iCloud: Use iCloud Photo Library on your iOS device

Use iCloud Photo Library on your iOS device

You can use iCloud Photo Library on your iOS devices (iOS 8.1 or later) to automatically upload your entire library to iCloud. Any edits you make are updated across all your devices. And because iCloud Photo Library always stores your original, full-size photos and videos in iCloud, you can choose to keep lightweight versions on your device to save space.

Turn on iCloud Photo Library

  • Go to Settings > iCloud > Photos (or Settings > Photos & Camera), then turn on iCloud Photo Library.

Optimize storage on your device

When iCloud Photo Library is turned on, your device can optimize its storage by keeping smaller versions of your photos on the device. All your full-resolution originals are stored in iCloud Photo Library and can be downloaded at any time.

  • Go to Settings > iCloud > Photos (or Settings > Photos & Camera), then tap Optimize [device] Storage to turn it on.

When your device needs more storage, it automatically replaces some full-resolution originals with optimized versions. If you want to replace optimized versions with full-size originals, tap Download and Keep Originals to turn it on.

Turn off iCloud Photo Library

You can turn off iCloud Photo Library on any of your devices.

  • Go to Settings > iCloud > Photos (or Settings > Photos & Camera), then turn off iCloud Photo Library.

When you turn off iCloud Photo Library on a device, it no longer keeps photos up to date on that device. You can still access your latest photos and videos using the Photos app on iCloud.com and on any other device you have set up for iCloud Photo Library. For more information, see the Apple Support article iCloud Photo Library FAQ.

Delete photos and videos from iCloud Photo Library

  1. In the Photos app on your iOS device, tap Photos.

  2. Tap Select, then select the photos and videos you want to delete.

  3. Tap , then tap Delete [items].

Deleted photos and videos are placed in the Recently Deleted album on your iOS device, where they remain for 30 days. After that, items are permanently removed from all your devices set up for iCloud Photo Library.

You can remove items from your device before the 30-day time period is up. On your iOS device, in the Recently Deleted album, tap Select, select one or more items, tap Delete, then tap Delete [items].

Recover deleted photos and videos

You can recover photos and videos you deleted in the last 30 days.

  1. In the Photos app on your iOS device, tap Albums, then tap Recently Deleted.

  2. Tap Select, select one or more items, then tap Recover.

  3. Tap Recover [items].

Last Modified: Jun 18, 2016
Helpful?
40% of people found this helpful.

Additional Product Support Information