We’ve all been there: your computer won’t let you download anything new, and it keeps telling you that you’re running out of space, so you delete some photos to make room. Apple’s iCloud does a great job of keeping your photos safe, but you have to be careful not to delete photos from both iCloud and your Mac.
Open System Preferences to delete photos from a Mac, but not from iCloud. To turn off iCloud sync, click on Apple ID, then iCloud, and then uncheck Photos. This will stop the photos from being synced with iCloud, so they can be deleted from the computer but not from iCloud.
Read the article below for more information on how to delete photos from a Mac, but not from iCloud, and how to find lost photos.
Steps to Delete Photos from Mac but Not iCloud
1. Go to iCloud in System Preferences
First, open System Preferences on your Mac. In the top right corner, you’ll see an apple icon with “Apple ID” written on it. If you click on that, you should see an iCloud section. When you click it, you’ll go to the iCloud settings.
2. Uncheck the Box Next to Photos
There will be a list of the apps that are synced with iCloud. Find the Photos app and clear the box next to it. This will stop iPhotos from syncing. Mac might ask if you want to get rid of the photos. Click “Yes” if you want to get rid of all the photos on your Mac.
3. Delete Unwanted Photos
When you turn off sync for photos, photos you delete from your Mac will no longer be deleted from iCloud when you delete them from your Mac. If you haven’t already done so, you can now delete any photos you don’t want on your Mac that you haven’t already.
Other ways to make the most of storage space other Options for Optimizing Storage Space
Apple does give you a few ways to make the most of your storage space. With “Store in iCloud,” everything is saved in the cloud, and files are only downloaded when they are needed. “Optimizing Storage” on AppleTV works the same way.
Apple also has a “Reduce Clutter” button that lets you get rid of files you don’t need. Apple has a lot of safety features, but it’s always a good idea to save your files on an external drive as well.
Store in iCloud
When you turn on “Store in iCloud,” files, photos, and messages that you haven’t used in a while will be stored on iCloud until you need them again. You can easily use files you download from iCloud, but they won’t take up any space on your Mac.
Click the Apple icon on the left side of the top menu bar to turn on “Store in iCloud.” Click “About this Mac” next. This will make a small window appear. Click the “Storage” link. This will show you how much of your Mac’s storage space you are currently using.
On the right is a button with the word “Manage” on it. Just press this button. “Store in iCloud” will be the first choice. Just click here. Once you’ve done these things, files, photos, and messages that you haven’t used or opened in a while will be saved to iCloud.
Optimize Storage
Using Optimize Storage is the same as putting things in iCloud, but it uses your AppleTV and recent email attachments instead.
Go to “About this Mac” to turn on “Optimize Storage.” Click “Storage” and then “Manage” once you’re there. There will be an option to “Optimize Storage” from there. Just click here.
Once you’ve done this, all of the TV shows and movies you’ve already watched will be saved to the cloud. This will free up space on your Mac.
It will put shows you’ve already watched or downloaded in the cloud and take them off your device. You can get any media at any time, but it won’t take up any space on your Mac.
Reduce Clutter
“Reduce Clutter” helps you sort through files, photos, and messages to find ones you don’t need anymore and gives you the option to delete them. By getting rid of files you don’t need, you can make more room on your Mac for other things.
To “Reduce Clutter,” go to “About this Mac” and click on “Storage.” Then, click on “Manage.” When you get there, at the bottom of the page you will see “Reduce Clutter.”
When you click this button, apps, documents, and other things that take up a lot of space will show up. Then, to save space, you can choose what to delete and what to keep.
External Storage
Even if you have photos saved on iCloud, your Mac, or both, it might be a good idea to save all of the important ones on an external hard drive. This will keep your photos safe if you lose your device or can’t get into your Apple account.
If you don’t have a lot of photos to back up, you should be able to use a thumb drive without any trouble. If you need a lot of space for your photos, you might want to get an external hard drive with a lot of space.
Reenabling iCloud Photos Sync
To turn sync back on for Photos, you will need to go back to the iCloud section of System Preferences. If you check the box next to the photo app icon again, the sync should work again. You might need to sign in with your Apple ID.
When the sync is turned back on, sometimes photos that were already deleted from iPhotos are also deleted from iCloud. You should check again to make sure you haven’t lost any photos. If you lose photos, it’s easy to get them back.
Recover Deleted Photos
Apple’s iCloud keeps photos in the trash for 30 days after they have been deleted. If you wait longer than 30 days, your photos will be deleted for good, and you probably won’t be able to get them back.
If you lost your photos within 30 days, you can get them back by going to your iCloud account and looking under “photos.”
Once you’re in Photos, go to the sidebar and open the “Recently Deleted” album. Find and pick the pictures you want to keep. Once you’ve chosen all of the photos you want, click “Recover.” This should put them back in your photos on iCloud.