Why does iOS device take 32GB storage of photos yet everything is stored in iCloud?

[Beards]

Have had this issue for ages but can not fathom what is causing it.
Basically, when I go to Settings/General/ iPad Storage/ ~ it says Photos use 32.16GB, yet when I check Settings/Photos/ ~ the first item titled iCloud has quite correctly iCoud Photos as selected, as is Optimise iPad Storage. I can not find anything why Photo’s are taking up so much internal space.
Surely there shouldn’t be 32GB of Photos on my iPad when iCloud is the preferred method of storage?

 

[ruka.snow]

From how it is worded, it keeps as many as it can locally with everything on iCloud. Older/less viewed photos are automatically removed from the phone as and when you require more space.

 

[Beards]

From how it is worded, it keeps as many as it can locally with everything on iCloud. Older/less viewed photos are automatically removed from the phone as and when you require more space.

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately though that does not explain why my other iPad an Air 2 only has nearly 3GB of photos showing in the iPad Storage and my iPhone XS Max has just over 2GB.
These smaller figures I can understand from your explanation. However, what is baffling is why the extreme difference in storage size taken on my iPad Pro with 32GB of Photos.
The iCloud Photos takes up 32GB. The iPad Pro shows in General/iPad Storage 32.7GB of photos.
The only device that takes photos is the iPhone. The iPad Pro does nothing with the photos except view them from iCloud.

 

[ZEEN0j]

Did you enable optimize on the iPad from day one? If you do this it should only download the thumbnails until you view them. My library on iCloud is almost 60gb, yet on my phone it’s under 1gb.

If you let all photos download it will only “remove” them when needed.

 

[Beards]

Did you enable optimize on the iPad from day one? If you do this it should only download the thumbnails until you view them. My library on iCloud is almost 60gb, yet on my phone it’s under 1gb.

If you let all photos download it will only “remove” them when needed.

Yes, optimise iPad storage has been ticked since day one. It’s been the same on both my Air 2 and XS Max. The XS Max is only a few weeks old but that is already at 2.84GB documents & data.

 

[madeirabhoy]

Yes, optimise iPad storage has been ticked since day one. It’s been the same on both my Air 2 and XS Max. The XS Max is only a few weeks old but that is already at 2.84GB documents & data.

what happens if you download half a dozen big apps, or fill it with movies, so pushing it to remove the pics for needed space, then delete them?

 

[Beards]

what happens if you download half a dozen big apps, or fill it with movies, so pushing it to remove the pics for needed space, then delete them?

If you think that may work I will definitely give it a try. I'll report back later.

 

[chabig]

Don't do anything. You don't have a problem. Don't try to force the machine to store locally or in the cloud. Optimize takes care of it for you.

 

[Beards]

Don't do anything. You don't have a problem. Don't try to force the machine to store locally or in the cloud. Optimize takes care of it for you.

But please then explain why the iPad Pro has over 32GB of photos locked into its internal storage when my other iPad and iPhone xs max are only using 2 & 3GB's internship storages.
I want to delete those photos in the internal storage on the iPad Pro but not delete my entire icloud photos.

 

[chabig]

But please then explain

Sure. Understand that each device is independent. Your complete collection of full resolution photos is in iCloud. Very generally, each device only keeps thumbnails locally (so you can browse) and if you actually look at a photo it will go to the cloud and download a local copy. If you primarily view photos on the iPad (you said, "The iPad Pro does nothing with the photos except view them from iCloud.") then as you view them it will download the copies as necessary. Once the photos are on a device they'll stay there until iOS need the space for something else. Then it intelligently deletes locally knowing that iCloud has them. That's what optimize storage does for you. It's automatic, and it's different on each of your devices depending upon how much storage they have and how you use them.

 

[Beards]

Sure. Understand that each device is independent. Your complete collection of full resolution photos is in iCloud. Very generally, each device only keeps thumbnails locally (so you can browse) and if you actually look at a photo it will go to the cloud and download a local copy. If you primarily view photos on the iPad (you said, "The iPad Pro does nothing with the photos except view them from iCloud.") then as you view them it will download the copies as necessary. Once the photos are on a device they'll stay there until iOS need the space for something else. Then it intelligently deletes locally knowing that iCloud has them. That's what optimize storage does for you. It's automatic, and it's different on each of your devices depending upon how much storage they have and how you use them.

Thanks for the detail explanation.
Now I understand what both raku.snow and you are saying.
So, although my current iPad Pro is practically full my replacement if done through an icloud backup won't take up that 32GB. Otherwise I will have to jump from a 256GB storage to a 512GB.

 

[chabig]

That's right, Beards. In iCloud I have about 52GB of photos but on my iPhone photos only takes 2.2GB. On my iPad, photos only takes 2.1GB.

If you get a new iPad, photos won't start out taking 32GB. It'll only take enough space to keep the thumbnails. After that it will intelligently manage the space, downloading and deleting as necessary.

 

[Beards]

That's right, Beards. In iCloud I have about 52GB of photos but on my iPhone photos only takes 2.2GB. On my iPad, photos only takes 2.1GB.

If you get a new iPad, photos won't start out taking 32GB. It'll only take enough space to keep the thumbnails. After that it will intelligently manage the space, downloading and deleting as necessary.

Thanks..... appreciated.
Apologies to you and everyone who took their time.
From my point of view seeing the iPad Pro's internal storage of Photos continue to grow over time and never shrink gave me cause for concern that something was not right. Now I know differently.

 

[chabig]

You're welcome. It's not problem at all to answer questions. For reference, here is Apple's document explaining it:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204264

"If you turn on Optimize Storage, iCloud Photos automatically manages the size of your library on your device. Your original photos and videos are stored in iCloud and space-saving versions are kept on your device. Your library is optimized only when you need space, starting with the photos and videos you access least."