Easily Keep Your iPhone from Launching iPhoto or Aperture
Thanks to the built-in camera in the iPhone, Mac OS X sees the world’s best phone as being a camera and so every time it’s plugged in your designated imaging program will launch. That’s really a pain when all you’re trying to do is sync your phone. Under Leopard there were a few shareware programs that would change this behavior, but under Snow Leopard there’s an easier solution that involves a quick trip to Image Capture.
Launch Image Capture
Inside the Applications folder launch the program Image Capture. This is actually the program the OS runs in the background whenevery you connect an imaging device.
Connect Your Device
Connect your iPhone (or, super-bonus-tip, any camera) and it’lll show up in Image Capture.
Click on Your Device
Click on the name of your device.
Change Settings
At the bottom left of Image Capture change the Connecting this iPhone opens… dropdown to No application.
Quit Image Capture and your iPhone won’t cause your programs to launch. You’ll still be able to import them as normal, but the dialog boxes won’t auto open.
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Author: David Schloss
David Schloss is the director of the Mac Create Network and the Aperture Users Network, a professional photographer, writer, editor and photographic educator who specializes adventure sports, travel and lifestyle photography. Schloss is the author of the books Blue Pixel Personal Photo Coach: Digital Photography Tips from the Trenches and Blue Pixel Guide to Travel Photography: Perfect Photos Every Time. Schloss is the former Technical Editor for Photo District News, a position he held for six years.
9 Comments
David Day (1 comments.)
December 10th, 2009
thanks David….but my problem is that most of the time Aperture is open on my machine…when I connect the iPhone, the Ap image import dialog box opens, even though I have NEVER used it to import images. This covers the screen I am working with..any way to stop THIS behavior`?
any help would be appreciated.
cheers,
david
Francis Mariani (designwallah) (3 comments.)
December 10th, 2009
I think the tip David provided should solve the problem.
David Day
December 11th, 2009
Francis, try it for yourself…this fix doesn’t solve it for me. The difference is whether Ap is already open, IMO. I have had the Image Capture set to “no application” for the last two years and the import pane opens whenever I connect the iPhone. Maybe Ap3 will have a Preference Pane that changes this.
If I am wrong, please suggest something I may try…:-)
david
danviento
December 11th, 2009
For those of us still on 10.5, what are those shareware apps that add this functionality? How about an answer for David Day’s question? My printer also pops open the import pane when I turn it on and Aperture is already running. Since I’m using older, slower hardware (we’re talking a fast G4 here), it really bogs me down.
Anyone seen a solution for this?
Matthew London (2 comments.)
December 14th, 2009
David (Schloss) – this does not work for me either (Aperture 2.1.4 & OS 10.6.2)
I also went into iPhoto preferences and set “Connecting camera opens” to No application, but no luck.
Joanne Carter (1 comments.)
December 15th, 2009
Or there’s another way, with your iPhone connected to your Mac, go into iTunes, select your iPhone device, then go to Photos – uncheck the icon that says iPhoto or Aperture will sync everytime you connect your iPhone – that’s it – then it will stop. Joanne
David Day
December 16th, 2009
Joanne – thanks for the suggestion. That will certainly stop the problem, but will also prevent me from syncing an Ap smart album of my latest/best shots onto my phone so I can show clients…in my mind, “importing” new images is a foreground task that I should be able to control – and syncing is a background task that happens automatically, without changing my workflow. Let’s hope Ap3 will allow me to choose to NOT be interrupted and sync “invisibly” like the rest of the iTunes apps.
cheers,
david
Gelwin (1 comments.)
January 4th, 2010
Thanks David,
This has been driving me insane. If its the little things that will drive one over the edge this was one of them for me. I really enjoy the re-design of AUG and everyones efforts to make it work.
G>
Francis (3 comments.)
January 9th, 2010
Is it possible that the free program “Cameras” might help fix the problem? http://www.flexibits.com/