My iPhone 13 has about 70 GB of photos and videos, and I'm running low on storage. I'm considering an iCloud+ plan with iCloud Photos and the Optimize iPhone Storage setting. Would the full-resolution originals stay in iCloud while smaller versions remain on my phone? How much space might this free up, and can I later download the original-quality files to an external hard drive using a computer or iCloud's website?
3 Answers
Before paying for extra storage, it’s worth removing unnecessary screenshots, duplicate photos, and very large videos. The Photos app has filters for screenshots, duplicates, and media types, and the iPhone Storage settings can help identify the biggest files. Also remember that iCloud Photos is a synced library: deleting a photo from your iPhone normally deletes it from iCloud and your other synced devices too.
Yes. You can access iCloud Photos through iCloud.com or the iCloud app on a Windows computer and download the originals to a hard drive. They remain at their original resolution and quality. You can also export them to another location for an additional backup.
Enable iCloud Photos and choose Optimize iPhone Storage. The full-resolution versions are kept in iCloud, while your iPhone stores smaller device-friendly copies when it needs room. The amount of space recovered depends on your library and available phone storage, but a large photo and video collection can shrink considerably. Let the phone stay connected to Wi-Fi and charging so it has time to optimize everything.
Thanks! I don’t have a Mac—can I still download the originals and manage the library from a Windows PC?