This post will show you how to delete photos from iCloud to free up storage space. Hope these methods in this post can give you some help.
How do I delete pictures from my iCloud?
Hello, I don’t want to share my images with the cloud anymore, and I don’t want to spend a lot of time selecting and deleting pictures from the storage. So, how do I remove my photos from iCloud storage? Thank You!
- Question from Quora
Although iCloud provides storage space for your photos, you may need to delete photos from iCloud for the following reasons:
Free Up Storage Space: Over time, your iCloud storage can become filled with photos and videos, leaving insufficient space for other essential files and backups. Deleting older or unnecessary photos helps reclaim valuable storage
Optimize Device Performance: Devices linked to your iCloud account can experience improved performance when there's less data to synchronize. Deleting photos can lead to smoother operation and faster backups.
Economize Costs: If you're using a paid iCloud storage plan, periodically deleting photos can help you stay within your storage quota and potentially avoid higher subscription costs.
When iCloud Photos is enabled, every photo and video you take on your iPhone or iPad will be automatically copied to iCloud. In this case, you can delete them from iCloud by simply deleting them from the Photos app on iPhone. Here is a full guide on how to delete photos from iCloud backup on iPhone:
Step 1: Open the Photos app on your iPhone. Swipe through the photo gallery and select the specific photos you wish to delete.
Step 2: You have two options for deletion:
Step 3: A verification message will appear. Tap Delete Photo or Delete * Photos to confirm the deletion. (* means the number of the photos you have selected.)
After that, these photos will be moved to the Recently Deleted section and be stored for a maximum of 40 days before being permanently deleted. So, how to delete photos from iCloud on iPhone permanently before 40 days? Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Access your iCloud account via a web browser> Choose Recently Deleted in the left pane.
Step 2: Choose the photos you want to delete or tap Select All > Click the Delete button in the top right corner of the screen.
After clicking the Delete button, a verification message will appear, and you will need to confirm the deletion.
If you wish to delete photos from iCloud but not from your iPhone or iPad, you need to disable the photo syncing feature. By doing so, you can free up storage space on iCloud while still retaining the photos on your device.
Here is how to delete photos from iCloud storage but not your device:
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad > Tap Apple ID and then iCloud > Choose Photos > Toggle the switch to the off position to disable iCloud Photos.
Step 2: Go to the iCloud website and sign into your Apple iCloud using your Apple ID and password. Then, click Photos on the new page and choose the photos you want to delete from iCloud > click the Trash Bin icon to delete them.
Now, can you delete photos from iCloud? By following these steps, you can delete photos from iCloud while keeping them on your iPhone or iPad to clear up space in iCloud without losing your valuable photos.
If you are looking for a safe and fast way to delete photos from iCloud, FoneTool will be a good option for you. It is not only a phone backup tool but also an excellent iCloud management tool. Follow the simple steps to delete iCloud photos via FoneTool:
Step 1: Download and install FoneTool on your PC. Then, connect your iPhone device to the PC using its USB cable.
Step 2: Launch the FoneTool app and navigate to My iCloud > Sign in using your Apple ID, seamlessly progressing to the Manage iCloud section.
Step 3: Click the Photos icon to choose specific photos > Commence the cleanup by clicking the Delete button, initiating the entire process.
iCloud provides each user with 5 GB of free storage. Deleting photos is a viable solution to manage iCloud storage space. However, if you don’t want to lose all the photos you delete from iCloud, FoneTool comes in to assist you. It is an iOS management tool that helps you back up or transfer your iPhone photos to your PC before deleting all your photos from iCloud. Most importantly, it can also help you delete photos on your iPhone to free up your iPhone storage space.
Why choose FoneTool? Some benefits of using FoneTool to delete photos and free up storage space on your iPhone are as follows:
Easy Deletion: FoneTool provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of deleting photos, making it quick and hassle-free.
Backup Option: Before deleting photos, FoneTool offers the ability to create a full iPhone backup, providing additional protection in case you want to retrieve them in the future.
Efficient Space Management: By deleting photos using FoneTool, you can efficiently manage your iPhone’s storage space, allowing for smoother device performance.
