How to do it
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Turn on Optimize iPhone Storage
Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Photos. Turn on Sync this iPhone. In iOS 27 or later, tap iPhone Storage, then choose Optimize iPhone Storage. Your iPhone keeps space-saving copies and full-resolution versions stay in iCloud.
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Check iCloud has room
Optimize only works if you have enough iCloud storage for your library. Open Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud to see how much space is left.
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Or keep a copy elsewhere first
For photos you don’t want to store in iCloud, Apple says you can transfer the photos and videos you don’t want to store in iCloud to your computer ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105061)), then delete them from your iPhone.
Why can’t I just delete them?
With iCloud Photos on, a deleted photo or video is deleted on all other devices signed in with the same Apple Account (Apple). The delete is the sync.
What about turning sync off first?
Some third-party guides describe turning off Sync this iPhone and choosing to remove the local copies, which they say leaves the iCloud library alone (Vaultaire). Apple’s pages don’t describe this as a way to free space, and the order matters: that guide warns that deleting first and turning sync off afterwards is the mistake. Make sure you have a backup before you try it.
Which option should I pick?
| Goal | Option |
|---|---|
| Keep everything in iCloud, use less iPhone space | Optimize iPhone Storage |
| Keep some photos out of iCloud | Transfer them to a computer, then delete |
| Remove a photo from all devices | Delete it in Photos (it stays in Recently Deleted for 30 days) |
Where does PicWay come in?
Space only frees up once you delete the original, and iOS doesn’t let an app empty Recently Deleted for you, so that last step happens in the Photos app. If iCloud Photos is on, that delete also reaches your other devices.
Will anything be lost?
Not with Optimize iPhone Storage: full-resolution photos and videos stay in iCloud (Apple). Apple also says iCloud Photos isn’t duplicated in your iCloud backup, so keep backup copies of your library.