Download & keep originals to Optimize iPhone Storage

[noobinator]

Have 35gb save in the cloud. Originally had the option to download and keep originals. They were taking up 20gb on my phone only for some reason.

I switched to Optimize iPhone storage and they are still taking up 20gb on my phone.

How do I recover this 20gb?

 

[Mike Boreham]

Have 35gb save in the cloud. Originally had the option to download and keep originals. They were taking up 20gb on my phone only for some reason.

I switched to Optimize iPhone storage and they are still taking up 20gb on my phone.

How do I recover this 20gb?

If the photos were originally put on your phone at full size, then you switched to optimised it may take a long time for the full size ones to be downsized to optimised. I would give it several days or a week or two.

 

[bushido]

if i am not mistaken they stay at the original size on the device they were uploaded from until u run out of space on said device. like i have uploaded most from my mac within Photo but they remained in its original size even with optimized enabled but they appeared optimized on my iPhone. now if i take pics on my iPhone they stay optiginal on my phone but optimized on my mac.

 

[kagharaht]

If the photos were originally put on your phone at full size, then you switched to optimised it may take a long time for the full size ones to be downsized to optimised. I would give it several days or a week or two.

Also, double check to see if the photos you delete on your iOS device, may also get deleted on the Mac. You want the photos to stay on the Mac and not get deleted when you are trying to reclaim space on your iOS device.

 

[BartN]

Optimizing does not work

I have also too many photos on my iPhone. I would expect that older views and oldest photos would be removed from the phone to free up space. It does not work like that.

Bart

 

[Mike Boreham]

I have also too many photos on my iPhone. I would expect that older views and oldest photos would be removed from the phone to free up space. It does not work like that.

Bart

That would be completely against the whole philosophy of Photos..."all your photos everywhere".

Optimising does work: my Photos Library takes 32 Gb on my MBP (storing full size), 7.2 Gb on iPhone 6+ (128Gb model) and only 2.8 Gb on my iPad Mini (16Gb model). Images still clear and sharp on iPad Mini.

In the case where you initially request full size originals on your phone, then after they have been put there, you change to "optimised" I think the space will eventually be recovered but it will take a long time depending on numbers and size.