iCloud works seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem by syncing your data automatically. While this may make it easier for you, it’s also tricky to manage your photos. It’s because what you delete on your phone gets deleted from iCloud as well as long as you have it enabled.
Currently, there’s no other option to separate your iCloud data from your device data. The only way you can do so is by turning off iCloud Photo Sharing entirely. Then, you can also use other alternatives to back up your photos.
Turn Off iCloud Photo Sharing
The first easy method is to disable iCloud Photo Sharing. Doing so will turn off the online syncing process from your device library to iCloud and your iCloud can act like a different platform for photos. You can then delete photos on your device and that won’t cause changes to the photos on your iCloud.
Here’s how to turn off iCloud Photos on your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app and then tap on your Apple profile name.
- Tap on iCloud.
- Select the Photos option and then switch the toggle to turn off iCloud Photos.
- Next, go to the Photos app on your iPhone and delete your desired photos.
But you’ll still need to look for other alternatives if you decide to turn iCloud Photos back on. This is because as soon as you enable iCloud, the syncing process will resume. As a result, the photos will be deleted on iCloud as well.
In such cases, it’s best to create a backup of all the photos you don’t want on your device anymore. Then, you can delete the photos on your phone.
Back Up iCloud Photos to Computer
You may follow these steps prior to deleting the photos on your iPhone. Or, you can turn off iCloud Photos, delete the photos from your device, and then import the photos from iCloud to your Mac. Either way, you can follow these steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a cable.
- Go to the Photos app on your laptop.
- You can now view an Import screen where you’ll find all your photos and videos. If you can’t find this screen, click on your iPhone from the sidebar.
- Your Mac will ask you to unlock your iPhone with a passcode. Check your iPhone and tap on the Trust option.
- Select a destination folder to import the photos beside the Import To option.
- Next, click on Import Selected or Import All New Photos.
If you’re on Windows, you can either download photos directly from the iCloud website. Simply, open your iCloud Drive on any browser and click on the Download icon. Or, you can directly transfer the photos using a cable prior to deleting the photos:
- Connect your iPhone to your Windows PC using a lightning to USB cable.
- Make sure to select the Trust option on your iPhone.
- Click on the Start option and open Photos.
- Click on Import and then From a USB Device.
- Select what you want to import along with the destination folder.
Then, you can proceed with deleting the photos on your phone.
