Delete from iPhone but stay on icloud

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Level 1

9 points

Delete from iPhone but stay on icloud

I have

2 iphones

1 mac

all actived the iCloud photo library (on the mac is "download and keep originals", on two iPhones are "optimize iPhone storage")

when I plug my iPhone to the Mac and launch the "PHOTOS" app on the mac os, I can see my iPhone on the import section, once I click it, it recognize that all the photos on my iPhone already imported to my PHOTOS, that's very easy understand because when I took the photos by iPhone, it will automatically upload to iCloud, then my "PHOTOS" on mac will automatically download the photos from the iCloud.

The problem is, how can I release the space from my iPhone? because even the photos already imported to the iCloud, but it still storaged on my iPhone space, and if I delete it, it will delete it from all the icloud.

Posted on Nov 4, 2015 10:05 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

FoxFifth

Level 10

469,029 points

Nov 4, 2015 10:16 AM in response to Yan Xing

You can reduce the storage required on the iPhone by going to Settings > iCloud > Photos and turn Optimize iPhone Storage to on.

If you delete any photos from the iPhone while iCloud Photo Library is turned on in the phone, they will also be deleted from iCloud and from any other devices connected to that iCloud Photo Library.

There is no option to allow deleting from the phone (with iCloud Photo Library on) while keeping the photos in iCloud Photo Library. You may want to request more options via http://www.apple.com/feedback/icloud.html

Also, there are 3rd party services which offer options for cloud-only storage. They include Dropbox and Flickr.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

195,025 points

Nov 4, 2015 10:13 AM in response to Yan Xing

The problem is, how can I release the space from my iPhone?

If you delete a photo from your iPhone, it will be deleted from iCloud and any photo library syncing with iCloud.

So there is no way to keep the photos in iCloud, but not on your iPhone. Actually, you should not be forced to free space on your iPhones. the "Optimize Storage" setting should ensure, that the photos will be compressed automatically, if you are running out of storage, so there is always enough storage for other apps.

You could create a second Photos Library on your mac to hold all photos, that you do not need in iCloud. And only keep a small subset of your photos in iCloud, all favorites.

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Answer 3

Yan Xing Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2015 10:28 AM in response to léonie

thanks, but wow....

the problem is once I plug my iPhone, you can see the import section with my iPhone, and there is 200 photos there already imported......it seems they all storage original size on my iPhone, others may saved on the optimized size, but I am sure the new ones will save on original on iPhone.....right?

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Answer 4

Yan Xing Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2015 10:30 AM in response to Yan Xing

I mean my concerning is if every photo just the optimized mirror images, why the new photos has taken by the iPhone still you can realize it's new on iPhone from the photos app on mac os...

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Answer 5

Yan Xing Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2015 10:45 AM in response to léonie

or @léonie

if I correct understand your reply:

iPhone will save the all the original images which have taken by the iPhone, and if you are running out of storage, the photos will be compressed automatically, but the original ones will aways on the iCloud.

right?

thanks so much.

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

195,025 points

Nov 4, 2015 11:05 AM in response to Yan Xing

iPhone will save the all the original images which have taken by the iPhone, and if you are running out of storage, the photos will be compressed automatically, but the original ones will aways on the iCloud.

right?

iCloud will store all original photos, yes. On your iPhone you may have mixture of original photos and optimized photos. This is automatic. If storage is needed , more and more originals on the iPhone will be replaced by optimized versions.

You cannot control the storage management. It is supposed to be automatic.

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Answer 7

Yan Xing Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2015 2:13 PM in response to léonie

SO, if I'm fully corrected understand, it will be these followed:

1, if I active the icloud photo library on all my devices, then I won't need (unnecessary to) to delete any of the photos.

2. Make sure my Mac has enough space ( because I chosen the "original")

3. The iPhones (I choosen "optimize") it will storage the original pictures which have taken by them temporarily until the capacity of the iPhones can not offord, then the pictures will optimized as much as the systerm can, but the iCloud and Mac still own the original size ones.

4. I don't need to do any "import from the phone" anymor like most people use to do, because the pictures will upload to icloud autimatcaly, and the Mac will download then also automatically.

but there are risks:

1. If my phone set "if try 10 times wrong password, then eased the contents", so, if I loose my phone, and if the thief tried 10 times wrong password, then the photos will delete, because the iCloud already connected with my icloud, so I assume I will lost part of the images, right?

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Answer 8

léonie

Level 10

195,025 points

Nov 4, 2015 10:42 PM in response to Yan Xing

YYes, if optimize storage is active. But delete photos you don't really need, to to save storage in iCloud and on all your devices.
AAnd try to keep only as μ any photos as fit into your iCloud storage.
yes
you will only need to import directly by sub, if you do not have an Internet connection and need the new photos on your Mac immediately.
No: when the contents of your iPhone will be erased this way - as a security measure, your iCloud contents will not be erased. Only the data on your device.

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Answer 9

Yan Xing Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 5, 2015 6:21 AM in response to léonie

really thanks so much

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Answer 10

Yan Xing Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 5, 2015 6:22 AM in response to léonie

the only improve should be still up: why when I plug the iPhone to Mac I still can see my device has some photos (not all, but some), it's better to upload all original to cloud, then the iPhone only has the optimized ones, that's should be better, right?

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