Deleting photos on your iPhone can be tricky when using iCloud Photos. This article clarifies how iCloud Photos works and what happens to your photos when you delete them from your device.
iCloud Photos is designed to keep your photos and videos synced across all your Apple devices. When you enable iCloud Photos, any photo you take or delete on one device is automatically updated across all other devices signed in with the same Apple ID. This means if you delete a photo on your iPhone, it will also be deleted from your iCloud storage and any other connected devices like your Mac, iPad, or iPod Touch.
However, there’s a way to keep your photos in iCloud even after deleting them from your iPhone. The key is to optimize your iPhone storage. With “Optimize iPhone Storage” enabled in your iCloud Photos settings, your iPhone will automatically remove full-resolution photos and videos from your device to save space, while keeping smaller, optimized versions for viewing. The original, full-resolution files remain safely stored in iCloud and can be downloaded anytime you need them. You can learn more about managing your device storage here: Manage your photo and video storage – Apple Support.
Even with optimized storage, deleting a photo from your iPhone will still remove it from iCloud. If you want to remove photos from your iPhone without deleting them from iCloud, consider using a computer. You can access your full iCloud Photo Library via iCloud.com or the Photos app on your Mac. Deleting photos from either of these locations will remove them from iCloud and all synced devices, while leaving any downloaded originals on your iPhone untouched.
To recap, deleting a photo directly on your iPhone will always remove it from iCloud, regardless of your storage optimization settings. To keep photos in iCloud while freeing up space on your iPhone, utilize the “Optimize iPhone Storage” option. For selective deletion from iCloud without affecting your iPhone, manage your photos through iCloud.com or the Photos app on a Mac. For further details on iCloud Photos functionality, visit: Set up and use iCloud Photos – Apple Support.
