If I turn off iCloud Photos, will my photos be deleted?
The three switches, and what each one does
| What you tap | On the iPhone | In iCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Sync this iPhone off → Download Photos & Videos | A copy stays on the phone | Untouched |
| Sync this iPhone off → Remove from iPhone | Photos leave the phone | Untouched |
| Turn Off and Delete Photos (iCloud › Storage › iCloud Photos) | Syncing stops on every device | Deleted after 30 days; Undo Delete until then |
The first two are under Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Photos. The third is a separate step under iCloud storage, which is why nobody hits it by accident.
The trap: “Download” may not mean the originals
If your iPhone uses Optimize iPhone Storage, many photos on it are small stand-ins. Apple says plainly that “optimized photos are not the original resolution.” So before you turn sync off, either switch to Download and Keep Originals and wait until it finishes, or copy the originals somewhere else first. Apple's own first step is the same: make sure you have all of your originals.
A related surprise: deleting while it's on
While iCloud Photos is on, deleting a photo on the iPhone deletes it from iCloud and every other device too — Apple says so on its iCloud Photos page. Deleted items wait in Recently Deleted for 30 days. People sometimes delete from the phone to “free up space” and lose the iCloud copy along with it.
The safe order if you're leaving iCloud Photos
- Copy the originals outTo a Mac, a Windows PC or an external drive. Keep a second copy of that drive.
- Spot-checkOpen a handful of old photos and long videos on the computer.
- Then turn offTurn off sync on the iPhone, and use Turn Off and Delete Photos only once you're sure — you still have 30 days to undo.
For step 1, PixLaundry sends each original from the iPhone over your home Wi-Fi to a free receiver on your Mac or PC, fetching it from iCloud first if the phone only has the small version. It remembers what's already there, so you can run it again right before you switch off and only the newest photos go.
FAQ
If I turn off iCloud Photos, will my photos be deleted?
Turning off Sync this iPhone deletes nothing from iCloud; you choose Download Photos & Videos or Remove from iPhone. Only Turn Off and Delete Photos deletes the iCloud library, 30 days later, with Undo Delete until then.
What do I lose if I pick Remove from iPhone?
The photos leave the iPhone but stay in iCloud. If you pick Download Photos & Videos with Optimize Storage on, Apple notes optimized photos are not the original resolution, so download the originals first.
Copy first, switch off second
The receiver for Mac and Windows is free.
Coming soon · Join the beta · Guide: iCloud storage full
Sources
- Apple Support — How to turn off iCloud Photos (checked 2026-10-28)
- Apple Support — Set up and use iCloud Photos (checked 2026-10-28)
Menu names are from iOS 26 in English; on iOS 17 and earlier the last option is called Turn Off & Delete from iCloud. iPhone and iCloud are trademarks of Apple Inc. PixLaundry is independent and not affiliated with Apple.