Hey folks! I just upgraded to an iPhone 17 Pro with 256GB of storage, moving up from my iPhone 11 which had 128GB. I use a 2TB iCloud+ plan but I've already used up 692GB on photos alone. Since I couldn't afford the 1TB option for my new phone, I'm looking for a way to use the new phone for new pictures without syncing my old photo library from iCloud. Is it possible? I have a few ideas, like downloading all my iCloud photos to an external hard drive, but that seems too time-consuming since I'd have to do it in batches of 1,000 items. Alternatively, I thought about going through my entire photo library to delete stuff, but that would be such a tedious task after seven years of unorganized media. If anyone has any suggestions or workarounds, I would be super grateful!
3 Answers
Unfortunately, iCloud doesn't really allow for selective syncing like that; it's an all-or-nothing deal. You can't keep your old photos separate while still using the same iCloud account.
One potential workaround is to create a new iCloud account for your new phone and then add yourself as a family member on your main account. Alternatively, consider transferring those 692GB of photos to Google Drive. That way, you can clear up your iCloud storage and start fresh without the old library weighing you down.
Ooooh I'll try both! Thanks so much for the suggestion.
Ah thank you so much! I ended up transferring to Google Drive since I have 2TB there. This was a lifesaver, and even the Apple Care+ agent didn’t suggest this. I really appreciate it!
I wish I had your problem! I’m stuck with a 64GB phone and it's a struggle!
Darn! Thanks for confirming!