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User profile for user: mrsmoosekateer
mrsmoosekateer Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Where are my photos?

So I sign into my iCloud account and my account is an exact replica of what’s on my phone. I cannot find any photos / videos etc that are not on my phone.


Just to try it, I deleted photos from my phone and they automatically deleted from my iCloud account. I have an iPhone 11, I have iCloud Photos switched on in settings etc


What’s happening? Have I got my settings wrong somewhere? Have I lost all the photos I’ve had from previous years even though I pay each month for additional storage? I’m really worried I’ve everything! :(

Posted on Jan 13, 2021 12:38 PM

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4 replies
User profile for user: FoxFifth
FoxFifth
User level: Level 10
472,173 points

Jan 13, 2021 1:07 PM in response to mrsmoosekateer

iCloud Photos is a syncing service. Any photo you delete from a device where iCloud Photos is turned on will also be deleted from iCloud and from any other device connected to iCloud Photos. You can potentially reduce the storage space required on a device by turning on Optimize Storage. See: Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support


Apple does not currently offer cloud-only storage for photos. If that is what you want or need, you may want to explore 3rd party options such as Google Photos or Dropbox.



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User profile for user: FoxFifth
FoxFifth
User level: Level 10
472,173 points

Jan 13, 2021 1:58 PM in response to mrsmoosekateer

See the information below about Optimize Storage in: Set up and use iCloud Photos - Apple Support

If you turn on Optimize Storage, iCloud Photos automatically manages the size of your library on your device. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and space-saving versions are kept on your device. Your library is optimized only when you need space, starting with the photos and videos you access least. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them. You can use Optimize Storage on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.


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Where are my photos?

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