delete photo on iPhone but keep in Photos

To me it looks like you enabled iCloud Photo Library in your Settings > Photo & Camera. With iCloud Photo Library enabled, your photos are not actually stored on your iPhone, they are stored in iCloud, and then deleting them on your iPhone or any device will delete them from iCloud and from all your devices that are using iCloud Photo Library. If you want to store your photos in iCloud, you can only save space by using the option "optimize storage". Then the iPhone will not download the full versions of the photos, but only smaller previews and save space. You would have to disable iCloud Photo Library to go back to the previous way you are used to.

You need to download them from iCloud.com to your Mac or else they will be deleted from everywhere if you delete them on any one device. You live by the cloud, and you can die by the cloud. Never trust your data and photos to cloud storage only. Just my 2¢.

iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support

Do I need a Backup?

iCloud Photo Library stores all of your original photos and videos in iCloud, but we always recommend you keep back up copies of your Library. You can download your photos and videos from iCloud to your computer and store them as a separate library, transfer them to your computer with iTunes, or store them on a separate drive.

Demo wrote:

You need to download them from iCloud.com to your Mac or else they will be deleted from everywhere if you delete them on any one device. You live by the cloud, and you can die by the cloud. Never trust your data and photos to cloud storage only. Just my 2¢.

I just want to add my own 2 cents, actually since I am not an expert like Demo, just my 1 cent worth, and endorse his comments. No doubt you will delete the photos everywhere as the warning message told you, that is why I posted my previous comments. Like Demo, I also don't trust cloud storage, no one's. It can be helpful (I use Dropbox and PhotoBucket) but then again it can fail leaving you without your precious pictures form the past. Best bet is to back up your photos to your Mac using Image Capture or the option of your choice and then back the Mac photos to an external HD or large flash drive. 256GB flash drives are not that expensive anymore. I may be redundant but I have mine backed up to a HD and a flash drive, and no I do not wear belts and suspenders at the same time.... 🙂

I backup the photos to iPhoto on the Mac, then to a Time Capsule using Time Machine and to an external drive as well. I don't wear a belt and suspenders at the same time either! 😁

How about a pocket protector? If not, you can borrow one of mine. 😁

Ha ha, thanks for your comment.... we need a little levity here from time to time. As to the Time Machine backup that is a great idea. I have a rMBP (typing on it right now) and use Time Machine but unfortunately my main iTunes Library, the one I sync my iPhone and iPad with, is on a PC. I dread the day I have to replace my PC as syncing with the new computer will wipe my devices as I understand it, unless I transfer my iTunes library from PC to PC first, not as easy as Mac to Mac.

As to SergZak's comment I used to see people with pocket protectors in the olds days but not anymore (I am an engineer, duhhh). Would love to borrow yours. 🙂

I think this is due to the way the iCloud Photo Library behaves. Take a look at the link by Demo on FAQ on the library, here again for quick access. iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support

Thanks for tolerating our OT humor. I suggest that you read this if you haven't ready done so.

iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support

IF you have read it and you are merely responding here again to state what your concerns were, you know now that deleting the photos from iCloud Photo library does in fact delete them everywhere.

elcpu wrote:

I dread the day I have to replace my PC as syncing with the new computer will wipe my devices as I understand it, unless I transfer my iTunes library from PC to PC first, not as easy as Mac to Mac.

Well, it's not that hard to move your iTunes library: iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer. You just have to move the iTunes Media folder to the new computer, either through a backup of it, copy to a thumb drive, over a network, etc. But if you have a Mac you can also move it to your Mac the same way, and not be concerned about PC to PC for the future.

As to SergZak's comment I used to see people with pocket protectors in the olds days but not anymore (I am an engineer, duhhh). Would love to borrow yours.

🙂

Pocket protectors were essential when you carried fountain pens or drafting pens.

Thanks, I had seen the Apple tutorial on moving the iTunes library and had bookmarked it. I have a rMBP (typing on it now) but I keep my main iTunes library on a Dell PC and that is how I sync my iPhone and iPad (my wife does the same with her identical devices). At sometime we will be buying new Dells with Windows 10 so we will have to migrate the iTunes libraries. Hope is as straight forward as you made it sound. 🙂

I've done it several times. It's pretty straightforward. Just copying one (rather large) folder. And do it with iTunes not running on either computer.