docwka

Q: If I disable and delete iCloud photos on my MacBook Pro, will the photos be deleted from my iPad as well?

I have an iPad air that has always been set to "Optimize storage" so all of its photos were being stored in iCloud. Recently, I (stupidly) turned on iCloud photo library on my mac laptop (Macbook Pro), which immediately filled up the 5G of storage. Now I want to undo that, so that I can use that storage to back up my iPad. The photos on my laptop are still on my laptop hard drive (I have the option "Download originals to this mac" selected) - and they are backed up to an external hard drive via Time Machine as well.

 

The question I can't seem to find an answer to is this: when I disable and delete the iCloud photo library on my laptop only, will it then delete all of the photos that were originally taken with, and uploaded by, my ipad? That is, will those photos no longer show up on my iPad at all?

 

Secondarily: since I have "download originals to this mac" selected, does that mean that those photos - the ones I originally took with my ipad - will still be saved, to my MacBook Pro? And just no longer accessible to the iPad?

 

And: if I want to "share" photos from my laptop back to my iPad, is there a way to do that without using iCloud photo library (that is, without using up all that space?) Is this what Photostream is for? And if so: how do you use that?

 

(Why does this all have to be so complicated? - I actually don't want an answer to that, just to the first three questions!)  Thanks all!!

iPad Air Wi-Fi, iOS 9.3.2, MacBook Pro 2012 OS 10.11.5

Posted on Jun 7, 2016 1:19 PM

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Q: If I disable and delete iCloud photos on my MacBook Pro, will the photos be deleted from my iPad as well?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jun 7, 2016 1:41 PM in response to docwka
    Level 9 (71,160 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 7, 2016 1:41 PM in response to docwka

    Why not turn off iCloud syncing on both the computer and the device? Check to make sure you have all the photos on both. If you have everything, go to iCloud.com/Photos on the computer. Click Select Photos, then hold down the option/alt key while selecting the photos. Then click the Trash Can.

     

    The photos from your iPad should be on your Mac and your iPad.

     

    Photo Stream FAQ

     

    Photo Stream Troubleshooting

     

    Photo Stream Troubleshooting (2)

     

    Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing limits

  • by docwka,

    docwka docwka Jun 8, 2016 8:40 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 8, 2016 8:40 AM in response to Eric Root

    Thanks for your quick response. It may be a solution, except...

     

    I don't have any storage space for my photos on the iPad - so I'm using the iCloud to store those photos. But I don't need iCloud storage for the 8GB of photos I have on my laptop (I back up regularly to an external hard drive).

     

    What I'm mainly concerned about is the possibility of losing the photos from my iPad - because the disable and delete screen on my mac says: "if you want to stop using iCloud Photo Library and recover your iCloud storage, you can disable it on all your devices. You then have 30 days to download your photos and videos." I do want to stop using iCloud Photo Library, but  for the laptop only.

     

    Will the iPad photos be already on my MacBook, sine I have the "download originals" option checked?

     

    WIshing I'd never said yes to that prompt to turn on iCloud Photo Library during the El Capitan install!!!

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jun 8, 2016 8:44 AM in response to docwka
    Level 9 (50,397 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 8:44 AM in response to docwka

    There is only one library, you look at it with various devices, but it is still only one library. Deleting from it means that the photo you delete no longer exist, so you don't see it anywhere.

  • by docwka,

    docwka docwka Jun 8, 2016 9:13 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iCloud
    Jun 8, 2016 9:13 AM in response to Csound1

    That's helpful but doesn't really answer the question. I took photos with my iPad. I chose to "optimize storage" and store them in iCloud.

     

    1) If my laptop is set to download and keep originals, is it also grabbing the iPad photos?

     

    OR:

     

    2) if I choose to disable and delete the iCloud Photo Library from my laptop, will those photos be forever lost?

     

    And: in order to get back that storage, will I have to turn off iCloud Photo Library on the iPad as well? (I guess I can turn it back on after 30 days and go back to using it to optimize storage on the iPad???)

     

    Thanks!!

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jun 8, 2016 9:37 AM in response to docwka
    Level 9 (50,397 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 8, 2016 9:37 AM in response to docwka

    Where else could it get them from, there is (I'll say it again) only one library of photos