How to keep photos out of iCloud Photos on iPhone
iCloud Photos keeps the Photos library in iCloud and current across devices signed in with the same Apple Account. Stopping sync on this iPhone is a different step from deleting the library already stored in iCloud.
Quick answer: Download the original photos and videos first, and leave enough free space on the iPhone. Then open Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, and under Saved to iCloud tap Photos. Deselect Sync this iPhone. Choose Download Photos & Videos to keep a copy on this iPhone, or Remove from iPhone to remove the photos without saving a copy. If you skip the download, optimized photos are not the original resolution. Photos already in iCloud stay there until you turn iCloud Photos off for the account. A signed physical-device restore has not been verified.
Published by Chreia Labs, the maker of Ego. This page uses Ego's public product pages, the US App Store listing for Ego, and Apple's iCloud Photos articles, checked November 12, 2026. No independent security audit is claimed.
Turn off sync on this iPhone
Apple's turn off iCloud Photos article gives these steps for one iPhone. Set up and use iCloud Photos describes the same library as the collection that stays current across devices, including new photos, edits, and deletions.
- Download your original photos and videos. Make sure the iPhone has enough storage for them.
- Go to Settings, then tap your name.
- Tap iCloud. Under Saved to iCloud, tap Photos.
- Deselect Sync this iPhone. Apple's article labels that control "Sync this [Device]".
- Select Download Photos & Videos to keep a copy on this iPhone. Select Remove from iPhone only when you mean to remove the photos without saving a copy.
After you turn sync off on this iPhone, new photos, edits, and deletions no longer sync between this phone and other devices that still use iCloud Photos. The copies already stored in iCloud remain on those other devices.
Deleting the iCloud library is a separate step
Turning off sync on one iPhone leaves the iCloud library in place. To turn off iCloud Photos for the account, Apple says to download the originals first. If you own a Shared Photo Library, delete that library before continuing. Then go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap Storage, tap iCloud Photos, and tap Turn Off and Delete Photos. On iOS 17 or earlier, open Manage Account Storage and tap Turn Off & Delete from iCloud.
Photos and videos stored in iCloud delete 30 days after you stop using the service. Before those 30 days end, you can select Undo Delete. Read how a Shared Photo Library differs from your personal library before you delete one. Shared albums and iCloud photo links are separate sharing paths: shared album access and sharing with an iCloud link.
Hiding a photo leaves it in the Photos library
The Hidden collection is still part of Photos. While iCloud Photos stays on, hiding an item follows that library to your other devices on the same Apple Account. The steps and limits are in how to hide photos on iPhone.
A vault copy stays outside Photos
The App Store listing describes Ego as separate encrypted vaults for photos, videos, and files. Each vault has a name and its own six-digit passcode. Unlocking opens only that vault. Ego has no account, advertising, or analytics. Ego is free on the App Store for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. The first vault is free, with no artificial item limit beyond available device storage.
Importing adds a copy inside the vault. It does not delete the photo in Photos, so that Photos item can still upload while Sync this iPhone stays on. Read what happens to the original after import and what an encrypted photo vault keeps separate.
Saving or sharing a file from an unlocked vault leaves that copy outside the vault. The App Store listing says a copy saved or shared outside Ego leaves its encryption and may sync or be backed up elsewhere, while the encrypted original stays in the vault.
Ego's iCloud backup is not iCloud Photos
Optional encrypted iCloud backup is separate from the Photos library. It is enabled per vault, uses your iCloud storage, and saves one current snapshot. It is not continuous synchronization of Photos. Local recovery and manual encrypted exports stay on the original iPhone. A signed physical-device restore has not been verified, so keep another copy of anything you cannot replace. The limits are on Ego's product details and in iCloud backup versus manual recovery.
Never send a passcode, recovery key, or private file to support. Questions can go through Ego support.