What is iCloud Photos

iCloud Photos is a cloud-based service that automatically syncs your photo library across all of your Apple devices. This means any photo you take on your iPhone will appear on your iPad, Mac, and other synced devices. However, because of this synchronization, deleting a photo from one device—like your Mac—will also delete it from iCloud and all other connected devices. You can enable or manage iCloud Photos through your Apple ID settings or directly in the Photos app.

Curious about why iCloud Drive takes up space on your Mac? Learn more by reading our detailed explanation of how iCloud functions.

How to delete photos from Mac without removing them from iCloud

While iCloud Photos makes it easy to access your images everywhere, it can be tricky when you want to free up space on your Mac without losing photos from the cloud. Fortunately, there are ways to remove photos from your Mac alone while keeping them safe in iCloud. The key is to stop syncing or use alternative storage—such as external drives—so your local deletions don’t affect your cloud library.

For more insights, check out our guide on managing iCloud storage effectively on Mac.

How to delete photos from Mac but keep them in iCloud

Because of iCloud’s syncing feature, deleting photos from your Mac typically removes them from all your devices and iCloud. To avoid this, consider one of the following methods:

1. Enable Optimize Mac Storage
2. Turn off iCloud Photos syncing
3. Transfer photos to an external storage device

1. Use Optimize Mac Storage

This method doesn’t delete your photos but helps reduce the amount of space they take up on your Mac. When enabled, full-resolution versions of your photos are stored in iCloud, while smaller, optimized versions remain on your Mac. You’ll need an internet connection to view the full-quality images.

We recommend combining this with one of the other methods below for better control over your storage.

Steps to enable Optimize Mac Storage:

1. Open the Photos app on your Mac.
2. Click Photos in the menu bar.
3. Choose Settings from the dropdown.
4. Go to the iCloud tab.
5. Select Optimize Mac Storage.

2. Disable iCloud Photos Sync on Mac

If you want to delete photos from your Mac without touching your iCloud library, turn off photo syncing. This stops your Mac from being in sync with iCloud, so any deletions happen only locally. Keep in mind that this is best used temporarily if you plan to re-enable syncing later.

Here’s how to disable syncing:

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Click your name or profile picture in the sidebar.
4. Choose iCloud, then go to Photos.
5. Toggle off Sync this Mac and click Done.
6. Open the Photos app.
7. Select the photos you want to remove.
8. Right-click and choose Delete [num.] Photos.

3. Save Photos to an External Device

For those who want to keep iCloud syncing active but need more space on their Mac, transferring your photo library to an external drive is an ideal solution. This way, you maintain access to all your photos while clearing up internal storage.

Important: Always keep the external drive connected when using the Photos app. If it's disconnected, your Mac might create a new photo library, sync it with iCloud, and potentially overwrite or lose your existing photos.

Follow these steps to move your library:

1. Connect an external drive to your Mac.
2. Open Photos and select the photos to transfer.
3. Once copied, drag the originals from your Mac to the Trash.
4. Empty the Trash.
5. Open the Photo Library located on the external drive.
6. Click Photos in the menu bar, then Settings.
7. In the General tab, click Use as System Photo Library.

For a smoother experience, refer to our guide on how to download photos from iCloud to your Mac.

Can you recover deleted photos from Mac or iCloud?

Yes, it’s possible to recover deleted photos—but with limitations. On Mac, if photos are already removed from the Trash, you’ll likely need a third-party data recovery tool to retrieve them.

However, iCloud offers a built-in recovery option. Deleted photos remain in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being permanently erased. During this period, you can restore them easily.

Steps to recover photos from iCloud:

1. Go to icloud.com/photos.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Open the Recently Deleted folder on the left.
4. Select the photos you want back.
5. Click Recover.

The ultimate guide to deleting photos from Mac without affecting iCloud

Backing up your Mac to iCloud is a great way to protect your photos while saving local storage. But if you need to delete photos from your Mac without touching your iCloud library, you have several options: disable syncing, use external storage, or optimize your device settings.

If clutter and duplicates are eating up your space, try tools like MacKeeper’s Duplicates Finder. It scans your system for repeated photos, letting you remove extras without risking your original files.

The above is the detailed content of How to Delete Photos from Mac but Not iCloud? How to Remove It from MacBook?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!