happen to other people.

Thanks Chas, You mean I don't have to hit myself over the head (this time)?
 
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