Deleting pictures from your iPhone can sometimes be a dilemma, especially if you have enabled iCloud Photo Library. By default, when you delete a photo from your iPhone, it gets removed from iCloud as well. However, there might be instances when you want to remove photos from your iPhone to save storage space, but still keep them stored on iCloud. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps of deleting pictures on your iPhone without deleting them from iCloud.
Step 1: Open the "Photos" app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Browse through your photo library and locate the picture you want to delete without removing it from iCloud.
Step 3: Tap on the photo to open it in full view.
Step 4: Tap on the trashcan icon located at the bottom right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
Step 5: From the pop-up menu, select "Remove from iPhone." This action will delete the picture from your device but will leave it intact in your iCloud Photo Library.
Step 6: Repeat steps 3-5 for any other pictures you want to remove from your iPhone without deleting them from iCloud.
Step 7: To confirm that the photos have been deleted from the iPhone only, you can go to the "Recently Deleted" album in the "Photos" app. If the photos are still there, you can select them and tap on the "Delete" button to permanently remove them from your iPhone.
Pros Cons
1. Allows you to free up storage space on your iPhone while retaining your photos on iCloud. 1. If you delete a photo from iCloud, it will also be removed from all your other iCloud-connected devices.
2. Gives you the flexibility to manage your iPhone photo library without worrying about losing important pictures. 2. If you have limited iCloud storage, keeping a large number of photos can quickly consume your available space.
3. Provides a convenient way to declutter your iPhone by removing unnecessary photos while preserving them in the cloud. 3. Requires a stable internet connection to access and sync your photos across devices.
By following these steps, you can safely delete pictures from your iPhone without deleting them from iCloud, allowing you to optimize your device’s storage without losing your cherished memories.
Video Tutorial: How do I keep photos on iCloud only?
Do photos stay in iCloud after deleted from phone?
Yes, photos can stay in iCloud even after they are deleted from your phone. Here are the reasons why:
1. iCloud Photo Library Syncing: If you have iCloud Photo Library enabled on your iPhone, all the photos and videos you capture or import onto your device will be automatically synced with your iCloud storage. This means that they will be uploaded to iCloud and can be accessed from any device signed in to your iCloud account.
2. Deleted Items Move to Recently Deleted: When you delete photos or videos from your iPhone, they are not immediately removed from your iCloud storage. Instead, they are moved to the "Recently Deleted" folder, where they are retained for a specific period of time, usually 30 days. During this time, you have the option to recover the deleted items if needed. However, once the retention period expires, the photos will be permanently removed from iCloud as well.
3. Automatic Backup: iCloud also performs automatic backups of your iPhone, including your photos, at regular intervals as long as you have enabled iCloud Backup. These backups further ensure that even if you delete a photo from your phone, it may still be stored in an earlier backup preserved on iCloud. However, it’s important to note that iCloud backups may be overwritten over time, so the deleted photos will eventually be removed from these backups as well.
4. Syncing Across Devices: Another reason photos can remain in iCloud after deletion from your phone is because iCloud is designed to sync your media across multiple devices. If you have other devices, like an iPad or Mac, connected to your iCloud account and iCloud Photo Library enabled on those devices, the deleted photos from your iPhone may still be accessible on those devices as long as they are connected to the internet.
To ensure complete removal of photos from iCloud, you can take the following steps:
1. Delete from "Recently Deleted" Folder: Open the Photos app on your iPhone, go to the "Albums" tab, and navigate to the "Recently Deleted" album. Select the photos you want to permanently delete, and then tap the "Delete" button to remove them from your iPhone and iCloud.
2. Disable iCloud Photo Library: To prevent photos from remaining in iCloud, you can disable iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone. Go to "Settings" > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos, and toggle off "iCloud Photo Library." This will stop the automatic syncing and uploading of your photos to iCloud.
By following these steps, you can ensure that deleted photos are properly removed from your iPhone and iCloud storage.
Does deleting photos make iCloud storage?
Yes, deleting photos from your iPhone can help free up space on your iCloud storage. Here are the steps and reasons:
1. Photos in iCloud: By default, when you take photos on your iPhone, they are stored both on your device and in iCloud. This allows you to access your photos from any other device connected to your iCloud account. iCloud provides a limited amount of free storage (5GB) for each user, and any photos or files uploaded to it consume that storage space.
2. Managing iCloud storage: To manage your iCloud storage, go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your Apple ID profile at the top. Then select "iCloud" and "Manage Storage." Here, you’ll see the breakdown of storage usage by various apps and services connected to your iCloud account.
3. Photos storage optimization: To optimize your iPhone’s storage, you can go to "Settings" > "Photos" > "Optimize iPhone Storage." This feature automatically saves lower-resolution versions of your photos on your device while keeping the full-resolution versions in iCloud. This helps save storage space on your iPhone without losing access to your photos.
4. Deleting photos: If you want to remove photos permanently from your iPhone and free up iCloud storage, you can manually delete them. Open the Photos app, tap on the photo you want to delete, and tap on the trash bin icon. You can select multiple photos and delete them in one go by tapping "Select" and choosing all the photos you want to remove.
5. iCloud Sync: When you delete photos from your iPhone, they will be removed from your device and moved to the "Recently Deleted" folder within the Photos app. These photos will still occupy space in iCloud until you delete them permanently from the "Recently Deleted" folder as well. To do this, open the Photos app, go to the "Albums" tab, scroll down, and select "Recently Deleted." Tap "Select" and then "Delete All" to free up the iCloud storage completely.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your iCloud storage by deleting photos from your iPhone, thereby optimizing space and ensuring efficient usage of your allocated storage.
