How to delete photos from MacBook Air but not iCloud?

Hi

If you want to delete all photos, you can just delete the library from the pictures folder. Alternatively if you want to delete the images from within photos, you need to turn off iCloud photos first (photos>preferences - iCloud tab) so that the deletions are not synced with iCloud. Double check by deleting one or two less important images first and making sure they are not deleted in iCloud.

If you do this, you also need to think about how you will backup your photos when they are stored only in iCloud.

If you are looking to safe space on your MacBook, you have two alternatives to deleting all images:

1 (easiest). Turn on "Optimise Mac Storage" in iCloud settings. This will mean the mac only stores small previews locally and full size images in the cloud. It will dramatically reduce the space used by your library.

There are two provisos with this - The first is that it won't immediately remove full size images from your mac - it will only do that when it thinks you are running out of space. There is a way to force it to remove the local copies immediately described in this user tip:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250002222

Again, backups become a problem, since the full size images are not stored on your mac you can't copy the library to a backup drive, and time machine cannot back them up. So if you go this way, you really need to set up an additional user account also synced to iCloud but with the library on an external disk - and fully syncing (not optimising storage). Then you have an additional local copy of the full library which can now be backed up. (you would need to periodically log into that account, and allow it to sync with iCloud) (See also option 2)

2 - Your other option is to completely move the library to external storage with the disadvantage that you must have the external storage connected whenever you want to use photos.


To correctly prepare the external drive:

It must be formatted APFS or MacOS extended (journaled) (preferred for spinning drives)

It Must not be (or have been) used for time machine.

It must have the 'ignore ownership" checkbox ticked.

It should not be on a memory stick, SD or similar.

It must also not be a network drive (a direct connection is required - eg USB or Thunderbolt).

File sharing services such as iCloud Drive, Drop box, Onedrive etc are not compatible with Photos libraries.

It stands to reason that if you want any sort of reasonable performance it should be a fast drive with a fast connection.

It must also not be a network drive (a direct connection is required - eg USB or Thunderbolt). File sharing services such as iCloud Drive, Drop box, Onedrive etc are not compatible with Photos libraries.

See

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201517