Unless you’re a pro photographer who experiments with various lenses and different lighting scenarios and techniques, is there even a need for owning an additional camera given how beautifully your iPhone takes photos and videos? Many of us rely solely on our phones to capture the moment — and then we may immediately share and broadcast those moments to the world via social media channels. But, in the process, we could be limiting our phone’s ability to function as well as it could, as well as zapping it of major battery power. The solution isn’t to stop using our phones to snap pics — it’s to get more familiar with certain iPhoto settings that can be changed to combat this problem. Start with this one: tech experts say you need to change this iPhoto setting now — it frees up so much data.
High Quality
It’s lovely to have high-quality photos, don’t get us wrong. But is it always necessary? Probably not (especially if you’re doing something like snapping a quick pic of your dog playing in the snow to share with a friend). As it turns out, the high quality function in iPhoto is responsible for snatching a ton more storage space than you might realize.
“When importing photos into iPhoto, the software by default sets all your photos to “high quality,’” says Tech Expert Morshad Alam, founder and editor at Savvy Programmer. “This setting results in large photo files that take up more storage space on your computer. To save space, you can change this setting so that your photos are imported at a lower quality.”
Tech Expert Daria Maltseva at KeyUA agrees: “Your photos and videos are stored on your device in their original, high-resolution version,” Maltseva says. “This suggests that they use plenty of space on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. With iCloud Photos, you'll make more room available on your device and have your entire collection, everywhere you go. If you would like to look at the full-resolution images on an iOS device, then Download and Keep Originals is healthier for you. If you wish to unencumber space for iOS devices, then optimizing iPhone Storage is healthier for you.”
To change the setting so that photos aren’t automatically high res, Alam says you can open iPhoto and go to Preferences (iPad: iPhoto > Preferences, iPhone: Settings > Photos & Camera). Under "Importing," check the box next to "Use Lower Quality For Imported Photos." Click on the "Settings" button and choose a lower quality setting from the drop-down menu. Click "OK" and then click "Save" in the Preferences window."
