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How to Delete Photos from a Mac but Not iCloud: The Definitive Guide

The burning question: How do you liberate precious space on your Mac without nuking your carefully curated memories from iCloud? It’s entirely possible, and we’re about to dissect the process, step by step, revealing the secrets to photographic freedom while maintaining cloud-based security. The key lies in understanding iCloud’s synchronization settings and leveraging specific features of the Photos app.

The Core Method: Disabling iCloud Photos on Your Mac

The most direct route to achieving this photographic independence is to disable iCloud Photos on your Mac. This action effectively severs the link between your local Photos library and the cloud.

Here’s the breakdown:

Open the Photos app on your Mac.
In the menu bar, click Photos, then select Settings (or Preferences, depending on your macOS version).
Click the iCloud tab.
Uncheck the box next to iCloud Photos.

A crucial popup will appear asking what you want to do with the photos and videos currently downloaded to your Mac. This is where you choose your destiny.

Remove from Mac: This option will delete the photos from your Mac. This is the route you would take if your goal is to free up space. They will, however, remain safely stored in iCloud. This is generally the desired option for this particular use case.
Keep on Mac: This option will keep a copy of the photos on your Mac and will not delete them. This is generally not the option you would use if you want to free up space.

Before proceeding, let’s address some vital considerations. Firstly, disabling iCloud Photos means any future edits, deletions, or additions you make on your Mac will not be reflected in iCloud, and vice versa. Secondly, be absolutely certain you have ample iCloud storage before deleting from your Mac; otherwise, you risk losing photos if your iCloud account runs out of space.

An Alternative: Optimizing Mac Storage

If the thought of completely severing the iCloud connection sends shivers down your spine, consider Optimizing Mac Storage. This setting cleverly offloads full-resolution photos to iCloud while keeping smaller, optimized versions on your Mac.

Here’s how:

Follow steps 1-3 above (Open Photos app, Photos > Settings > iCloud).
Ensure the box next to iCloud Photos is checked.
Select Optimize Mac Storage.

This option automatically manages your local storage, replacing infrequently accessed photos with smaller versions. You can still view thumbnails and download the full-resolution version on demand. It’s a balancing act, keeping your library accessible while minimizing local storage impact. Keep in mind that using this option will not actually delete any photos from your Mac. Instead, it will only reduce the amount of storage that each photo is using.

Advanced Maneuvers: Exporting and Deleting

For those seeking even more control, exporting photos before deleting them locally provides an extra layer of security.

Exporting Photos

Select the photos you wish to preserve locally.
Go to File > Export > Export [number] Photos…
Choose your desired export settings, including file format, quality, and metadata options.
Select a destination folder on an external drive or another location on your Mac.
Click Export.

Once you’ve confirmed the exported photos are safely stored, you can proceed with deleting them from your Photos library.

Deleting Photos from the Photos App

Select the photos you want to delete.
Press the Delete key or right-click and select Delete.
The photos will be moved to the Recently Deleted album.
To permanently delete them, go to Recently Deleted, select the photos, and click Delete. Alternatively, you can wait 30 days for them to be automatically purged.

Important Note: Remember that deleting photos this way while iCloud Photos is enabled will delete them from iCloud as well, so ensure you have disabled iCloud Photos as described above before deleting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the most common questions regarding managing photos between your Mac and iCloud:

What happens if I delete a photo from my Mac before disabling iCloud Photos? The photo will be deleted from all devices synced with iCloud, including your iPhone, iPad, and any other Macs. Tread carefully!
If I disable iCloud Photos on my Mac, will it affect my iPhone or iPad? No. Disabling iCloud Photos is a device-specific setting. Your iPhone and iPad will continue to sync with iCloud unless you disable it on those devices as well.
I accidentally deleted photos from my Mac, but I want them back from iCloud. How do I retrieve them? If you haven’t emptied the Recently Deleted album, they’re easily restored. If they’re gone from there, re-enabling iCloud Photos on your Mac will download them again from iCloud (assuming they weren’t also deleted from iCloud).
Does Optimizing Mac Storage affect video quality? Yes, Optimizing Mac Storage will store a lower-resolution version of the video on your Mac. You can download the full resolution version on demand.
If I edit a photo on my Mac after disabling iCloud Photos, will those edits sync to iCloud if I re-enable it later? No. Once the link is severed, any changes made locally will remain local. If you re-enable iCloud Photos, the edited version will not overwrite the original in iCloud. You would have to manually upload the edited photo.
How do I know if a photo is stored only in iCloud and not on my Mac? With Optimizing Mac Storage enabled, photos stored only in iCloud will display a download icon. Clicking it will download the full-resolution version. If you have disabled iCloud Photos, all photos visible in the Photos app are stored locally.
Can I use iCloud Photos for some albums but not others? Unfortunately, no. iCloud Photos is an all-or-nothing setting for the entire Photos library. You cannot selectively sync albums.
What happens to Live Photos when using Optimizing Mac Storage? Both the still image and the short video component of Live Photos are optimized. When you want to view the Live Photo in its full glory, it will be downloaded from iCloud.
Is there a way to back up my Photos library without using iCloud Photos? Absolutely! You can manually back up your Photos library to an external hard drive using Time Machine or by simply copying the Photos library file.
I have multiple Photos libraries on my Mac. Can I sync only one with iCloud? Yes. Only the Photos library designated as the “System Photo Library” in Photos settings will sync with iCloud.
If I download all my photos from iCloud to my Mac and then disable iCloud photos, will future photos taken on my iPhone automatically transfer to my Mac? No, not automatically. You’ll need to use AirDrop, import them manually via USB, or explore other cloud services like Google Photos.
Does deleting photos directly from iCloud.com have the same effect as deleting them from the Photos app with iCloud Photos enabled? Yes, deleting a photo from iCloud.com will remove it from all devices synced with iCloud Photos. This is essentially the same as deleting from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac while iCloud Photos is enabled.