Question 1

Where can I download CloudTether?

Accepted Answer

CloudTether is live on the iOS App Store and Google Play today — same one-tap tethering, same destinations on both platforms.

Question 2

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

Connect your phone to your camera — either with a USB cable or over the camera's Wi-Fi tethering — create a session in the app and pick your cloud destinations, then shoot. Photos transfer from camera to phone to cloud in real time.

Question 3

Do I upload to each cloud destination separately?

Accepted Answer

No. Your phone uploads each photo to us just once. We then fan that single upload out to every destination configured for the session — Dropbox, Google Drive, SmugMug, ShootProof, FTP and more — so you save bandwidth and battery.

Question 4

Do the photos stay on my phone, or is it just a conduit? Will it use up my storage?

Accepted Answer

It's just a conduit — nothing piles up. Each photo travels from your camera, through the app, straight to your cloud destinations, and the full-resolution file is then deleted from your phone automatically as soon as it's delivered. Photos never land in your camera roll and your storage isn't consumed by a shoot; only a small preview stays in the app so you can see your session history. The one exception is if you deliberately choose local delivery to save shots to the phone instead — in that mode they're kept on the device on purpose.

Question 5

Which cloud destinations are supported?

Accepted Answer

Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, SmugMug, OneDrive, Box, ShootProof, Photohawk, Flickr, Adobe Lightroom, Slack, and FTP/SFTP — with more on the way.

Question 6

Which cameras work with CloudTether?

Accepted Answer

Canon, Sony, Nikon, and Fujifilm are fully supported — including Canon EOS R / 5D / 6D / 1DX, Sony Alpha A1 / A7 / A9 / FX, Nikon Z9 / Z8 / Z6 / D850, and Fujifilm GFX / X-H / X-T / X-Pro. Panasonic, Olympus / OM System, Leica, and Pentax bodies that expose USB tethering also work.

Question 7

Does CloudTether delete or change the photos on my camera's memory card?

Accepted Answer

No. CloudTether only copies each photo off the camera as you shoot — it never deletes, moves, or edits the originals on your card. Your memory card is left exactly as it would be after a normal shoot, so you always keep your own full-resolution copy.

Question 8

Do I need Wi-Fi at the venue?

Accepted Answer

No. Your phone's mobile data connection handles the upload, so you're covered anywhere you have cellular signal.

Question 9

Does the app upload in the background?

Accepted Answer

The app needs to stay open while you shoot. iOS and Android don't allow sustained background uploads, so we keep transfers running in the foreground for reliability.

Question 10

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Transfers are encrypted end-to-end, and we never keep your photos longer than needed to deliver them to your destinations.

Question 11

Where should I mount my phone?

Accepted Answer

On the camera's hot shoe with a horizontal mount, or simply in your pocket — whether you're connected by USB cable or wirelessly over Wi-Fi.

Question 12

Can I invite my team or second shooters?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on Pro. Invite unlimited members to your workspace as owners, admins, members, or reviewers. Reviewer-only seats are great for editors, clients, or art directors who should approve photos but not shoot.

Question 13

Can clients see the photos as I shoot?

Accepted Answer

Yes — through the gallery you already use. CloudTether delivers each frame straight into your connected gallery destination (SmugMug, ShootProof, Google Photos and more) as you shoot, so clients watch photos land in your own branded gallery in real time. CloudTether is the tether that fills your gallery, not another gallery to manage.

Question 14

Does CloudTether handle RAW files?

Accepted Answer

Pro plans ingest RAW and JPEG side-by-side (CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, DNG and more). Free is JPEG-only to keep things fast and lightweight.

Question 15

Can I send smaller previews to clients and full-res to my archive?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On Pro you can set a delivery resolution per destination — for example, web-sized JPEGs to your client gallery destination and original files to Dropbox or an FTP archive at the same time.

Question 16

What is Quality Control (QC)?

Accepted Answer

QC lets a reviewer approve or reject incoming photos before they fan out to destinations. Only approved frames are delivered, so clients never see the misses. Bulk approve/reject tools are included on Pro.

Question 17

Can I run more than one camera at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pro supports multiple cameras uploading into the same session in parallel — useful for second shooters, multi-angle event coverage, and sports.

Question 18

What happens if my connection drops mid-shoot?

Accepted Answer

Photos queue on the phone and resume uploading automatically when the connection returns. Nothing is lost — the app keeps a local copy until each frame is safely delivered.

Question 19

Does it drain my phone battery?

Accepted Answer

Less than you'd think, because each photo uploads once and fans out server-side. We recommend a small USB-PD power bank for full-day events; in a pocket-mount setup the phone barely warms up.

Question 20

Can I add my own FTP or S3 bucket?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Alongside Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive, Box, SmugMug, Flickr, Adobe Lightroom, ShootProof, Photohawk and Slack, you can point sessions at your own FTP/SFTP server.

Question 21

How long are my photos kept on CloudTether servers?

Accepted Answer

Only as long as needed to deliver them. Each photo passes through on its way to your destinations and is purged automatically once delivery is complete — we don't hold a long-term copy of your work. Deleting a session removes any in-flight files immediately.

Live uploading from
Camera to Cloud

How it works

Connect

Create a Session

Shoot

Done

Everything You Need to Stay in Flow

Real-Time Uploads

Multiple Destinations

USB or Wi-Fi Tethering

Built for Photographers

Reliable & Secure

Supported camera brands

Available on iOS & Android

Your Destinations

Frequently Asked Questions

Start tethering with CloudTether

Live uploading fromCamera to Cloud