For the mom who gives us everything - Mother's Day gifts that connects us.
Need your talk or text logs?
JohnnyLarge's profile

Tutor

 • 

5 Messages

Wednesday, September 21st, 2016 2:13 AM

Wifi requires to upload photos

Why on my new iPhone that I just switched from Verizon does it say in my iCloud photos that wifi is required? I'm not really happy that I am paying for 60 gig of data and I have to be connected to wifi to upload photos from my phone to the cloud. I want to know why this is and I want it changed so I don't not need wifi. Thanks

Employee

 • 

3.5K Messages

8 years ago

This is a phone or operating system setting. I'd contact Apple and see if there is a way to disable that.

Tutor

 • 

5 Messages

8 years ago

Photos is set to use cellular. The setting are exactly the same as my 6S on Verizon as I transferred all settings. Also, I've been using an iPhone since they were out and have had every iPhone that has been out. It's not a setting on my phone, I am 100% sure of that. I asked a few friend and they all say they must connect to wifi to automatically upload photos to iCloud..... what gives? Just to be sure I asked the same question to Apple forums earlier. They say it's an ATT issue. So, again, why is this happening??? I literally just switched 9 lines over to ATT because Verizon changed the AP's close to my house. I certain hope this isn't a forgoing thing that I'll be getting surprised by ATT. Money doesn't matter. I'll pay for what I need but I don't want to be restricted how to use my 60gig of data every month. I was told at ATT corporate store NOTHING would he different.

Professor

 • 

1.1K Messages

8 years ago

Hi @JohnnyLarge,

 

That setting is a limitation of the iCloud Photo Library. It will be that way regardless of the carrier you use.

 

At this time, iCloud Photo Library does not have an option to override this behavior. I recommend that if this is a change you'd like to see, you submit feedback to Apple via their website at http://www.apple.com/feedback/.

ACE - Sage

 • 

117.2K Messages

8 years ago

I second that.  Apple doesn't permit any alterations to its OS.  There is no difference between your iPhones OS and programming and the iPhone used on any other network.  Since iOS 5, backup to iCloud has always been when your phone is plugged into power and connected to wifi.  

 

Per Apple:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977

 

 

Tutor

 • 

5 Messages

8 years ago

Photos is set to use cellular. The setting are exactly the same as my 6S on Verizon as I transferred all settings. Also, I've been using an iPhone since they were out and have had every iPhone that has been out. It's not a setting on my phone, I am 100% sure of that. I asked a few friend and they all say they must connect to wifi to automatically upload photos to iCloud..... what gives? Just to be sure I asked the same question to Apple forums earlier. They say it's an ATT issue. So, again, why is this happening??? I literally just switched 9 lines over to ATT because Verizon changed the AP's close to my house. I certain hope this isn't a forgoing thing that I'll be getting surprised by ATT. Money doesn't matter. I'll pay for what I need but I don't want to be restricted how to use my 60gig of data every month. I was told at ATT corporate store NOTHING would he different.

Tutor

 • 

5 Messages

8 years ago

Ok guys, maybe I need to be more specific. I am not talking about backing up my data. I am referring to iCloud photos shared across all devices. For example, if I take a photo on my iPad it is automatically uploaded to my iPhone, iPhoto on my mac, iPhoto on my cloud login etc.... NOT BACKING up. If you take a photo from any apple device it automatically uploads it to all my devices. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, unless I connect to wifi. This has NEVER happened before until I switched to ATT. Believe me I know what I'm talking about. I never have received this message before. When I came home this evening I was showing my wife picture in iPhoto of today's work, at the bottom it said "must be connected to wifi to upload 9 photos to iPhone cloud". This has never happened. To test i literally just used my iPad on Verizon cellular and took a a few pictures. They uploaded to iPhoto cloud right away. I then took a new photo on ATT iPad and got the message waiting for wifi to upload photos to iPhoto cloud. This IS MOST DEFINETLY AN ATT issue. I don't understand why this is happening.

Professor

 • 

1.1K Messages

8 years ago

@JohnnyLarge I'm very well aware of what you're talking about. I specifically mentioned iCloud Photo Library.

 

I use iCloud Photo Library myself and can confirm that the carrier is irrelevant. It will act the same on any carrier.

 

You can view Apple's support page for iCloud Photo Library here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204264

 

It even mentions this fact: "Your collection uploads to iCloud each time your device connects to Wi-Fi and your battery is charged. Depending on your Internet speed, the time it takes for you to see your photos and videos on all of your devices and iCloud.com might vary."

 

If you are not on Wi-Fi or your phone battery is at 20% or below, iCloud Photo Library will not upload photos. This will happen whether you have AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, or any other carrier.

Tutor

 • 

5 Messages

8 years ago

I wish there was a way to put a video on here. Just tried it on my daughters Verizon iPhone 5s. Guess what, it loaded just as always. I have been doing this for years. I'll go to the ATT store tomorrow and show someone.

Professor

 • 

1.1K Messages

8 years ago

@JohnnyLarge, it is possible that your daughter's iPhone is using Photo Stream and not iCloud Photo LIbrary. They are different and have different requirements.

 

If your daughter's phone and your iPad are doing that, it is unexpected behavior per Apple's own documentation.

 

I'm also not sure how you've been doing this for years as iCloud Photo Library only came out of beta and was launched in April of last year (2015).

 

Can you confirm that your daughter's iPhone has iCloud Photo Library enabled by visiting Settings->iCloud->Photos and ensuring that iCloud Photo Library is in the on position? It sounds like she may be using the older version of Apple's iCloud Photo syncing, called Photo Stream.

 

Also, your daughter's phone isn't on wifi at the time the photo is uploading correct? You are seeing the Verizon tag and LTE next to it?

 

I can confirm that if I put my extra Verizon SIM I have in my unlocked iPhone 6s Plus, and turn wifi off, that it gives me the same message about needing wifi. So if you are seeing this occur, I'm not sure how.

 

It's not even that I don't believe you, it's just not supposed to happen, and I know for a fact that AT&T isn't the one crippling that ability as Apple doesn't even allow them to do so. You can confirm this by calling AppleCare at 800-275-2273 between 7am-10pm central time if you'd like.

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.