HT204264: iCloud Photo Library

Learn about iCloud Photo Library
WICKEDQUEEN99
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iCloud delete

Can you please help me, my computer and phone say i have no more iCloud storage. I would like to not even use the iCloud for anything. How do I delete all photos from the cloud but not from my mac? I have turned off photo sharing on all devices, i have turned off the cloud form my mac, and when i deleted a photo that i did not need from the iCloud it deleted it from my mac. So how do I stop that from happening?

iPhone 6

Posted on Dec 11, 2015 6:20 PM

by Old Toad,Apple recommended
Old Toad Old Toad
Level 10 (141,223 points)
Mac OS X
A:

The following procedure was posted by léonie on how to stop using the iCloud Photo Library:

léonie:  stop using icloud Photo Library and get all orignal files on Mac

 

Proceed, like described on this Help page: https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.0/?lang=en#/phtf5e48489c   under Stop Using iPhoto Library.

 

Basically, enable “Download Originals to this Mac” in your iCloud Preferences, and wait, untill all photos have been downloaded to your Photos Library.  Then copy your Photos LIbrary to your external drive.  The external drive needs to be formatted "MacOS Extended (Journaled).

 

Now delete all photos in your original Photos library, empty the "Recently deleted" album, wait, until all photos have been deleted from the iCloud photo Library.  Then disable iCloud Photo library as described below.

Stop using iCloud Photo Library

Important: If you decide to turn off iCloud Photo Library, first be sure to select “Download Originals to this Mac” in the iCloud pane of Photos preferences, so all your original photos can be downloaded from iCloud to your Mac. Be sure to allow time for your originals to download before turning off iCloud Photo Library completely.

  • Choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud.

iCloud pane of Photos preferences

 

  • Deselect the iCloud Photo Library checkbox to turn it off.

 

After you turn off iCloud Photo Library, the Photos app on your Mac can’t access your iCloud library, and any edits you make to photos on your Mac won’t appear on your other devices. Your library remains in iCloud and available to other devices that use iCloud Photo Library. To turn off iCloud Photo Library on all your devices, open the iCloud pane of System Preferences, click the Manage button, then click Photo Library. Click “Disable and delete.” Your photos and videos will be deleted from iCloud Photo Library in 30 days, unless you click Undo Delete before that time.

OTsig.png

Posted on Dec 15, 2015 10:38 AM

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WICKEDQUEEN99

Q: iCloud delete

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Dec 12, 2015 12:40 PM in response to WICKEDQUEEN99
    Level 9 (71,926 points)
    iTunes
    Dec 12, 2015 12:40 PM in response to WICKEDQUEEN99

    Have you gone to Photos/Preferences/iCloud and unchecked the sync boxes? Have you unchecked Photos syncing in System Preferences/iCloud?

  • by WICKEDQUEEN99,

    WICKEDQUEEN99 WICKEDQUEEN99 Dec 14, 2015 1:24 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 14, 2015 1:24 PM in response to Eric Root

    In photo preference it  only has the option to summarize photos, and importing copy items to photo library. in iCloud settings my photo stream in unchecked and iCloud photo sharing, and iCloud photo library. So what do I do? I want to delete all photos from the cloud and it seems the photos in the cloud are in library? in my photos on mac i see the library and the photos inside no other photos from my mac are in the cloud which is good. But i don't need the cloud to store photos or save them or whatever it does, so id like to delete them from the cloud, but when i do so they delete from my mac also?

  • by WICKEDQUEEN99,

    WICKEDQUEEN99 WICKEDQUEEN99 Dec 14, 2015 1:57 PM in response to WICKEDQUEEN99
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 14, 2015 1:57 PM in response to WICKEDQUEEN99

    So i made a mistake the folder there under is not library its called moments. and there is 1,383 photos.

  • by Old Toad,Apple recommended

    Old Toad Old Toad Dec 15, 2015 10:38 AM in response to WICKEDQUEEN99
    Level 10 (141,223 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 15, 2015 10:38 AM in response to WICKEDQUEEN99

    The following procedure was posted by léonie on how to stop using the iCloud Photo Library:

    léonie:  stop using icloud Photo Library and get all orignal files on Mac

     

    Proceed, like described on this Help page: https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.0/?lang=en#/phtf5e48489c   under Stop Using iPhoto Library.

     

    Basically, enable “Download Originals to this Mac” in your iCloud Preferences, and wait, untill all photos have been downloaded to your Photos Library.  Then copy your Photos LIbrary to your external drive.  The external drive needs to be formatted "MacOS Extended (Journaled).

     

    Now delete all photos in your original Photos library, empty the "Recently deleted" album, wait, until all photos have been deleted from the iCloud photo Library.  Then disable iCloud Photo library as described below.

    Stop using iCloud Photo Library

    Important: If you decide to turn off iCloud Photo Library, first be sure to select “Download Originals to this Mac” in the iCloud pane of Photos preferences, so all your original photos can be downloaded from iCloud to your Mac. Be sure to allow time for your originals to download before turning off iCloud Photo Library completely.

    • Choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud.

    iCloud pane of Photos preferences

     

    • Deselect the iCloud Photo Library checkbox to turn it off.

     

    After you turn off iCloud Photo Library, the Photos app on your Mac can’t access your iCloud library, and any edits you make to photos on your Mac won’t appear on your other devices. Your library remains in iCloud and available to other devices that use iCloud Photo Library. To turn off iCloud Photo Library on all your devices, open the iCloud pane of System Preferences, click the Manage button, then click Photo Library. Click “Disable and delete.” Your photos and videos will be deleted from iCloud Photo Library in 30 days, unless you click Undo Delete before that time.

    OTsig.png