Permanently delete iCloud Photo library?

[Mikel30]

With the Yosemite Public beta, I transitioned my iPhoto Library over to the Photos app, and it uploaded all my photos to my iCloud storage. After playing around with it for a day, I decided I don't want all my photos accessible in iCloud, and want to configure it a slightly different way. Essentially, I want to start over. I followed the directions in this document, but it didn't work.

I removed my Photo library, and it disappeared from my iCloud storage allocation. But when I turn iCloud syncing back on (either on my iPhone or Mac), it starts syncing all the photos again. How can I remove these permanently?

 

[Liam555]

You can permanently delete your icloud photos by clicking file>recently deleted files, and then deleting all the pictures.

However, I've tried this a few times now, and after deleting them all, they just re-appear randomly again. Also when I search through "show package contents" on the Photos library and search through "previews" and "masters", a bunch of photos I took and thought to have deleted are all sitting there. I'd love to know how to get rid of them too as they do not appear in "recently deleted files".

 

[silvetti]

You can disable it in Settings->General->Usage->iCloud(Manage Storage)->iCloud Photo Library

Then click Disable and Delete.

It takes 30 days for it to be completely wiped from Apple servers as a precaution in case you change your mind.

I did once because even though I deleted all the photos/videos it still showed 200MB usage and that annoyed me
So I waited the 30 days and then enabled and all was clean

 

[unobtainium]

So if the syncing process screws up and you want to start fresh, you have to wait 30 days. Wonderful system.

 

[KALLT]

So if the syncing process screws up and you want to start fresh, you have to wait 30 days. Wonderful system.

Better that than potentially losing your entire photo collection. That Photos still has some issues cannot be held against Apple for as long as it is in beta status.

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With the Yosemite Public beta, I transitioned my iPhoto Library over to the Photos app, and it uploaded all my photos to my iCloud storage. After playing around with it for a day, I decided I don't want all my photos accessible in iCloud, and want to configure it a slightly different way. Essentially, I want to start over. I followed the directions in this document, but it didn't work.

I removed my Photo library, and it disappeared from my iCloud storage allocation. But when I turn iCloud syncing back on (either on my iPhone or Mac), it starts syncing all the photos again. How can I remove these permanently?

Why would you turn iCloud Photo Library back on? You don’t get to choose which albums it uploads, as it will upload them all. Similarly, it attempts to download all your photos to your devices, either as originals, compressed or thumbnails. If you don’t like any part of iCloud Photo Library, then keeping it turned off is the only option.

 

[Mikel30]

Why would you turn iCloud Photo Library back on?

Because according to Apple's documentation (and my check with my iCloud storage space), my library should have been deleted. Thus, turning it back on would have presented me with a blank library.

That's not what happened, obviously. And Apple's support document says to contact them if you wish to recover the photos within 30 days. So it seems the fact that the photos are actually sticking around in the iCloud library isn't how it's intended to be.

 

[KALLT]

Because according to Apple's documentation (and my check with my iCloud storage space), my library should have been deleted. Thus, turning it back on would have presented me with a blank library.

That's not what happened, obviously. And Apple's support document says to contact them if you wish to recover the photos within 30 days. So it seems the fact that the photos are actually sticking around in the iCloud library isn't how it's intended to be.

The support document says:

You can disable iCloud Photo Library (and recover iCloud storage) for all devices by going to Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage > iCloud Photo Library beta, then selecting Disable and Delete. Once disabled, you will have 30 days to download your library to at least one device.

Seems to me that it’s specifically designed to retain your photos for 30 days in case you change your mind. If you do, it will start uploading/downloading the remaining pictures to keep your photo libraries on your devices in sync. If you don’t, the photos should be deleted permanently after 30 days.

Again, I don’t really understand what you are even trying to do here. I think that’s how it’s supposed to work.

 

[Mikel30]

The support document says:

Seems to me that it’s specifically designed to retain your photos for 30 days in case you change your mind. If you do, it will start uploading/downloading the remaining pictures to keep your photo libraries on your devices in sync. If you don’t, the photos should be deleted permanently after 30 days.

