samedi 11 octobre 2014
What happens when you sync your photos using Photo Stream or iCloud
backup? Where do they go, what happens if you stop syncing, and what are
your options?
Apple's known for its generally easy to use OS X and iOS operating systems, but services like iCloud Backup and your Photo Stream can be a bit of a grey area for many iPhone owners (especially celebrities, apparently).
Sure, they may be useful features, but you might not want to save every photo you take in the cloud. The most recent celebrity attacks may have come from a vulnerability in iCloud (albeit one that Apple already patched), but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't have some control over where your photos are going when they're being sent to the ominous sounding 'cloud'. Consider Photo Stream, iCloud Backup, and the alternatives to see what'll work best for you.
Your Photo Stream isn't necessarily a traditional back-up though: if you have multiple iOS devices, you'll be able to access your photos from every device, as long as your Photo Stream is turned on for both.
What some people might not know, is that you can access your photos via desktop too. If you're using Windows, you'll have to download the iCloud Control Panel, while Mac users can access their Photo Stream through System Preferences using iPhoto or Aperture.
In your Photo Stream, your photos aren't stored in the traditional sense of a cloud service with one central, online hub. Rather, photos are available only between devices and your desktop computer (although this could change with iOS 8). Notably, your Photo Stream doesn't save all your photos, only 1000 at a time, deleting older ones as space fills up.
To access Storage & Backup, go to Settings, and then to iCloud. Keep scrolling until you reach Storage & Backup. If you scroll down, you'll see the option for iCloud Backup, which automatically backs up your files and settings when your iPhone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi. To turn it off, simply swipe left.
Curiously, the iCloud Backup is actually less accessible
than your Photo Stream. There's no online resource for you to access
the data that's been backed up, but unlike Photo Stream, there isn't
even an official desktop client with which you can access the backup;
it's only accessible when you restore an iPhone and log into your iCloud account (again, this could change with iOS 8).
Notably, your iCloud Backup and your Photo stream can be used independently of each other. You can turn on your Photo Stream without having the iCloud Backup enabled and access your photos, while turning on your iCloud Backup and turning off your Photo Stream will still give you backups of your photos, although it'll be the ones from your Camera Roll. Either way, there is still cloud access to your photos unless you turn them both off.
Still, whether you insist on using iCloud or not, there are ways to protect the photos on your iOS device.
Regardless, the best thing you can do is manage your personal collection of photos and where they're stored. If you don't want something out there in some hypothetical cloud, delete if from you Photo Stream, turn off your iCloud backup, or use two-step verification. That, or just use Snapchat.
Apple's known for its generally easy to use OS X and iOS operating systems, but services like iCloud Backup and your Photo Stream can be a bit of a grey area for many iPhone owners (especially celebrities, apparently).
Sure, they may be useful features, but you might not want to save every photo you take in the cloud. The most recent celebrity attacks may have come from a vulnerability in iCloud (albeit one that Apple already patched), but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't have some control over where your photos are going when they're being sent to the ominous sounding 'cloud'. Consider Photo Stream, iCloud Backup, and the alternatives to see what'll work best for you.
Photo Stream
First thing to note: your Photo Stream and Camera Roll are not the same thing. Your Camera Roll is in your iPhone's local storage, while your Photo Stream contains photos synced across all your iOS devices via iCloud. Delete a photo from your Camera Roll, and it sticks around in your Photo Stream. The same is true for the reverse.Your Photo Stream isn't necessarily a traditional back-up though: if you have multiple iOS devices, you'll be able to access your photos from every device, as long as your Photo Stream is turned on for both.
What some people might not know, is that you can access your photos via desktop too. If you're using Windows, you'll have to download the iCloud Control Panel, while Mac users can access their Photo Stream through System Preferences using iPhoto or Aperture.
In your Photo Stream, your photos aren't stored in the traditional sense of a cloud service with one central, online hub. Rather, photos are available only between devices and your desktop computer (although this could change with iOS 8). Notably, your Photo Stream doesn't save all your photos, only 1000 at a time, deleting older ones as space fills up.
Storage & Backup
Storage & Backup in iCloud works similar to the Photo Stream, but you're able to backup more than just your photos, including your actual camera roll, accounts, documents, and settings.To access Storage & Backup, go to Settings, and then to iCloud. Keep scrolling until you reach Storage & Backup. If you scroll down, you'll see the option for iCloud Backup, which automatically backs up your files and settings when your iPhone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi. To turn it off, simply swipe left.
Notably, your iCloud Backup and your Photo stream can be used independently of each other. You can turn on your Photo Stream without having the iCloud Backup enabled and access your photos, while turning on your iCloud Backup and turning off your Photo Stream will still give you backups of your photos, although it'll be the ones from your Camera Roll. Either way, there is still cloud access to your photos unless you turn them both off.
Other solutions
I must admit, I don't think iCloud is the best backup service for iPhone. You're only limited to 5GB of free space (which barely scrapes the surface of my Camera Roll), and there's nowhere to access anything you've backed up in iCloud without a device.Still, whether you insist on using iCloud or not, there are ways to protect the photos on your iOS device.
Two-Step verification
Apple ID offers two-step verification, which sends an SMS code to your mobile device in order to manage your account. Setting it up can do wonders for your protection.iTunes Backup
It may not be as easy or convenient as the cloud, but the old classic iTunes backup is always a good option. It might be easy to forget (I learned the hard way after getting into the habit of using an external charger without plugging my iPhone into my computer, forgetting to do a backup before attempting (and failing) to update to iOS 7.1.1, and subsequently getting all my data wiped without having done an iTunes backup in 4 months), but getting into the habit of plugging your phone into your computer and setting up automatic backup upon connection is definitely worth it. There's also the option of setting up Wi-Fi Sync between your iPhone and PC connected on the same network.Third-party storage services
Most notably, Carousel by Dropbox will automatically sync all the photos from your Camera Roll. All you have to do is turn on the photo permissions for the app to have all your photos sync. Unlike iCloud services, this gives you an actual storage space for your photos, which can be accessed online so that you at least know where they are. For added safety, you can encrypt files in cloud storage with services like Boxcryptor and Cloudfogger.Curate your photos
It's not hard to understand why many people prefer the cloud as a storage space. It's convenient, usually syncs automatically, can be accessed from almost anywhere, and can provide huge amounts of storage space at little or no cost. Despite these recent attacks, it's also generally safe. It's important to keep in mind though, that these were targeted attacks carried out on high profile celebrities, and the chances of you being targeted are considerably lower.Regardless, the best thing you can do is manage your personal collection of photos and where they're stored. If you don't want something out there in some hypothetical cloud, delete if from you Photo Stream, turn off your iCloud backup, or use two-step verification. That, or just use Snapchat.
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