Hi, I'm a data recovery specialist with over a decade of experience helping people understand and manage their digital data. I specialize in cloud storage solutions and have helped countless individuals navigate the intricacies of iCloud.

## Understanding How iCloud Photos Works

To accurately answer your question, it's crucial to understand the fundamental relationship between your iPhone photos and iCloud. Let's break down how iCloud Photos works:

* Not just a backup: iCloud Photos isn't merely a backup service like an external hard drive. It's designed to seamlessly sync your photos across all your Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account.

* Two-way street: When you enable iCloud Photos, any change you make to a photo on one device (deleting, editing, adding) is reflected on all other connected devices. This real-time syncing ensures consistency across your Apple ecosystem.

* Storage Optimization: To manage storage, your iPhone can be set to "Optimize iPhone Storage" within iCloud Photos settings. If enabled, this feature replaces original, full-resolution images and videos with smaller, space-saving versions on your device. The full-resolution versions are safely stored in your iCloud Photos library.

## Answering Your Question: Deleted Photos and iCloud

Now, let's address your specific query. If you delete a photo from your iPhone with iCloud Photos enabled, here's what happens:

* Simultaneous deletion: The photo is not just deleted from your iPhone, but also from your iCloud Photos library and all other devices synced to that iCloud account.

* Recently Deleted folder: The deleted photo doesn't immediately vanish into thin air. It moves to the "Recently Deleted" folder within the Photos app on your devices and on iCloud.com.

* 30-day grace period: This folder acts as a safety net, giving you 30 days to recover any accidentally deleted photos.

* Permanent deletion: After 30 days in the "Recently Deleted" folder, the photos are permanently erased from your iCloud Photos library and cannot be recovered.

## Key Takeaways and Recommendations


1. iCloud Photos Syncs, Not Just Backs Up: Remember, changes made on one device, including deletions, are reflected across your entire iCloud Photos library.


2. Recently Deleted is Your Safety Net: Always check this folder if you can't find a photo – it might be awaiting permanent deletion.


3. Regular Backups are Crucial: While iCloud Photos is powerful, consider additional backup methods like an external hard drive or a separate cloud service for extra peace of mind.

I hope this comprehensive explanation clears up any confusion and helps you manage your precious photos effectively!

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If you delete them from the camera roll, this will not affect the photostream in iCloud. However if you delete them from the stream then they will be gone from the cloud, but if the picture was also in the camera roll that will remain.read more >>