When you need to free up room on your iOS device, the first place to look is the Photos app. But you don't have to set up any elaborate plans to remove images from your phone to park them elsewhere — not if you're using the iCloud Photo Library. An obscure control in the Photos settings called Optimize iPhone Storage stores only the thumbnails, not your original photos and videos, letting you save space while keeping your images accessible. As long as you have enough space on iCloud to store your originals, you can keep as many photos and videos as you want without maxing out your handset. Show
Apple's iCloud Photo Library is a huge convenience — it stores and displays your photos on all your devices. If you're running out of space on some of those devices, deleting photos from your camera roll also deletes them everywhere, which is not what you want. Set up iCloud Photo storageInstead of deleting images, you can save on the space they take up when stored at their original resolution. With iOS 15, you can enable the Optimize iPhone storage control in your Photos settings, which lets your iPhone convert your high-resolution images into lightweight thumbnails. The original photos still reside in iCloud, and you can also back them up on your Mac or an external drive. Using this optimization control gives you the best of both worlds: All your photos are available to you whenever and wherever you want to see them, and you get to salvage your storage space. Here's how to set it Step 1: Tap Settings > [your name]. Step 2: Tap iCloud > Photos. Step 3: Switch on iCloud Photos. Step 4: Check Optimize iPhone storage. If you check Download and keep originals, all photos you shoot on your iPhone stay on your handset in full resolution. Plus, any photo that you take, store on your Mac, or otherwise store on your iCloud Photo Library will also download to your iPhone in high resolution. Optimize iPhone storage will not immediately change your images into thumbnails. You could see a combination of thumbnails interspersed with original, high-resolution images if your phone has enough memory to support them. Your phone’s storage works in the background to keep track of images you’ve recently viewed compared to how much storage you use for apps and downloads. It will always keep the most recent media shot or viewed in high resolution. Other factors involved include the amount of storage space and memory that your phone has and the number of images on your phone. People with lots of space on their phones will have more high-resolution images and videos stored locally than those with less space. Don’t worry about losing your high-resolution images when your phone compresses them to save space. You can always revert compressed photos to their initial form by downloading them. You will see the compressed images downloading in real-time, as they have a download circle at the bottom right as they flow in from iCloud. Editors' Recommendations
[FAQ] Download and Keep Originals in iCloud Photo LibraryWant to keep photos on iCloud and delete from iPhone? iCloud photos not downloading? You will finally turn to iCloud Photo Library feature if you have the need to download or manage pictures. Two options are offered here, Optimize iPhone Device and Download and Keep Originals. However, for many iOS users, they still don't know what "Download and Keep Originals" is and how to use it. This page lists some common questions about it to help you better use this feature and your iOS devices.
Part 1. What is Download and Keep Originals?To better protect your iOS data, iCloud provides a convenient way to backup various photos on your iPhone, iPad or iPod. You can easily access the feature in iCloud Photo Library. iCloud Photo Library saves all types of images from all your iOS devices with the same iCloud account. When you turn on this feature, it will download a copy of all iCloud photos on your iPhone/iPad/iPod. As we mentioned above, there are two options provided here, "Optimize iPhone Device" and "Download and Keep Originals". When you choose the "Download and keep originals" option, iOS device will start to download the original photos (full-resolution). On the contrary, if you pick the "Optimize x Storage", it will save optimized versions to replace full-size photos. When you have a low storage, this feature can help you save a lot of space. Part 2. Will iCloud still keep my photos in photo stream if I delete them?To free up storage and get more space, you may want to delete some photos. While in most cases, you prefer to get them back when you have enough storage. So here comes the question, will the photos still exist if you don't delete them from photo stream? The answer is NO. You are not allowed to save a photo in iCloud but not save in iOS device. As long as you turn on the iCloud Photos function, every iOS device (same Apple account) will be synced with same data. When you delete some pictures from your iPhone, iPad or iPod, these deleted photos will be moved to recently deleted folder for 30 days. They are also removed from all iOS devices from iCloud. iCloud won't backup these images files. Actually, you are suggested to backup iPhone photos to computer to get more storage space. Best iOS data transfer is recommended here. MobieSync
Part 3. Download and Keep Original not working?Your iPhone/iPad/iPod might suggest you to optimize storage and you did so. When you check pictures on iOS device, you have to re-download the original picture again. That's very boring, especially when you have enough space. But when you choose the "Download and Keep Originals", nothing happened. What you should do? Many users complain that "Download and Keep Originals" not working, even after choosing the feature. In fact, many reasons will cause this feature not working temporarily. To quickly download all photos, you are required to keep your iOS device in a good network connection. Moreover, you'd better charge your iPhone, iPad or iPod to make sure it have enough battery. Part 4. How to turn on or turn off Download and Keep Original?As long as you can find it, you can easily turn on or turn off the "Download and Keep Originals" option. Now you can follow the next simple steps to access this feature. Step 1 Turn on your iOS device and open Settings app. Step 2 Tap your iCloud account and the locate the iCloud option. Step 3 Tap Photos to enter the Photos interface. Step 4 Turn on the iCloud Photos and then you can find these two options, Optimize iPhone Device and Download and Keep Originals. Part 5. How to transfer the original-quality photos to Mac/PC?In some cases, after copying iPhone photos to computer, you notice that they are only optimized versions. How to export full-resolution pictures from iOS device to computer? The key point of this question is to turn on Download and Keep Originals on your device. With the method above, you can easily do that. Then you can check this post to know more details about how to transfer photos from iPhone to computer. This page talks about 5 common issues related to iCloud Photo Library and the Download and Keep Originals feature. Leave us a message if you still have any puzzle. What do you think of this post?
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What is the difference between Optimise iPhone storage and download and keep originals?You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them. You can use Optimize Storage on your iPhone, iPad,iPod touch, and Mac. If you turn on Download Originals, iCloud Photos keeps your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and on your device.
What happens if you optimize iPhone storage?With Optimize Storage, smaller, space-saving photos and videos are kept on your device while all of your original, full-resolution versions are stored in iCloud. And as long as you have enough space in iCloud, you can store as many photos and videos as you want.
What does download and keep originals mean on iPhone?Download and keep originals is the feature of iCloud Photo Library. iCloud Photo Library saves all types of images from all your iOS devices with the same iCloud account. When you turn on this feature, it will download a copy of all iCloud photos on your iPhone/iPad/iPod.
What is the best way to manage storage on iPhone?Open your iPhone's Settings menu, tap General and go to iPhone Storage. You'll see a list of your apps along with how much space each app occupies and the last time you used it. Scroll through the list and try deleting apps that you haven't used in a long time. Get rid of apps you haven't used in a long time.
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