What Phone setting do I use to delete photos from i-Phone but keep on i-Cloud?

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What Phone setting do I use to delete photos from i-Phone but keep on i-Cloud?

My iphone is full: How can I delete photos from it but keep them all on my i-cloud?

Please answer according to the options I have on my phone for 'Photos': ie tell me which of the following settings needs changing?

iCloud Photos (currently ON),

Optimise iPhone Storage (ON), Download and Keep Originals (I assume this is linked to 'Optimise iPhone Storage'),

Upload to My Photo Stream (ON),

Upload Burst Photos (ON),

Shared Albums (OFF).

iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 13

Posted on Apr 17, 2020 5:20 PM

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Answer 1

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LACAllen

Level 8

43,494 points

Apr 17, 2020 5:37 PM in response to JMaryB

My iphone is full: How can I delete photos from it but keep them all on my i-cloud?

There is no such setting if you are using the iCloud Photo Library.,

Icloud Photo Library is a syncing service, not off device storage. Apple does not currently offer a cloud only photo service.

If you switch to optimize, the required local storage will be less. but your photos will still be present in both locations.

Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 2

JMaryB Author

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8 points

Apr 17, 2020 8:00 PM in response to LACAllen

Thanks again, LACAllen

You haven't answered my original question, though: "What Phone setting do I use to delete photos from i-Phone but keep on i-Cloud"?

Are you saying that, because my i-phone and Mac both have the same 'Apple ID', they will both sync to the same i-Cloud?

Are these two my only options now?

If I can somehow stop my phone syncing to my Mac will they both backup wirelessly to my i-Cloud anyway?

Therefore, it should be safe to delete all the photos off my phone because they will be saved on i-Cloud...?

(after which I can also use the 'Google Photos App', as I will have enough room on my Phone!!)

Do both i-Cloud and Google Photos recognise duplicates (even if I have changed the name on one of them?)?

2. If I don't stop 'syncing' from phone to Mac, and I delete all photos off my phone, what do I have to do first, to avoid losing them off ALL SYNCED DEVICES (ie my Mac and i-Cloud Library!)?

I appreciate your patience... :)

J

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Answer 3

LACAllen

Level 8

43,494 points

Apr 17, 2020 8:26 PM in response to JMaryB

You haven't answered my original question, though: "What Phone setting do I use to delete photos from i-Phone but keep on i-Cloud"?

Yes I did.

Are you saying that, because my i-phone and Mac both have the same 'Apple ID', they will both sync to the same i-Cloud?

Yes.

Therefore, it should be safe to delete all the photos off my phone because they will be saved on i-Cloud...?

Not sure why you keep asking the same question. I am going to keep giving you the same answer.

THIS IS NOT AN OPTION. If you use the iCloud Photo Library, which you are, you can't have "saved on i-Cloud" That is not how iCloud Photos works.

I honestly don't know how to answer #2.

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Answer 4

JMaryB Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 17, 2020 7:32 PM in response to LACAllen

Thanks for replying so quickly LACAllen!

I have been under the illusion that i-Cloud STORED my photos forever, which is why I pay extra storage monthly, but I may have already lost some!

Now, I cannot see the sense in paying extra for storage when it cannot keep more than the storage on my phone...Am I correct? Perhaps i-Cloud Storage is helpful if I just back up my Mac photos directly, provided I do NOT sync my i-phone to i-Cloud and ONLY sync my i-phone to my Mac?

(My Mac is backing up to Google Photos automatically, thank goodness).

I have had photos uploading automatically (I think this is what is meant by 'synced'?) to my Mac, which has been helpful: However, despite the latest photos on my phone currently visible on my Mac, the phone says "Upload Paused for 101 items...Not Enough i-Phone storage"...?! (My phone does not appear in i-Tunes when I connect it to the Mac, so maybe that has something to do with it?) Does that mean they are wirelessly going to my Mac but not to i-Cloud from my phone? (I am bewildered how I can check the photos on i-Cloud from my Mac anyway...?!)

Do I need to stop that somehow, and never sync my phone to my Mac again...? But SEPARATELY back up my phone using the 'Google Photos App' (which cannot load on my phone because I don't have enough room!!)

If I don't stop 'syncing' from phone to Mac, and I delete all photos off my phone, what do I have to do first, to avoid losing them off ALL SYNCED DEVICES (ie my Mac and i-Cloud Library!)?

I may have some of this wrong but, if I understand you correctly, to free up space on my phone now, can I still have the phone's photos 'synced' to my Mac and NOT to i-Cloud, as long as I have my Mac backing up to i-Cloud (and also Google Photos)? If so, how?

Do i-Cloud and Google Photos recognise duplicates (even if I have changed the name on one of them?)?

I don't really want to have to back up the photos manually (on external hard drive and/or Google Photos), although I do irregularly back up onto an external hard drive.

As you can see I am desperately in need of wise Help! ;). I just hope you understand what I am asking...?

Thanks :)

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Answer 5

LACAllen

Level 8

43,494 points

Apr 17, 2020 7:45 PM in response to JMaryB

So again... iCloud is a syncing service, not really a backup. Its design is to keep the content the same on each subscribed device. It is more about convenience than disaster recovery.

As a "backup", it is effective if your device is lost, stolen or just stops working. iCloud's real-time syncing design means you can get right back to the point in time where your device was lost, stolen or stooped working. To me, that is its major appeal.

You can choose which content gets synced in settings. You've asked just about photos.

Yes, the weakest link in the chain is the amount of device storage. I would never advocate only keeping your photos on the phone/iCloud. It is wise to also back them up to another location of some sort.

Your mac can be one of the synced locations. In other words, if you are signed in to iCloud on the Mac with the same Apple ID as on your phone... iCloud will sync the photos for both libraries to iCloud.

So, take a photo on your phone and within a few minutes, that photo should be synced to iCloud and your Mac. If you used Time Machine on your Mac, the library may be backed up there as well. If you use Windows, a backup of your Windows HD will create another place to keep your photos safe.

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Answer 6

JMaryB Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 17, 2020 11:17 PM in response to LACAllen

OK, thanks for the information you have given, LACAllen :)

(My phone remains full... :( )

J

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What Phone setting do I use to delete photos from i-Phone but keep on i-Cloud?

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