How do I move photos from iPhone to iCloud only?
To move photos from your iPhone to iCloud only, you can follow these steps:
1. Ensure you have enough iCloud storage: Before transferring your photos to iCloud, make sure you have sufficient storage available in your iCloud account. If not, you may need to upgrade your storage plan.
2. Connect to a Wi-Fi network: To upload your photos to iCloud, ensure that your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Uploading large amounts of data over cellular networks can consume a significant amount of your mobile data allocation.
3. Enable iCloud Photos: Open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on your name at the top, and then select "iCloud." Next, tap on "Photos" and toggle on the "iCloud Photos" option. This will enable the synchronization of your photos between your iPhone and iCloud.
4. Choose upload options: Within the iCloud Photos settings, you have different options for uploading photos. You can select "Optimize iPhone Storage" to save space on your device by keeping lower-resolution versions of photos while storing the originals in iCloud. Alternatively, you can choose "Download and Keep Originals" if you want to store full-resolution photos on your iPhone and iCloud.
5. Start the upload process: Once you’ve enabled iCloud Photos and chosen your preferred upload option, the upload process will begin automatically. Depending on the number of photos in your library and the internet connection speed, this may take some time. Make sure your iPhone remains connected to Wi-Fi and plugged into a power source to allow it to complete the process uninterrupted.
6. Monitor the progress: You can monitor the progress of your photo upload by going to the Photos app on your iPhone. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find a section labeled "Uploading x Items." This indicates the number of photos yet to be uploaded to iCloud. You can tap on this section to get more details and check the upload status.
7. Verify the upload: Once the upload process is complete, you can verify that your photos have been successfully transferred to iCloud by logging into your iCloud account on a different device or through the iCloud website. Your photos should be accessible from there, provided you are signed in with the same Apple ID.
By following these steps, you can move your photos from your iPhone to iCloud only, ensuring you have a backup of your precious memories and freeing up space on your device.
Why is iPhone storage full when I have iCloud?
When you have iCloud storage available, it can be confusing why your iPhone storage is still full. There are a few reasons why this might happen:
1. iCloud Photo Library: One common reason for storage filling up is the iCloud Photo Library. By default, your iPhone may store full-resolution photos and videos on the device itself, which consumes local storage space. To optimize storage usage, you can enable the "Optimize iPhone Storage" option under Settings > Photos & Camera > iCloud Photos. This will keep smaller photo versions on your device while the full-resolution copies are stored in iCloud.
2. App Data and Documents: Some apps store their data and documents locally on your device, which can contribute to filling up your storage. This is especially true for apps that deal with large files such as videos or gaming apps. You can check the storage usage of each app by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. From there, you can delete unused apps or clear app data to free up space.
3. Messages and Attachments: Messages, especially multimedia-rich conversations, can also take up a significant amount of storage space on your device. Messages with attachments like photos, videos, and audio recordings can quickly consume storage. You can manage this by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and selecting the Messages app. From there, you can review and delete older message threads or set automatic message deletion after a certain period.
4. Offline Media: Music, podcasts, and videos that you have downloaded from apps such as Apple Music or streaming platforms might be taking up storage space. Review your offline media downloads and remove any content you no longer need.
5. Other Data: iOS itself, as well as various apps, generate temporary files, caches, and other data that can accumulate over time. You can use a storage cleaner app or go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Recommendations to manage and delete unnecessary files.
To summarize, iCloud does provide additional storage, but it does not automatically offload all data from your iPhone. By managing your iCloud settings, optimizing photos, clearing app data, handling messages, deleting offline media, and managing other data, you can better utilize iCloud and free up storage space on your iPhone.
How do I delete 10000 photos from my iPhone?
Deleting 10,000 photos from your iPhone may seem like a daunting task, but there are a few methods you can use to efficiently remove them. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this:
1. Open the Photos app: Locate and launch the Photos app on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Select the Photos tab: Tap on the "Photos" tab at the bottom of the app to view all your photos.
3. Choose the "Select" option: Look for the "Select" button on the top-right corner of the screen and tap on it.
4. Start selecting photos: Scroll through your photo library and individually tap on the photos you want to delete. A blue checkmark will appear on the selected photos.
5. Enable continuous selection: To speed up the process, drag your finger over the photos while keeping the "Select" button pressed. This will allow you to quickly select multiple photos at once.
6. Deselect specific photos: If you mistakenly select a photo or want to exclude certain ones, tap on the photo again to unselect it.
7. Confirm deletion: Once you’ve selected all the photos you want to delete, look for the trash can icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Tap on it to confirm the deletion of the selected photos.
8. Empty the "Recently Deleted" album: Deleted photos are stored in the "Recently Deleted" album for 30 days before being permanently deleted. To free up space immediately, open the "Recently Deleted" album and tap on "Select" at the top-right corner of the screen. Then, tap on "Delete All" to permanently remove all photos from there.
Alternatively, you can also use iCloud Photo Library or a third-party app to delete photos in bulk. If you have enabled iCloud Photo Library, deleting photos on your iPhone will also remove them from your iCloud storage and other connected devices. A third-party app, like Gemini Photos or Cleaner, can scan and delete duplicate or similar photos, saving you time.
Remember to double-check the selected photos before confirming their deletion, as the process is irreversible. Additionally, make sure to back up any important photos before deleting them to avoid unintended loss.
Hope this helps you efficiently delete 10,000 photos from your iPhone!