Stop Oversharing via Email and iCloud?

August 19, 2017 9:28 PM

I'm going to troubleshoot this issue for some friends on Monday. They claim that emailing photos using an iPhone provides the recipients with a link to *all* their files stored in iCloud (including personal documents).

I think the link text is something like "View more photos." Texting the photos does not replicate the problem.

I suppose it's possible that the files are stored in some other online service but given the parameters just presume they are using iCloud. I don't know this platform well so I was hoping someone might have an idea what's going on here.

posted by sockpup to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Sounds very unlikely. Apple is quite good at ensuring security and privacy of their customer data.

Maybe if they're on some kind of family sharing plan this kind of thing is possible?
posted by davezor at 10:28 PM on August 19, 2017

Best answer: FWIW: if I go into the iPhone email app and create a new email, then "Insert Photo or Video", insert a photo from my camera roll, and send the email to myself, I get an email with the photo included inline but no links to anything else.
posted by russm at 1:58 AM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Try it in an incognito window to ensure they are not logged in.
posted by bergnotburg at 4:12 AM on August 20, 2017

If locked down correctly apple sites should be secure but it's certainly possible that settings are not quite right.
posted by sammyo at 6:24 AM on August 20, 2017

Are they sharing a camera roll?
posted by raccoon409 at 8:03 AM on August 20, 2017

I'd also guess they are sharing an album or the likes, without knowing about it.
posted by nealeg at 12:56 PM on August 20, 2017

Best answer: Yeah, ask them to email you a photo to see what's going on.

I too have an iPhone and have never encountered this issue; I use "Insert Photo or Video" and pick one from my camera roll, same as russm.
posted by fraula at 2:10 AM on August 21, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses. They helped me clarify the problem.

Turns out my friend was reopening the emails in an IMAP "Sent Mail" folder on her PC. She was then opening the attached photos which launched a photo app that contained a link to her files (all local). She didn't understand that she was leaving her email when she opened a photo.
posted by sockpup at 2:37 PM on August 22, 2017