If you take a photo on your iPhone, it is of course useful if it is also available on your iPad and MacBook (or Windows PC). Apple makes this possible with Photo Stream. Photo Stream is a service that automatically copies any new photos you take with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to all of your other Apple products. In this guide you will learn how to set up Photo Stream.
Photo Stream is available in two variants: My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams. My Photo Stream automatically distributes photos you take on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to all your other Apple products. Shared Photo Streams allow you to share photos you've taken with friends or anyone in the world. You can decide for yourself who can control which photos.
Which devices are supported?
Shared Photo Streams are available on any iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with iOS 6.0 or later. The photos can also be shared from any Mac running Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and iPhoto 9.4 or Aperture 3.4. Do you use Windows? Make sure your PC is equipped with Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and the iCloud Control Panel 2.1 or higher for Windows. The second-generation Apple TV with Software Update 5.1 or later is also capable of sharing photos in shared photo streams.
Make sure OS X or Windows, your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, and iPhoto or Aperture are up to date to use Photo Stream
Do you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 5.1 or higher? Or do you have a Mac with OS X Lion 10.7.5 or later and iPhoto 9.2.2 or Aperture 3.2.3 or later? Then you can use my photo stream, but the shared photo streams are not available. This also applies if you are using a PC with Windows 7 or Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) and the iCloud Control Panel v2.0 or higher for Windows or a second generation Apple TV with Software Update 5.0 or higher.
Enable Photo Stream
Photo Stream is turned off by default. You must then first enable the service on all your Apple products before you can share photos. On the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, the feature can be enabled by going to Institutions to go, the menu iCloud to choose and the option Photo Stream to select. Switch here My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams in. Shared photo streams are therefore not available on older devices in particular.
You can enable Photo Stream on the iPhone, iPod or iPad via the Settings
On the Mac, Photo Stream can be enabled by going to System Preferences to go and the menu to open iCloud Select here Photo Stream in the list and click the button Options. Switch now My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams to activate in the service.
Are you using a Windows PC? Then open it iCloud Control Panel and select Photo Stream. Click the button now Options and switch My Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams in. click on Apply to confirm your choice.
Activate Photo Stream on Mac from System Preferences
Using My Photo Stream
Photo Stream is now enabled on your Mac or PC as well as iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. My photo stream will now automatically distribute photos you take on your iPhone, iPod or iPad to your Mac or PC. This also applies to photos you manually import into iPhoto or Aperture. The photos are available in iPhoto or Aperture on all devices.
Pay attention! Photos are uploaded only when a device is connected to a WiFi network. So a photo taken on an iPhone while the device is only connected to a 3G network will not be synced directly with other devices.
Share photos via Shared Photo Stream
Creating a shared photo stream is easy. Open the app on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad photos. Click the button in the top right corner Edit] and select the photos you want to share via a shared photo stream. Now click the button at the bottom of the screen Part and choose the option Photo Stream.
Share photos with acquaintances via a shared photo stream
Photos will now ask you to enter the email address(es) of the person or people you want to share the photos with. You can also select this from your address book by pressing the + to click. Then give the shared photo stream a name. You can decide for yourself whether the photo stream is public or only accessible to the recipient(s). Press the button Next one to confirm your choice. Now enter a message that you want to give to the recipient(s). click on Send in the top right corner to share the photo stream.
