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There can be few things more complicated in life than the "simple" need to delete photos off one's phone (to make space) but keep them on iCloud. An online search gives dozens of different suggestions, mostly due (I guess) to the iOS one's using (I'm on 9.3.2).
Does anyone understand this conundrum?

Thanks,

Lorimer

P.S. There must be 100 threads addressing this, but I thought it time to start a new one, and I'm getting quite close to a Grrrr! moment having spent all evening going round in circles.

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Mid '09 MacBook Pro 2.66ghz, 500gb SSD; OS 10.10.4; 11" MacBook Air 128gb;1 TB Time Capsule; iPhone 5s, 64gb; 13" 2012 MBA

No idea if this is of help or not, but...
On your iPhone>Settings>iCloud>Photos there is an option to "Optimise iPhone Storage" with an explanation under of what it does. Is this what you are after?

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James
Mac4Mac Founder
(use mac4mac as PW)

12.9" iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Pencil 2
21.5" iMac Quad Core i5 8GB RAM (Plex Server) ~ iPhone 15 Pro
AirPods Pro ~ Apple TV 4 (64GB) ~ Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi

So... To answer my own question (since no-one else has – too boring? Too difficult?), I've just had a 90-minute (!) discussion with Joanna in Portugal in Apple Support (thank heavens for 0800 Apple numbers).

Essentially, in case anybody didn't know this (I didn't), the only way to delete photos/videos off one's phone and NOT off iCloud/MacBook, is to go to Settings>iCloud>Photos>iCloud Photo Library>OFF. The phone will no longer sync Photos with iCloud.

In future, the phone will be connected to the MacBook as often as necessary to import photos to Photos. These new photos will then sync with iCloud from the Mac. They can then be safely deleted from the phone since they're also in Photos and iCloud.

iCloud Photo Library can never be turned back on again, or iCloud will immediately download all its photos onto the phone.
My feeling is that this is rather important information info for those many, many owners of 16gb phones, so I hope this will be of help. IMHO, a 16gb phone is a somewhat unwise investment, especially considering that the current O.S. takes up at least a quarter of the original space before you even start using it.

Comments welcome...

Lorimer

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Mid '09 MacBook Pro 2.66ghz, 500gb SSD; OS 10.10.4; 11" MacBook Air 128gb;1 TB Time Capsule; iPhone 5s, 64gb; 13" 2012 MBA

I have iCloud Photo Library on, optimise iPhone storage selected and upload to My Photo sSream on.
I have just taken a photo with my iPhone, within a couple of minutes it showed up in Photos on my MBR. I deleted it on the iPhone (and emptied the deleted item folder), it is still in Photos on the MBP.
My Photo Stream is on but iCloud Photo Library is off on the MBP.

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MacPro (2010) quad core macOS 10.15.7
13" (2011) Macbookpro OSX 10.10.3
15" (2017) Macbookpro OS 13.3
iPhone 11 iOS16
Original iPad wifi

Yes, interesting. I have that setting off because if I do have photos to save, I do it through the MBPr (via the horrid iTunes) and stick 'em on OneDrive. MS give me lots of free cloud space which Apple do not. Actually, I don't take many pics. No talent in that department. Good to know about this, though.

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Mid '09 MacBook Pro 2.66ghz, 500gb SSD; OS 10.10.4; 11" MacBook Air 128gb;1 TB Time Capsule; iPhone 5s, 64gb; 13" 2012 MBA

Lorimer,
I have iCloud Photo Library off on the MBR (and an iMac) because Photos Library on both is more than I have iCloud Storage and I'm not paying for more.
It works for me and suits my purpose. I have no other mobile devices to be synced via iCloud.

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MacPro (2010) quad core macOS 10.15.7
13" (2011) Macbookpro OSX 10.10.3
15" (2017) Macbookpro OS 13.3
iPhone 11 iOS16
Original iPad wifi

As a last comment on this subject (maybe), I've noted that it is difficult to initially make space on one's phone – by deleting photos and videos for instance – because as one is carrying this out, space available actually decreases rather than increases. This doesn't make sense.

The reason is though, that Messages with pictures, email and WhatsApp etc have been queuing up to download onto the phone. As soon as space is made available, they are loaded automatically and instantly. This commandeers the space made available by the deleted photos.

The answer is to carry out this exercise in aeroplane mode, which I didn't think of at the time but would have made the job somewhat easier.

Lorimer

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Mid '09 MacBook Pro 2.66ghz, 500gb SSD; OS 10.10.4; 11" MacBook Air 128gb;1 TB Time Capsule; iPhone 5s, 64gb; 13" 2012 MBA

I know this thread is nearly five years old but it does mention My Photo Stream and that some people use it.

For those who care and need to know but do not yet, My Photo Stream is being discontinued on July 26th.



Other links are available.

There are some other older threads here too.