Skip to main content
brianp8018767
brianp8018767
Participant
November 18, 2018
Answered

Mobile app - where is everything stored?!

  • November 18, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 9696 views

So, I have a multipart question.

I have Creative Cloud and Lightroom CC. If I take a photo and then edit it using the mobile app the actual photos are still retained on the mobile device right, but where are the edits stored? Where is the catalogue? Can I change the locaiton of the stored edits? Do I now have multiple catalogues stored in separate places (my PC catalogue and my device catalogue?

Then I come home to my pc, I start Lightroom and make some more edits to the same photo. Where is the data stored now?

And the photo is still on the device right? Or is the photo now in the cloud and on the device? Or is it on the device, cloud and pc?

So then I'm home and want to print the photo that I've been working on - can I do this on the PC in full quality? If so, what file is it printing from? Or do I need to transfer back to the device to save the final version, then transfer this to the PC to print?

If I want to save my final version as a jpg on my PC can I do this? How has it suddenly transferred from my device to my PC?

All quite complicated, though clearly I'm just not keeping up.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Jao vdL

Since you are using Lightroom Classic on the desktop you have to realize that Classic is like an ancillary sattelite to the CC ecosystem. Lightroom Classic always has all its 'master' images local. Lightroom CC (including the mobile versions) has its master images in the cloud and local copies are just copies that can be deleted at any time. This is the fundamental difference. So what will happen if you shoot an image with your phone is that Lightroom CC will upload this image to the cloud. For the time being it will retain the local copy for speed and convenience but as soon as the image is uploaded the uploaded image is now the master image in CC's eyes.

Now what happens in Classic as a result (and assuming you have set up Classic to sync) is that it will download a copy of the cloud image. This image, in Classic's eyes is now the master image and the cloud image to Classic is just a copy. When you make edits in Classic, it syncs those edits up to the cloud from where it gets synced to all your devices. If you make a change on one of your devices, Classic will notice a change and download the changes. In the unlucky case you make an edit on your device while also editing on your Classic machine, the edits in Classic take precedence and you will lose the device edits in the end.

Some other questions you asked are about where the catalog is in the mobile devices. The answer is in the cloud and there is a local copy on your device in a hidden place that is not user accessible. The mobile CC (and the desktop version of this of the same name) dynamically download images as needed and store these in hidden folders. These are not meant to be user accessible. Again the idea is that the master copy is always in the cloud when using CC.

2 replies

J
Community Expert
Jao vdLCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
November 27, 2018

Since you are using Lightroom Classic on the desktop you have to realize that Classic is like an ancillary sattelite to the CC ecosystem. Lightroom Classic always has all its 'master' images local. Lightroom CC (including the mobile versions) has its master images in the cloud and local copies are just copies that can be deleted at any time. This is the fundamental difference. So what will happen if you shoot an image with your phone is that Lightroom CC will upload this image to the cloud. For the time being it will retain the local copy for speed and convenience but as soon as the image is uploaded the uploaded image is now the master image in CC's eyes.

Now what happens in Classic as a result (and assuming you have set up Classic to sync) is that it will download a copy of the cloud image. This image, in Classic's eyes is now the master image and the cloud image to Classic is just a copy. When you make edits in Classic, it syncs those edits up to the cloud from where it gets synced to all your devices. If you make a change on one of your devices, Classic will notice a change and download the changes. In the unlucky case you make an edit on your device while also editing on your Classic machine, the edits in Classic take precedence and you will lose the device edits in the end.

Some other questions you asked are about where the catalog is in the mobile devices. The answer is in the cloud and there is a local copy on your device in a hidden place that is not user accessible. The mobile CC (and the desktop version of this of the same name) dynamically download images as needed and store these in hidden folders. These are not meant to be user accessible. Again the idea is that the master copy is always in the cloud when using CC.

Jim Wilde
Community Expert
Jim WildeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 27, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Jao+vdL  wrote

In the unlucky case you make an edit on your device while also editing on your Classic machine, the edits in Classic take precedence and you will lose the device edits in the end.

I'm not sure about that, Jao. In the early days it was very much a case of "last edit wins", although that can get a bit complicated as Classic syncs changes as they are made, whereas LRCC syncs changes only after moving on to a different image. But if you have the same image open for editing in both apps, any change made in Classic will sync as it's made, and that change appears in the filmstrip in LRCC, but not in the main edit loupe window. Make a counter change in LRCC, then move to another image and that change syncs back to Classic and thus wipes out the previous changes made in Classic.

J
Community Expert
Jao vdLCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 27, 2018

Yeah not clear what takes precedence. Point is that there is lots of

opportunity for data loss with this combo

JP Hess
JP Hess
Inspiring
November 26, 2018

If the image is being accessed using Lightroom CC then the image file is in the cloud. The editing information is being stored in the cloud. Any adjustments made on the mobile device or on the computer are stored in the cloud. If you want to print that image then it will be necessary to download the full-sized copy of that image to your computer or other device that has access to software or utility that has printing capabilities because Lightroom CC itself does not have that capability.

With Lightroom CC there is only one catalog, and it is stored in the cloud. It is something that you don't have access to such that you can move it or do anything with it. I suppose it would be safe to say that the catalog is "invisible" to the user although it is there and part of the system.

brianp8018767
brianp8018767Author
Participant
November 26, 2018

Jim,

Thank you. I think I'm half way to an answer. Only half way because I think I misled in the question. Apologies! I think I actually have Lightroom Classic CC. So basically the original version, not the cloud based new version.

I wonder if you know the answer in light of this information?

Brian.

JP Hess
JP Hess
Inspiring
November 26, 2018

Nope, I won't go there because I haven't used mobile devices to take images. Someone else will have to answer your question and give you the details that you need. I have played with Lightroom CC a little, but am much more familiar with Classic.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices