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User profile for user: Mia4uok74
Mia4uok74 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Deleting Photos

I upgraded my iPhone and realized I didn’t get enough storage. I went from 128gb to 64.


I need to delete my photos. I’ve uploaded everything to the cloud but when I delete from my phone they auto restore. How can I clear that space… I don’t want to lose the photos but I don’t need them in my phone either. What can I do?

iPhone 12, iOS 14

Posted on Aug 17, 2021 8:54 AM

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User profile for user: muguy
muguy
User level: Level 10
81,625 points

Posted on Aug 17, 2021 9:07 AM

Two options.


  1. In Settings > Photos, turn on optimize photos. That will significantly reduce the size on device and let you still access/edit/delete everything and have those changes reflected in iCloud and other devices.
  2. If everything has uploaded. Toggle off iCloud photos on your device (Settings > Photos). This breaks the connection between your device and the cloud for photos. So, if you delete an image on device it will not affect the cloud. (try it yourself). After toggling off, make a backup to your computer (just in case) a full backup will include everything on your device. An iCloud backup should too as you no longer use iCloud photos in this scenario.
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User profile for user: muguy
muguy
User level: Level 10
81,625 points

Aug 17, 2021 9:07 AM in response to Mia4uok74

Two options.


  1. In Settings > Photos, turn on optimize photos. That will significantly reduce the size on device and let you still access/edit/delete everything and have those changes reflected in iCloud and other devices.
  2. If everything has uploaded. Toggle off iCloud photos on your device (Settings > Photos). This breaks the connection between your device and the cloud for photos. So, if you delete an image on device it will not affect the cloud. (try it yourself). After toggling off, make a backup to your computer (just in case) a full backup will include everything on your device. An iCloud backup should too as you no longer use iCloud photos in this scenario.
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Deleting Photos

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