For photographers deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, iCloud Photo Library is often seen as a seamless solution for syncing and accessing their precious images across devices. However, a persistent and frustrating issue has emerged, particularly for those shooting in RAW format: iCloud sometimes stubbornly refuses to upload RAW photos. This problem, widely reported by users, disrupts workflows and forces photographers to seek inconvenient workarounds.
This article delves into this perplexing issue of RAW photos failing to upload to iCloud, drawing from user experiences and discussions to shed light on the problem and explore potential temporary solutions.
The Frustration: RAW Files Stuck in Limbo
Many photographers have voiced their concerns about RAW files, often from professional-grade cameras like Nikon, Sony, and Canon, failing to sync with iCloud Photo Library. These aren’t isolated incidents; forum threads and online communities are filled with similar complaints. Users describe importing RAW files into Apple Photos, only to find them lingering on their devices for hours, even days, without uploading to iCloud. This lack of synchronization defeats the purpose of cloud-based photo management, especially for professionals who rely on immediate access to their images across their Apple devices for editing, sharing, and backup.
One user, Jeffnles1, initially reported this issue with their Nikon D500 RAW files. Despite confirming their camera was on Apple’s supported models list, their RAW photos simply wouldn’t upload. After contacting Apple Support and leaving the system running overnight, the problem persisted, with Photos displaying a “2 items could not be uploaded” message specifically for the RAW files. This experience echoes across other user reports, highlighting that this isn’t just a device-specific anomaly but a more widespread issue.
Ventura and the RAW Upload Problem
A recurring theme in user reports is the timing of this issue. Many users pinpoint the problem’s emergence after updating to macOS Ventura. This suggests a potential incompatibility or bug introduced in Ventura that specifically affects RAW file uploads to iCloud. While iPhone-captured images, typically in JPEG or HEIC formats, seem to sync without issue, the bottleneck appears to be specifically with RAW files from dedicated cameras after the Ventura update.
Simon@madfam noted, “It’s definitely a Ventura 13.1 issue, never happened before I installed this newest version. And only for RAW files, never for Apple iPhone images.” This observation strengthens the link between the Ventura operating system and the onset of the RAW upload problem.
Workarounds: Tricking iCloud into Syncing
Frustrated by the lack of a permanent solution, users have discovered some peculiar workarounds to force RAW files to upload to iCloud. One of the most commonly reported, albeit inconvenient, methods involves editing and then undoing the edit on the RAW photo within the Photos app.
As jeffnles1 discovered, “for grins, I edited the photo (just clicked the auto edit icon) and then immediately clicked ‘Edit / Undo Edit’. Guess what? Yep, it synched the file with iCloud in a matter of seconds.” This seemingly illogical action somehow triggers the iCloud upload process for the RAW file.
Mark_h and SvenArvid further refined this workaround, suggesting selecting multiple images, applying “Auto Enhance” (cmd-e), waiting for processing, and then immediately “Revert to Original” (cmd-z). This batch method offers a slightly more efficient way to nudge multiple RAW files to sync, but it’s still far from an ideal solution for photographers dealing with large volumes of images.
These workarounds, while functional, are clearly not sustainable for regular workflows, especially for photographers who shoot hundreds or even thousands of RAW images in a single session. Imagine having to “auto-enhance and undo” hundreds of photos just to get them to sync to iCloud!
Apple Support’s Response: A “Feature” or a Bug?
User interactions with Apple Support regarding this issue have yielded mixed and often unsatisfying responses. While some users like jeffnles1 have engaged in extended support cases, even escalating to engineering teams, a definitive fix or even a clear explanation remains elusive.
SelineMac’s experience with Apple Support is particularly concerning. They were told that the delayed RAW upload behavior is “a feature of the photos app.” This response is perplexing and frustrating for users who expect seamless syncing of all photo formats, especially RAW, which are crucial for professional photography. Classifying a broken or severely hampered upload process as a “feature” seems to disregard the user experience and the core functionality of iCloud Photo Library.
The Lingering Problem and the Need for a Real Solution
Months after the issue was widely reported, and through several macOS updates after Ventura 13.1, the problem of RAW photos not reliably uploading to iCloud persists. As Bill Winward lamented in February 2023, “Here we are in February ’23 and this issue has still not been sorted. My Sony raw files don’t sync.”
This ongoing problem forces photographers into difficult choices. Some consider switching to alternative cloud services like Lightroom, even though they prefer the convenience of iCloud’s integration within the Apple ecosystem. Others resort to shooting in JPEG format, sacrificing the editing flexibility of RAW to ensure their photos sync properly. Neither of these options is ideal.
The core issue remains: iCloud Photo Library is not consistently and reliably uploading RAW photos as expected, especially for users on macOS Ventura and later. Whether this is a bug, an unintended consequence of a system change, or indeed a bizarrely labeled “feature,” Apple needs to address this problem definitively. Photographers rely on iCloud Photo Library for seamless workflow and expect it to handle RAW files without these frustrating delays and workarounds. A proper fix, not just temporary tricks, is urgently needed to restore confidence in iCloud as a reliable solution for managing and syncing RAW photos.
