Apple to Terminate ‘My Photo Stream’ in Favor of iCloud Photos
In a move that might surprise some, Apple is preparing to discontinue its “My Photo Stream” feature, turning its focus towards the more robust iCloud Photos. This change is expected to take effect this summer, signaling the end of the free iCloud feature that was originally launched a decade ago in 2011.
My Photo Stream, initially introduced alongside iCloud, served as a free method for syncing photos across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac devices. While this feature did not require additional storage costs, it was not without its limitations. Users had to manually save media from their “stream” to their Camera Roll or Library, and photos were only temporarily available on My Photo Stream before they were no longer accessible via iCloud. Critically, My Photo Stream did not support the syncing of high-resolution photos in their full quality, a constraint that may have limited its appeal to many users.
In contrast, iCloud Photos has long been viewed as a more modern solution. It offers full-resolution photo and video syncing between devices without user intervention. The only restriction is the amount of iCloud storage included in a user’s subscription plan. For those who do not use iCloud Photos, My Photo Stream has remained a feature option, albeit one that can be hidden by enabling iCloud Photos.
The shift away from My Photo Stream aligns with Apple’s broader strategy of promoting its paid iCloud storage services. Despite offering a modest 5GB of free iCloud storage since 2011, Apple will cease free photo syncing services starting from July 26th, marking the official end date for My Photo Stream. Due to the 30-day holding period of photos in My Photo Stream, Apple will discontinue uploading photos to the service from June 26th onwards.
In response to this change, Apple is encouraging users to transition to iCloud Photos. While this may require additional iCloud storage purchases for those with extensive photo and video collections, it represents a move towards a more streamlined and user-friendly photo management system. For users seeking to preserve their existing My Photo Stream photos, Apple has provided instructions on how to save these photos before the discontinuation date.
