Raw SmithGuide
iCloud sync between iPhone, iPad and Mac
Raw Smith syncs through your own iCloud. Turn on Sync photos with iCloud in Settings › iCloud on each iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account, and your photos, edits, ratings and albums follow you.
There's no Raw Smith account and no server of ours in between: your photos are stored in your own iCloud storage, in Raw Smith's private space there.
How to turn on iCloud sync
- Open Settings: Settings in the library's More menu on iPhone, the Settings button at the bottom of the sidebar on iPad, or Raw Smith › Settings… (⌘,) on a Mac.
- Choose iCloud.
- Turn on Sync photos with iCloud.
- Do the same on your other devices.
The page shows the sync Status and the iCloud Storage Used, split into originals, previews, and edits and albums. For a step-by-step setup across three devices, see the sync tutorial.
What syncs
| Photos | A preview of every photo, and its original RAW. |
|---|---|
| Edits | Every adjustment, mask and spot, plus snapshots and virtual copies. |
| Culling | Ratings, flags and color labels. |
| Organizing | Keywords, captions, names, albums and smart albums. |
| Presets | The presets you save. |
Settings such as the editor options stay per device.
Previews and originals: saving space
RAW files are large, so Raw Smith syncs them in two parts. A small preview of each photo arrives first, and that's enough to browse, cull and edit. The full original RAW downloads only when it's needed: when you export the photo, or view it at full size.
In the editor, a photo whose original is still in iCloud shows an Original in iCloud button with Download; tap it to fetch the RAW now. The Detail panel's sharpening and noise reduction happen in the RAW decode, so they need the original on the device.
Keeping every original on a device
To keep every RAW on a device, for example a Mac you edit on offline, turn on Download Originals on This Device in Settings › iCloud. Turn it off again and use Remove Downloaded Originals… to free space; the photos stay in your library and in iCloud.
How to check sync status
A sync button appears in the library's toolbar while photos are moving or when something needs attention. Tap it to see what's uploading and downloading, when it last synced, and a link to Sync Settings…. When everything is up to date, the button gets out of the way.
Thumbnails can carry a small badge:
| Uploading | The photo is on its way to iCloud. |
|---|---|
| Downloading | A newer version is coming from another device. |
| Not syncing | The original RAW couldn't be read, often because it was moved or deleted. |
| Couldn't save | The photo couldn't be saved to iCloud, for example when iCloud storage is full. |
Deleting with sync on
Deleting a photo deletes it on all your devices, along with the RAW Raw Smith keeps for it. There's no Recently Deleted, so Raw Smith asks before deleting. To tidy a library without losing anything, reject photos and filter them out instead.
Privacy and encryption
Sync uses Apple's CloudKit in your private iCloud database. Names, captions, keywords and edits are stored as encrypted fields, so if you turn on Advanced Data Protection for your Apple Account, they're end-to-end encrypted. Read more in the privacy policy.
If a photo isn't on your other device
- Check that Sync photos with iCloud is on in Settings › iCloud on both devices.
- Check both devices use the same Apple Account, and that iCloud has free space.
- Give it a moment: a photo appears once its preview has uploaded; the full RAW follows and can take a while on a slow connection.
Questions
How do I sync Raw Smith between my iPhone and Mac?
Turn on Sync photos with iCloud in Settings › iCloud on each device, signed in to the same Apple Account. Your photos, edits, ratings, flags, labels, keywords, albums and presets then follow you.
Does Raw Smith upload my photos to its own server?
No. Sync uses your private iCloud database and your own iCloud storage. There is no Raw Smith account or server.
Do I need to download every RAW on every device?
No. Other devices show and edit photos from small previews, and each original RAW downloads only when you export it or view it at full size, unless you turn on Download Originals on This Device.
If I delete a photo on one device, is it deleted everywhere?
Yes. With sync on, deleting a photo deletes it on all your devices, and it can't be undone.
Are my edits encrypted in iCloud?
Names, captions, keywords and edits are stored as encrypted fields, so with Advanced Data Protection turned on for your Apple Account they're end-to-end encrypted.