Q: Deleting photos from iPhone but not iCloud

OK, you all ready?

Just open Photos App on your Mac select the files you want removed from your iPhone and iCloud and Choose File and Export them to your Mac folder location. I used pictures folder. Then you can go delete them from iCloud/all your iDevices.

This will help!  Archive or make copies of your iCloud data - Apple Support

Your Welcome,

David Riffle

Hello Larry,

The purpose of this forum is to inform and help those who have questions and need assistance.  Obviously there is a system in which Apple determines that a reply is helpful, hence the star at the bottom left of the reply box.  Seeing as you have replied more than anyone on here and have by percentage received less stars than the majority of contributors on here it might behoove you to discontinue replying. I want to make it clear this is not me asking you to stop replying but just trying to abide by the what the system that Apple has developed. This process to determine the helpfulness and level of usefulness of comments no doubt is there for a reason and surely you would not complain about this system being in place and go against the design of this system to be counter productive to its intended purpose.

Sincerely,

Sonofpooba

My understanding was that iCloud was to act as an archive of sorts. Your iPhone or iPad fills up, you archive your media in iCloud and remove it from your device and are now free to fill it up again. Your mobile device is the camera; iCloud drive is the hard drive. That'd be simple.

The way Apple has set this up is neither simple nor intuitive. Not all devices have equal storage or capabilities or the idea of a homogenous treatment of all devices would make sense. My iPhone has 8GB, but iCloud storage has a lot more, so guess where I want my photos stored? NOT ON MY PHONE. That's just the portal, not the archive. iPhones are meant to be a touch-point to the iCloud, not a smaller version of it. It's not a storage device, it is a gatherer of materials to be held somewhere else in perpetuity. Beyond frustrating until you realize that you don't have to use Apple.

Hey Google Drive, how you doin'?

damoedts wrote:

 

My understanding was that iCloud was to act as an archive of sorts. Your iPhone or iPad fills up, you archive your media in iCloud and remove it from your device and are now free to fill it up again. Your mobile device is the camera; iCloud drive is the hard drive. That'd be simple.

The way Apple has set this up is neither simple nor intuitive. Not all devices have equal storage or capabilities or the idea of a homogenous treatment of all devices would make sense. My iPhone has 8GB, but iCloud storage has a lot more, so guess where I want my photos stored? NOT ON MY PHONE. That's just the portal, not the archive. iPhones are meant to be a touch-point to the iCloud, not a smaller version of it. It's not a storage device, it is a gatherer of materials to be held somewhere else in perpetuity. Beyond frustrating until you realize that you don't have to use Apple.

 

Hey Google Drive, how you doin'?

No, your understanding is incorrect  - there are many iCloud services but none of them do that

The closest is iCloud Photo Library and it allows you to have smaller (optimized) copies of photos on devices with limited storage

And as to Google Photos - that is an option and a personal choice - I choose not to have Google peeking into my life that way and consider the cost of free much too high - you may not care how Google uses your priviate information but I do as do many others

http://www.imore.com/google-photos-may-be-free-what-personal-cost

LN

So you think Google is interested in my selfies and vacation pics? They're already in the ether once they're taken and posted anywhere Lawrence. Way past preventing that. What I don't want is my devices automating tasks that I'm trying to direct. Don't need AI; I'm smart enough to tell them what to put where and how.

I miss Polaroids and shoeboxes.

Sure they are - how do you think  Google makes money for their free stuff - CLoud storage, Photos storage, search engines, email, etc - it is by collecting private information on its users and selling it - that is their revenue source

As I said it is a personal decision - I choose not to - you make your own choice

And as to Google Photos - that is an option and a personal choice - I choose not to have Google peeking into my life that way and consider the cost of free much too high - you may not care how Google uses your priviate information but I do as do many others

http://www.imore.com/google-photos-may-be-free-what-personal-cost

LN

Figured I would add to this topic to help clear it up.  You can store pretty much anything you want in your cloud without having it on your devices.  Just get a app such as file browser and import a copy of photos, videos or documents through it.  Then you can just delete them off your phone and that will also remove them from all other devices including your icloud photo library.  They will still be in the icloud itself and you can get to them via icloud drive anytime you want. Its really not that complicated to do I just suck at explaining it.  I'm sure there are many different apps you can do this with.  You could even use bittorrent sync and just save your photos to a remote drive somewhere like your home pc, NAS, laptop etc...  anyways hope that helps someone later that comes across this forum.

It can actually be used this way

damoedts is not incorrect on this and it certainly can be used that way.

LarryHn

I am new to this forum and came here looking for answers to the question of deleting photos on my devices and not losing them on iCloud. I get the Apple's iCloud is only a "synching" service not a storage service. So that tells me I need something els to back up my photos. The issue I see is that your post show a great deal of frustration and are borderline rude to other posters. Do yourself and all of us a favour and stay off thgis thread. The tone of your replies is inappropriate.

Cheers

Dan

Actually my post is correct and factual and is not rude in any way - your is a rude personal attack which is not permitted here

Cheers

LN

Are you the administrator for this site?

That does not remove  a photos from one device and keep them on any other device - it archives the photos outside of Photos  on one device making it  unavailable for Photos to use and delete it from all devices

The answer is extremely simple

I you do not want all libraries to be identical and kept in total sync then do not use iCloud Photo Library because that is what it does and is its only reason for existence - there are other ways to move photos between devices but if you do not not want everything the same then you do not use ICPL

ICPL is not required but if you use it all devices will have identical libraries - for those devices with limited storage use optimized photos on them

LN

I have been on the phone with Apple for months on this issue with no resolve. Some days 5 hours on the phone, I take a break and then go back on for several more hours. They haven't helped me at all just more appointments with not resolve. I have been talking with higher up Senior people. Why doesn't anyone know what to do. Meanwhile...all my old photos that were on my computer are flooding my iPhone more and more everyday taking up space.

I am so frustrated with Apple and their so-called help and could scream...More and more of my memory on my phone is used up.

I have spent so many hours on the phone with them and all it does it get worse. What the ****?

I could just Scream!!!! I can't stand it anymore!!!! It doesn't do any good to call because they don't understand the problem

and can't help all all. It just gets worse with every call. I am so Disappointed with Apple, their support, and this problem

Horrible....Vivagypsy

If you have a question then please start a new thread with the details of your system and your exact question - strange RANTs with no question and no information accomplish nothing  see https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5931  for help in how to actually ask a question and get an answer

If you are trying to use iCLoud Photo Library and delete photos from only selected devices the the asner is simple - that is not how it works and is not possible

The answer is extremely simple

 

I you do not want all libraries to be identical and kept in total sync then do not use iCloud Photo Library because that is what it does and is its only reason for existence - there are other ways to move photos between devices but if you do not not want everything the same then you do not use ICPL

 

ICPL is not required but if you use it all devices will have identical libraries - for those devices with limited storage use optimized photos on them

LN