How can I make my iPhone automatically delete photos backed up on iCloud on my iPhone?

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Level 1

10 points

How can I make my iPhone automatically delete photos backed up on iCloud on my iPhone?

I would like to know how to automatically have my iPhone delete photos that are already backed up onto iCloud from my iPhone, to clear up storage. I have already used up almost all 128 GB that came with my iPhone, and don't want to maually delete every photo.

iPhone 6s, iOS 10.2.1

Posted on Mar 24, 2017 10:44 AM

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Answer 1

Jonathan UK

Level 10

163,859 points

Mar 27, 2017 8:16 PM in response to Milk Jar

Hi

The following support articles offer Apple's advice for managing storage space on your iPhone:

Options for managing and freeing up storage space on your iPhone include:

Photos:

Enable iCloud Photo Library and turn on Optimise Storage.

This frees up storage space on your iPhone by keeping space saving versions of all of your photos and videos on your iPhone and full size originals in iCloud.
Files are optimised automatically, as required.
Note that, when using iCloud Photo Library, deleting a photo or video on any device that is using the service also deletes it from all other devices that are using the service, including from iCloud.
iCloud Photo Library - Apple Support

Import photos and videos to a computer and then delete them from your iPhone:

Import photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

You may also find these resources helpful:

Music:

Apps:

Delete unwanted apps: http://help.apple.com/iphone/10/#/iph248b543ca

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Answer 2

razmee209

Level 10

193,314 points

Mar 24, 2017 10:58 AM in response to Milk Jar

Milk Jar wrote:

I would like to know how to automatically have my iPhone delete photos that are already backed up onto iCloud from my iPhone, to clear up storage. I have already used up almost all 128 GB that came with my iPhone, and don't want to maually delete every photo.

There is no automatic way, you manually the delete the photos.

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Answer 3

Mar 24, 2017 2:27 PM in response to Milk Jar

The first question is do you mean "backed up onto iCloud" or "synced using iCloud Photos?" If you mean backed up, the photos are in a backup of the complete phone. The only way to recover them is to restore a backup to the phone, which will overwrite everything on the phone. Not just photos.

If you are syncing photos with iCloud (Settings/iCloud, turn on Photos) you cannot delete photos from the iPhone without also deleting the copy in iCloud and copies on any other device synced to iCloud Photos.

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Answer 4

Milk Jar Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 24, 2017 2:24 PM in response to razmee209

razmee209 wrote:

Milk Jar wrote:

I would like to know how to automatically have my iPhone delete photos that are already backed up onto iCloud from my iPhone, to clear up storage. I have already used up almost all 128 GB that came with my iPhone, and don't want to maually delete every photo.

There is no automatic way, you manually the delete the photos.

Wouldn't you think, considering Apple is such a huge company, that they have thought of everything, including the problem I have right now?

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