Wide Compatibility: FoneTool supports a wide range of iPhone models and iOS versions, ensuring compatibility and functionality across different devices.
So, how to use FoneTool to delete photos and free up storage space on your iPhone? The steps are listed below:
Step 1: Launch FoneTool to its main interface and then choose Toolbox > Data Eraser.
Step 2: In this window, choose the Erase private data option > click Get Started to start scanning your iPhone data.
Step 3: Checkmark the Photos icon > Enable Deep Erase Technology to deeply erase iPhone photos > Click Start Erase to remove photos from your iPhone.
Depending on what's taking up your iCloud space, one of these guides might be exactly what you need.
1. Permanently delete photos
Deleted photos hang out in "Recently Deleted" for up to 40 days before they're actually gone. If you want them gone now, you need to empty that folder. This guide walks you through permanent deletion using the iCloud website, the Photos app, and FoneTool (which can also delete all your photos with one click).
Permanently delete photos from iCloud – 4 ways to make them unrecoverable.
2. Delete from iCloud but keep on iPhone
Maybe you want to clear iCloud space but don't want to lose the photos on your phone. The trick is to turn off iCloud Photos first, then delete from iCloud.com. This guide covers all 3 working methods, including the "Disable & Delete" feature and FoneTool.
Delete photos from iCloud but not iPhone – 3 ways to free up iCloud without touching your phone.
3. Delete documents from iCloud Drive
Photos aren't the only thing filling up your iCloud. Old PDFs, Word docs, and random files in iCloud Drive take up space too. This guide shows you how to delete them from iPhone (Files app), Mac (Finder), and PC (FoneTool).
Delete documents from iCloud Drive – step‑by‑step for iPhone, Mac, and PC.
4. Delete old iCloud backups
Old device backups are one of the biggest space hogs in iCloud. If you've switched to a new iPhone, you probably don't need the backup from your old one anymore. This guide covers how to delete backups on iPhone, PC, and Mac – plus a bonus tip on making a local backup first so you don't lose anything important.
Delete old iCloud backups – free up space by removing backups you no longer need.
5. Delete notes from iCloud
Notes sync across your devices through iCloud, which means old or duplicate notes are taking up space too. This guide covers 4 ways to delete notes – from the iCloud website, the Notes app on iPhone, turning off iCloud Notes, and using FoneTool for one‑click deletion.
Delete notes from iCloud – 4 effective methods for a cleaner iCloud.
6. Delete text messages from iCloud
Text messages and iMessage attachments can quietly eat up your iCloud storage. Whether you want to delete everything or just specific conversations, this guide has 4 ways – including turning off Messages in iCloud, deleting from the Messages app, using iCloud.com, and permanently wiping with FoneTool.
Delete text messages from iCloud – 4 ways to clear message storage.
7. Delete Apple Books from iCloud
Apple Books syncs your purchased books and PDFs across devices. If you have a cluttered library, this guide walks you through deleting individual books, batch deletion, and using the iCloud website to remove them for good.
Delete Apple Books from iCloud – step‑by‑step for a cleaner library.
8. Delete audiobooks from iPhone
Audiobooks can take up several gigabytes on your iPhone. This guide covers 4 ways to delete them – from the Books app, using iTunes/Finder, wirelessly from a Mac, and permanent deletion with FoneTool's data eraser.
Delete audiobooks from iPhone – free up storage without losing your library.
9. Not sure where to start? Try the complete iCloud cleanup guide
If your iCloud storage is constantly full and you're tired of seeing "Not Enough Storage" messages, this guide gives you 5 straightforward methods to free up space. It covers iCloud Drive files, Mail attachments, turning off iCloud Photos, managing backups, and disabling Desktop & Documents sync on Mac.
Best ways to free up iCloud storage – 5 easy methods for iPhone/Mac.
That’s all about how to delete photos from iCloud. If you want to delete your photos from iCloud but not your iPhone or iPad, you need to turn off iCloud Photos to prevent syncing this iPhone. Alternatively, if you want to restore your deleted photos one day, you can use FoneTool to back up your photos to PC in advance and then use it to erase your photos on your iPhone to free up iPhone storage space. Try it out!