MSE2001

Q: Deleting photos from iPad without deleting from iCloud

How can I delete the optimized photos on my iPad mini without losing the full res copies from the cloud?

iPad Mini, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jun 21, 2016 7:47 AM

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Q: Deleting photos from iPad without deleting from iCloud

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  • by FoxFifth,

    FoxFifth FoxFifth Jun 21, 2016 7:55 AM in response to MSE2001
    Level 7 (25,843 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 21, 2016 7:55 AM in response to MSE2001

    There isn't a way to do that without turning off iCloud Photo Library on the iPad. iCloud Photo Library is designed to sync all photos to all devices where it is turned on.

     

    The following has information on turning off iCloud Photo Library if you decide to do that: Get help with your iCloud Photo Library - Apple Support

  • by MSE2001,

    MSE2001 MSE2001 Jun 21, 2016 7:56 AM in response to FoxFifth
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iOS Apps
    Jun 21, 2016 7:56 AM in response to FoxFifth

    So, I need to back up my photos to another, non-Apple storage system in order to safely remove them from my device without permanently losing them?

  • by FoxFifth,Solvedanswer

    FoxFifth FoxFifth Jun 21, 2016 8:01 AM in response to MSE2001
    Level 7 (25,843 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 21, 2016 8:01 AM in response to MSE2001

    If you are asking whether Apple offers a cloud-only storage system for photos where the photos are stored in the cloud and not kept locally on any device, the answer is that is not a service that is currently offered. iCloud Photo Library is designed primarily as a method to sync photos among devices and it does not offer a cloud-only storage option. However as noted above, you can remove them from one or more devices.