Can I delete iPhone photos while keeping them in iCloud?

If I want to free iPhone data by deleting some of the photos, is it possible to remain it in my iCloud? After that all the iPhone new photos could still synchronous to iCloud but iCloud won't delete the pervious deleted photos.


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Original Title: Delete iPhone photos to

Posted on Dec 7, 2025 8:42 PM

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Posted on Dec 7, 2025 10:10 PM

No. iCloud Photos is a synchronization service, and it synchronizes everything. Including deletions.


You can turn on Optimize iPhone Storage on your iPhone, to give it permission to store reduced-quality, space-saving copies of your photos. The iPhone maintains copies of all photos and decides when to switch between full-size and space-saving copies (in either direction). iCloud retains full-size copies of your photos.

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Dec 7, 2025 10:10 PM in response to tongtsang6

No. iCloud Photos is a synchronization service, and it synchronizes everything. Including deletions.


You can turn on Optimize iPhone Storage on your iPhone, to give it permission to store reduced-quality, space-saving copies of your photos. The iPhone maintains copies of all photos and decides when to switch between full-size and space-saving copies (in either direction). iCloud retains full-size copies of your photos.

Dec 7, 2025 8:51 PM in response to tongtsang6

Unfortunately, no. With iCloud Photos, your iPhone and iCloud are inseparable—like twins who insist on wearing matching outfits. Delete a photo on the iPhone, and it vanishes from iCloud too.


If you want to remove photos from your device without losing them forever, upload them manually to iCloud Drive (or any cloud storage) first. Anything you upload stays safely stored.


Uploading = keeping. Syncing = deleting together.

Dec 8, 2025 1:45 AM in response to tongtsang6

tongtsang6 wrote:

It is quite inconvenience. If I accidentally turn on the syncing button after I follow your advice, all of my uploaded photos would be gone in iCloud =_=?


He was recommending copying photos to some area outside of the iCloud Photos system before deleting them from your iPhone's Photos library (or anything else synchronized with iCloud Photos).


iCloud Photos storage counts towards your storage limit – but iCloud Photos storage is in a separate, hidden area from iCloud Drive. Photos on iCloud Drive will not show up in the Photos app – and are less convenient to access than ones stored in Photos, but iCloud Drive counts as "a place outside of the iCloud Photos system."

Dec 8, 2025 1:47 AM in response to tongtsang6

tongtsang6 wrote:

I know what you mean, but eventually we have to free some data or buy a bigger memory iPhone. I just want to make it to be more convenience in a Apple system. If I use other cloud's service, why don't I just use android.


I wasn't talking about using "other cloud's service" but about taking advantage of the "Optimize iPhone Storage" feature of Apple's cloud service – iCloud Photos.

Can I delete iPhone photos while keeping them in iCloud?

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