I Regret the Blood Pact I Have Made with iCloud Photos
7 hours ago
- #Cloud Storage
- #Data Integrity
- #Apple Ecosystem
- The author initially embraced iCloud Photo Library as a centralized backup solution for photos dating back to 2007.
- However, the library grew to 1.5 TB, consuming most of a 2 TB iCloud plan, prompting consideration of an expensive upgrade to 6 TB.
- iCloud lacks nuance, forcing all-or-nothing syncing with no option for partial access, complicating management.
- Attempts to create a separate, unsynced Photos library revealed bugs and inconsistencies, such as unexplained low-resolution copies and mismatched item counts.
- Importing between libraries is slow, disorganized, and fails to preserve album structures, making systematic organization difficult.
- Exporting originals for import is resource-intensive and unreliable, with significant discrepancies in photo counts.
- The author expresses distrust in iCloud's reliability and Apple's commitment to handling 'priceless' photo data, questioning its role as a liability.
- Plans include reducing iCloud dependence and verifying photo integrity, despite limited transparency from Apple.