User level: Level 1 (4 points)If I turn off iCloud syncing for photos and delete all photos from my iCloud, will the same photos stored locally on my devices be deleted?
Posted on Sep 27, 2026 11:30 PM
User level: Level 10 (93,009 points)Sep 28, 2026 12:58 AM in response to tharathep112
Yes, deleting photos from iCloud Photos will also remove them from all devices connected to the same Apple account and using iCloud Photos.
But, you can transfer your photos from iCloud to your computer or external HD before you delete the photos in iCloud:
Have a look at the steps mentioned in the related article:
Archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud - Apple Support
You can also choose to keep the photos on one device only:
User level: Level 7 (25,466 points)Sep 28, 2026 12:27 PM in response to tharathep112
tharathep112 wrote: If I turn off iCloud syncing for photos and delete all photos from my iCloud, will the same photos stored locally on my devices be deleted?
Be Careful! This depends on whether you are using Optimize Storage with iCloud Photos.
If you aren't using Optimize, then when you turn off iCloud first, your pictures won't be removed from your device. Then whatever you do at iCloud.com will be separate from what happens on the phone, and vice versa. You're completely disconnected, so deleting pictures at iCloud.com won't affect your iPhone's Photos Library at all.
If you are using Optimize Storage, then you don't actually have all the pictures' parts on your phone. So when you turn off iCloud, you will get an ominous warning
that says it will remove all the picture pieces on the phone, since they're kind of useless without iCloud. But it gives you the option of downloading all the pictures to the phone first. The problem here is that you were probably using Optimize because you didn't have room on your phone. In that case you may have to download the pictures from iCloud to a computer or hard drive before you disconnect.
Save pictures to an external drive: You can plug an external drive directly into the port on the phone, select pictures, and choose Save to Files. Photos will download them from iCloud to send them to the drive. But your phone may not be able to old them all before transfer, so you shouldn't do this with all the pictures at once.
Save pictures to a computer:
Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC
You may want to see this:
Understanding iCloud Photos - Apple Community
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256366314