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5
515-515
Participant
March 31, 2018
Question

Deleting photos from my iPad, not from cloud.

  • March 31, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 7049 views

I am currently travelling for a few months, I am importing RAW photos taken on my camera onto my iPad, and then editing them on Lightroom.  The photos are obviously uploaded to the Creative Cloud then from my iPad.

so my question is (and sorry for very novice question):

My iPad is running out of hard drive space now, is it possible for me to delete photos from my “photos” on the iPad, whilst keeping them in the cloud to access later? I basically just want to store all of my photos on the cloud, without them taking up space on the iPad. Just scared that they are going to delete themselves, want confirmation that this is okay or not.

Many thanks.

Discussion moved by moderator from Adobe Creative Cloud to Lightroom CC for mobile & Apple TV

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4 replies

timg76702216
timg76702216
Participating Frequently
December 21, 2018

I have a similar question. I too am a bit of a novice. I have Lr classic via subscription on my iMac and I love it. I have recently downloaded the mobile app as part of the package and I love that. All I want to do is transfer the images from my iPhone into my iMac using Lr and then delete the images from my iPhone. I have deleted some already and the warning comes up that these will be deleted from all devices. That’s not a problem just now because I haven’t transferred any yet but how can I avoid all my pictures being deleted that I transfer to the mac as explained above ?

99jon
99jon
Legend
December 21, 2018

If you add the photos to LRCC on your iPhone, simply activate sync in LR Classic from under the identity plate – hover top left over the identity plate to bring up the Activity Centre in the Library. The images will automatically download into Classic after sync has completed on the phone. You can specify in LR Classic preferences to have them downloaded to a specific folder, external drive or into dated subfolders. You can then delete files from camera roll on the phone.

    lizl35050633
    lizl35050633
    Participant
    November 29, 2018

    One way is to disable iCloud Photo Library on your iPad. Please follow the steps below:

    1. On the iPad, go to Settings.

    2. Tap your name.

    3. Tap iCloud.

    4. Tap the photo.

    5. Under "Photos," you can slide the switch to close the iCloud photo library.

    6. To remove iCloud Photo Library on all devices, follow steps #1 through #3, then go to iCloud Storage > Manage Storage > iCloud Photo Library and select Disable and Delete.

    Alternatively, you can opt out of your iCloud account and then delete the photos on your iPad so you can delete photos from your iPad, but you can't delete them from iCloud.

    1. Go to "Settings" on the iPad.

    2. Tap iCloud.

    3. Click the location for "Logout". (You have to scroll.)

    4. Click "Exit" again to confirm.

    5. Choose whether you want to keep it on your iPad or delete it from your iPad.

    You must perform these steps for each device you want to remove from your iPad instead of iCloud.

    Also note that if you log back in, iCloud will automatically start sharing your photos with your device again.

    If you decide to use the above method, be careful. Otherwise, once iCloud starts syncing, you will lose all the photos you don't want to lose. I think if you want to delete photos from iDevice but not iCloud, you'd better look for other methods, which is too dangerous.

    selondon
    Community Expert
    selondonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 28, 2018

    Briefly..... yes, deleting from the Cloud will delete from the Cloud ecosystem (CC Desktop, Mobile and Web). Although, if Sync is enabled with Classic, then once Photos are synced down to there, then deleting from the Cloud doesn’t affect them.

    So yes, once Photos have successfull synced up to the Cloud and down to Classic they can be deleted from the Cloud.

    Y
    yipsee
    Participant
    May 30, 2018

    Hallo again Selondon:

    Many thanks for your reply and information.

    Just to be clear, primarily I work from my desktop Mac in Lightroom Classic.

    Then I move a folder to Lightroom mobile on my iPad.(so I assume the photos have been moved to the Cloud).

    Then I delete a photo a photo from my iPad only, for instance when I am travelling and decide the photo is unwanted.

    I assume, and it appears to be the case, that the photo remains in the cloud and on my desktop Mac Lightroom, (although the message from my iPad is that the photo will be deleted everywhere, but that seems not to be correct).

    Sorry if I appear to be a bit ‘slow’, but I am new to the Lightroom mobile app.

    Thanks.

    Rod

    Theresa J
    Community Expert
    Theresa JCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 13, 2019

    Photos synced to Lightroom CC from Classic are not uploaded to the cloud. A smart preview file is sent to the cloud, but the full resolution file still resides on the drive. When you delete one of the smart preview images on your iPad or phone, you get the warning message that the photo will be deleted everywere. The smart preview is deleted out of the cloud, but the full resolution file is still on your computer, and you will find it in the Lr Classic catalog.

      5
      515-515Author
      Participant
      April 2, 2018

      Anybody?

      selondon
      Community Expert
      selondonCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 2, 2018

      Hi,

      As long as import and syncing to the Cloud has fully completed then you can delete from the iOS Photos App. Additionally, at that point you can also try the ‘Clear Cache’ command in the Lr App’s Preferences to reduce any full res files in the App that are synced.

      Y
      yipsee
      Participant
      May 28, 2018

      Regarding deleting:

      Thanks ACP for information;

      I have similar question, and am new to the mobile version.

      If I delete a photo, (that I have synced from Lightroom CC Classic to my iPad), in the mobile app > 3 dots > delete - the app says 'permanently delete', and goes on to explain that it will be deleted everywhere, including in Lightroom, all synced devices.

      I have tried this with an unimportant photo and it stays in Lightroom desktop (Mac), although the small sync icon in the top right of the photo goes. (Actually this is what I want, the photo to be deleted on my iPad, but stay in Lightroom.

      Actually I want, as in the case of initial question, just to use the mobile function to store photos when travelling; then I will delete the photos, once I return and am clear i have a good copy. (But don't want photos to be deleted on 'all synced devices', as is said.

      Many thanks.

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