Manage iPad cloud storage
How do I delete files/photos from my iPad iCloud?
iPad, iPadOS 13
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iCloud storage performs multiple functions. As a consequence, files, photos and data are managed differently.
Presumably your iPad photos are synchronised with iCloud. When using Photos in iCloud, your Photo Library is synchronised between your iPad, iPhone, Mac/PC computer. Additions and deletions of photos on any device signed-in to iCloud will result in the change replicating to all your other devices.
What is perhaps important to understand here is that while Photos in iCloud provides a synchronised backup of your photos, it is not independent “cloud” storage for archiving photos that you wish to keep separately from your devices.
The same can be said for documents associated with many of your Apple Apps - such as Pages, Numbers, Keynote etc. Files for these Apps are also synchronised between your devices using iCloud - a copy being kept on both devices and iCloud. Deletion of individual files on one device will cause deletion from all devices and iCloud.
It is possible to use iCloud for storage of files/data independently of your iPad.
These articles from iMore may be helpful in gaining a better understanding of how iCloud storage works with your iPad and other devices:
https://www.imore.com/icloud-drive
You may also find Apple’s iCloud User Guide will be useful:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/icloud/welcome/icloud
Set up iCloud on all your devices – Apple Support