Again, I don’t really understand what you are even trying to do here. I think that’s how it’s supposed to work.

What I'm trying to do is erase my iCloud photo library and start from scratch. Except clicking "disable and delete" doesn't actually delete anything, which is where my frustration stems from. Yes, it says they'll keep your photos for 30 days. But it also says to contact Apple if you do want to recover these. In other words, your library should actually be deleted when you click "delete" and the place the recoverable photos are stored isn't accessible to the user without contact Apple. But that is not happening.

 

[KALLT]

What I'm trying to do is erase my iCloud photo library and start from scratch. Except clicking "disable and delete" doesn't actually delete anything, which is where my frustration stems from. Yes, it says they'll keep your photos for 30 days. But it also says to contact Apple if you do want to recover these. In other words, your library should actually be deleted when you click "delete" and the place the recoverable photos are stored isn't accessible to the user without contact Apple. But that is not happening.

I think you misread that part. It says:

Deleting a photo or video from your Photos app will also remove the item from iCloud Photo Library and from your iCloud storage allocation. […] After 30 days, your content will be removed from the Recently Deleted album. Photos are backed up on our servers for up to 30 days after they're deleted from the Photos app. If you need to recover these photos during that time, contact Apple Support.

I think they mean individual deletions, with iCloud Photo Library turned on.

What would you have done different anyway? Since iCloud Photo Library will upload all your pictures in the Photos application, what are you trying to do? The only way to keep certain pictures out of iCloud Photo Library would be to remove them from the Photos application entirely. You can still do that with the feature turned on. Just export the pictures back to your disk and delete them in Photos. That will also remove them from iCloud Photo Library. iCloud really just reflects what’s in your Photos libraries on your devices, combined.

 

[unobtainium]

iCloud really just reflects what’s in your Photos libraries on your devices, combined.

What Apple should include is an option to completely reset the cloud, or at least an option to force it to completely re-sync. Syncing errors and weirdness are going to be a major problem, as they were (ahem, still are) with iTunes Match.

With the 30-day period before you can "try again" the whole thing becomes a huge headache.

 

[KALLT]

What Apple should include is an option to completely reset the cloud, or at least an option to force it to completely re-sync. Syncing errors and weirdness are going to be a major problem, as they were (ahem, still are) with iTunes Match.

With the 30-day period before you can "try again" the whole thing becomes a huge headache.

Sure, but at the same time it doesn’t really solve the problem Mikel30 is trying to solve.

I hope you wrote a bug report to that end.

 

[bob24]

Having the same issue here. I tried the beta version of Photos for OS X but the date/time for some of my pictures got corrupted (this was listed as a known but when using Photos beta along with iOS 8.1.

No problem as I understand it is beta software, but now that iOS 8.2 is released I would like to be able to wipe my iCloud photo library and import everything again from iPhoto. I it a bit strange that you can't force delete your library and bypass the 30 days retention period if you want to (with a big red warning message saying you won't be able to recover it for Apple to decline any liability if this is their concern). I wouldn't do that very often, but when you start using a new product it is not uncommon that at the beginning something goes wrong 9either a bug or a user error) and you want to just undo everything and restart from scratch.

 

[Mikel30]

What I ended up doing was "restoring" my deleted iCloud Photo library which was counting down from 30 days for deletion. I then had to wait for everything to re-sync to my Mac. Then I moved everything to the trash, and then permanently deleted them from the "Recently Deleted" folder. It took more work than a simple "Delete iCloud Photo Library" option, but I got rid of all my photos, freed up all my iCloud space, and was able to start over.

 

[Liam555]

What I ended up doing was "restoring" my deleted iCloud Photo library which was counting down from 30 days for deletion. I then had to wait for everything to re-sync to my Mac. Then I moved everything to the trash, and then permanently deleted them from the "Recently Deleted" folder. It took more work than a simple "Delete iCloud Photo Library" option, but I got rid of all my photos, freed up all my iCloud space, and was able to start over.

I did the same thing. Only having 11 more days to wait, I decided to cancel the countdown and then delete via the "recently deleted". The problem is, everytime I close and re-open the app, they're all still in the recently deleted section.