Pause/Stop Lightroom Mobile from syncing

[ianbutty]

I have two work locations: Home and Photo Studio.  At home I have a good internet connection and wifi.  At the studio my wifi connection is via a 3G network (it's tethered via my phone), it is slow and expensive.

Here is what I am trying to achieve.  I need to have the iPad on online at the studio (for email and web browsing).  I  want to load my raw files in the Lightroom Mobile on the iPad at the studio so that I can check the images, do my picks, and do some basic editing.  However, LR Mobile insists on then sending the raw files up to the cloud, thus using up all my data allowance.  I only want LR Mobile to upload to the cloud when I am back at home on my reliable, non-metered wifi connection.

I've tried using the 'Sync only over wifi' option, but because the iPad is tethered to a phone - it THINKS it is connected via wifi when reality it is connected via 3G.

I think it used to be possible to sign out of LR Mobile and still use it without it syncing to the cloud, but now when I sign out, I can't get past the login screen.

Any suggestions as to how to work round this?

[99jon]

You should be able to start/pause LR Mobile by hovering top left on the identity plate.

https://forums.adobe.com/message/9226897

[ianbutty]

That will only stop Lightroom on my computer from syncing to the cloud.  It won't stop LR Mobile from syncing - just tested it to make doubly sure.

Turn off sync in LR on computer.

Add RAW file to LR Mobile on iPad.

RAW file is still sent to Adobe Cloud  <--- This is what I need to pause.

Ian.

[99jon]

OK I understand. I think it is by design as you would be importing raw files into camera roll and then duplicating the files by adding to LR Mobile. The sync feature ensures you can work with proxies (smart previews) which optimizes usage of the device storage. Is there no way to disable a cellular data connection in the iPad settings?

[ianbutty]

Yes, I have turned off sync cellular sync by specifying 'Sync only over wifi' in options - BUT because the iPad is tethered (which uses WiFi) it THINKS it has a WiFi connection - it doesn't know that the device it is talking to is using cellular data.

I can disconnect from my local hotspot (phone) but then I can't get email or browse the web.  Both of which are as equally important as being able to work on my images when I am at my studio or when travelling.

[99jon]

Does it make a difference if you have wifi switched off in the device? I was under the impression that in those circumstances, no upload would occur if the syn only over wifi option was selected. Have you also chosen "Load Full Resolution"

Get started with Lightroom for mobile app on iOS

[ianbutty]

If I turn wifi off - I can't tether to the phone - as said in my message if I don't tether I can't get email or browse.

This is what I used to do, but then on one time I had to access some information on the internet, I connected the iPad to the phone while I got that information and during that short time, LR Mobile burned through my monthly data allowance.

I have tried connecting to the phone via bluetooth and LR Mobile still syncs even when "Sync only over WiFi is selected"  😞

[selondon]

There are a number of feature requests for this.

Here is one to vote on.....

Lightroom for mobile: I want to decide if and when I sync photos taken in the app. Please give me a ...

and another

Lightroom Mobile: How do I pause syncing? | Photoshop Family Customer Community

[s222ney]

Yet another example of poor design that is a theme thought out the mobile platform. Needed to be able to add, view and edit RAWs on the road without the app trying to upload everything. The absence of an offline mode is a massive over sight and huge pain.

[Mr_Asmus]

I'd like to chime in in agreement here -- the fact that Lightroom Mobile doesn't have an off switch for mobile sync is a pretty glaring flaw, and is in direct conflict with my primary goal of using it, specifically using it to review and cull photos while traveling. When I'm traveling I don't necessarily have a stable or fast wifi connection. Optimally I'd like to use my iPad to handle import and initial culling and review, then in the evening transition over to my laptop. I shouldn't need to worry about my tethering connection getting abused by RAWs being uploaded. Honestly, the best-case would be the ability to sync the app over USB connection or non-internet wifi (device-to-device), as I may be in a hotel with lacking wifi as well.

But the core need of being able to just control the use of data is, at the end of the day, critical to tethering or wireless-hotspot users. I would have thought that tethering would be a pretty common practice with professional photographers traveling internationally, too (who wants to source a local SIM or international plan for their cell phone AND their iPad?) so it seems silly that this isn't already in the app.

[April_W]

So I'm having the same issues as others...can't get Lightroom to stop syncing to LR Mobile. I've deleted the collections on LR Desktop and LR Mobile, but it still says "syncing 488 photos". I'm trying to stop the sync because it's locking up LR Desktop and shutting it down, and issue that was posted in 2014 by another user who fixed their own issue with something that appears to be unrelated: Lightroom 5.6 crashing after enabling sync to Lightroom mobile 

I don't use sync often, but I've never had this issue with previous versions of Lightroom. I'm currently up-to-date with Lightroom CC 2015.10.1 on Windows 7 Professional Version 6.1 (Build 7601: SP 1)

Has anyone tried reverting back to a previous release of Lightroom? If so, how far back did you need to revert to make this feature work like it used to? This is so frustrating...I've lost 3 days of work to this issue!

[Str8aero]

I agree!  Need to be able to stop or pause syncing in LRM... for all the reasons listed above!  Please!

Thanks

[Duane Bender]

Agree, need this while on a cruise where only limited bandwidth is needed for email access.

[Jack_M2]

I ABSOUTELY agree, any good software would allow us to turn off syncing. I am traveling and have access only to slow and unreliable wifi. I guess this means I won't be using Lightroom on my iPad and probably won't renew my subscription to Lightroom CC.

[peterb53790828]

AGREE I will uninstall LRM until fixed

[melindag25716662]

'same issue and it's killing my data usage on my portable wifi.

Adobe: please let me sync manually at a time of my choosing. I love your app camera but don't want it syncing with each click.

[michelleo63072324]

What happen to choosing what syncs?  I want just to sync the collections I chose.

Is it going to sync my entire catalog? I don't have to for that.

[Jack_M2]

I see that version 3.0.0 does now allow us to pause & resume syncing which is what the original post was about. I do, however, agree with micheleo... that being able to choose what to sync would be much better.

[Duane Bender]

A move in the right direction and now consistent with pause in Lightroom Classic CC.

[AK_4423]

You can turn off by clicking on GENERAL and then unselected "auto add photos"