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What Happens If I Turn Off iCloud Photos?

Delve into the impact of disabling iCloud Photos on your Apple devices.

If you want to manage your digital media files with alternative cloud storage services on your Apple device, you can disable iCloud Photos. However, doing so may change the way your photos and videos are stored and accessed. Let’s discuss what exactly happens if you turn off iCloud Photos and learn the steps to do so on your iPhone.

What Happens If I Turn Off iCloud Photos?

What Happens If I Turn Off iCloud Photos?

You may decide to turn off the syncing of your iCloud Photos due to limited back and storage on your Apple device. However, it’s crucial to understand the potential consequences and implications before making any decisions. Let’s delve deeper into this topic.

Will I Lose Photos if I Turn Off iCloud?

No. If you disable iCloud Photos Library, your existing photos and videos stored in iCloud will remain accessible and stored there. However, any new photos or videos you capture will not automatically sync to iCloud and will be stored exclusively on your device. In case you previously had iCloud Photo Library enabled and decide to turn it off, the photos and videos visible on your device will be the ones currently downloaded from iCloud.

Note: If you delete a photo or video while iCloud Photo Library is off, it will only be removed from your device and will still be retained in iCloud.

What Photos are Stored in iCloud?

iCloud is a cloud storage service provided by Apple, and it can be used to store various files, including photos. The photos that are stored in iCloud can include the following:

  • From your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch: If you have enabled the iCloud Photos feature on your device, all the photos and videos that you take with your device will be automatically uploaded to iCloud and stored there.
  • From your Mac: If you use the Photos app, you can also enable iCloud Photos to sync your photos and videos between your Mac and your other devices.
  • Shared with you: If someone shares a photo or album with you using iCloud Photo Sharing, those photos will also be stored in iCloud.
  • From other apps: Some apps may also use iCloud to store photos and other data. For example, if you use the iMovie app on your iPhone or iPad, the videos you create with it can be stored in iCloud.

You can learn what happens to these stored photos if you decide to turn off iCloud on your Apple device further in this article.

Also Read: What Happens When I Delete iCloud Backup?

Do I Really Need iCloud?

Whether or not you need iCloud depends on your specific needs and preferences.

  • If you have multiple Apple devices and want seamless access and synchronization of your data, iCloud can be highly beneficial. It offers features like automatic backups, Find Me, and shared albums that enhance the user experience.
  • However, if you don’t have multiple Apple devices or don’t utilize many of iCloud’s features, alternatives like Google Drive or Dropbox can serve as viable options for storing and accessing files.

Ultimately, the decision to use iCloud depends on your individual requirements.

What Happens If I Turn Off iCloud Photos?

When you disable iCloud Photos on your Apple device, the automatic sync of your photos and videos to iCloud will stop. Consequently, all your media files will be stored exclusively on the device itself, with no backup created in iCloud. It means that any new photos or videos you capture will not be uploaded to iCloud, and they will not be accessible on other Apple devices linked to the same iCloud account.

How Do I Turn Off iCloud on My iPhone Without Losing Pictures?

To turn off iCloud photos on your iPhone without losing pictures, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Then, tap on your Apple ID from the top.

Tap on Apple ID

3. Select iCloud from the menu.

select-icloud-under-your-apple-id-1

4. Now, tap on the Photos option.

5. Then, turn off the toggle for Sync this iPhone and tap on Download Photos & Videos.

Note: Make sure you have enough space on your iPhone as it will download the saved pictures on your iCloud to your phone and then turn off the iCloud Photos syncing.

tap on Download Photos & Videos

6. Once the photos are downloaded, go back to the iCloud settings and turn off the toggle for iCloud Backup.

Remember that if you turn off iCloud Photos backup, your iPhone photos will no longer automatically back up to iCloud, but nothing will happen to the stored photos on iPhone storage.

Note: If you want to continue backing up your iPhone, you can use iTunes or Finder on a computer to back up your device instead.

Also Read: Top 15 Best iCloud Unlock Bypass Tools

Can I Delete Photos from My iPhone but Keep Them on iCloud?

Yes, you can delete photos from your iPhone while keeping them on iCloud. For that, you will have to enable Optimize iPhone Storage in iCloud Photos settings. It stores smaller, optimized photo versions on your device and keeps the full-resolution versions in iCloud.

When you view a photo or video, it downloads the full-resolution version from iCloud. If you delete a photo or video from your iPhone, it removes the local copy but retains the original in iCloud. Disabling iCloud Photos or turning off optimization removes the optimized versions from your device.

How Do I Keep Photos on iCloud Only?

To keep your photos on iCloud only, you can follow these steps:

Note: Make sure that your iPhone or iPad is connected to Wi-Fi.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on Apple ID.

2. Tap on iCloud > Photos.

3. Turn on the toggle for the Sync this iPhone option. It will upload all your photos to iCloud and keep them there.

4. Turn off the toggle for the Optimize iPhone Storage option if it is turned on.

Note: It will ensure that the full-resolution photos are stored on iCloud instead of just low-resolution versions being stored on your device.

Turn on the toggle for Sync this iPhone- Turn off the toggle the Optimize iPhone Storage

If you have understood what happens if you turn off iCloud Photos and still want to delete iCloud Photos, follow the upcoming heading.

Also Read: Fix iCloud Photos Not Syncing to PC

How Can You Delete Photos from iCloud?

You can delete your iCloud photos with the help of these steps:

Note: This method will delete all the photos and videos from your iCloud account.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap on your Apple ID from the top.

3. Tap on iCloud.

4. Now, select Manage Storage.

Tap on Manage Storage. | What Happens If I Turn Off iCloud Photos

5. Next, swipe down and tap on Photos.

6. Lastly, tap on the Disable & Delete option.

tap on the Disable & Delete option

By reading this guide on what happens if I turn off iCloud Photos, you’ve learned that disabling iCloud Photos prevents your photos and videos from being automatically synced to your iCloud account. Leave your comments below and continue visiting our website for more helpful guides and tips.

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