{"id":"icloud.can-i-use-icloud-drive-without-icloud-photos","url":"/faq/icloud/can-i-use-icloud-drive-without-icloud-photos","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"icloud-drive-basics","title":"iCloud Drive basics"},"question":"Can I use iCloud Drive without iCloud Photos, or the other way round?","alt_questions":["Turn on iCloud Drive but not Photos","Use iCloud Photos without iCloud Drive","Separate iCloud services Mac","only sync photos not files icloud"],"short_answer":"Yes — they're separate switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. Sync files without photos, or photos without files; whichever you turn on shares the same iCloud storage.","answer_markdown":"Yes. They're independent switches in **System Settings → your name → iCloud**. You can sync files with iCloud Drive and keep your photo library local (backed up another way), or sync photos while keeping files off iCloud. Both share the same iCloud storage when on.\n\nChoose by what you need on other devices. For how they differ, see [iCloud Drive vs iCloud Photos](/faq/icloud/icloud-drive-vs-icloud-photos-difference).","answer_html":"

Yes. They're independent switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. You can sync files with iCloud Drive and keep your photo library local (backed up another way), or sync photos while keeping files off iCloud. Both share the same iCloud storage when on.

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Choose by what you need on other devices. For how they differ, see iCloud Drive vs iCloud Photos.

","answer_text":"Yes. They're independent switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. You can sync files with iCloud Drive and keep your photo library local (backed up another way), or sync photos while keeping files off iCloud. Both share the same iCloud storage when on.\n\nChoose by what you need on other devices. For how they differ, see iCloud Drive vs iCloud Photos.","tags":["icloud drive","icloud photos","settings"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.icloud-drive-vs-icloud-photos-difference","question":"What's the difference between iCloud Drive and iCloud Photos?","url":"/faq/icloud/icloud-drive-vs-icloud-photos-difference"},{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-turn-on-icloud-drive-on-my-mac","question":"How do I turn on iCloud Drive on my Mac?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-turn-on-icloud-drive-on-my-mac"},{"id":"icloud.what-happens-if-i-turn-off-icloud-photos-on-my-mac","question":"What happens if I turn off iCloud Photos on my Mac?","url":"/faq/icloud/what-happens-if-i-turn-off-icloud-photos-on-my-mac"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can I use iCloud Drive without iCloud Photos, or the other way round? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Yes — they're separate switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. Sync files without photos, or photos without files; whichever you turn on shares the same iCloud storage.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"Can I use iCloud Drive without iCloud Photos, or the other way round?","path":"/faq/icloud/can-i-use-icloud-drive-without-icloud-photos"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/can-i-use-icloud-drive-without-icloud-photos","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I use iCloud Drive without iCloud Photos, or the other way round?","alternateName":["Turn on iCloud Drive but not Photos","Use iCloud Photos without iCloud Drive","Separate iCloud services Mac","only sync photos not files icloud"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. They're independent switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. You can sync files with iCloud Drive and keep your photo library local (backed up another way), or sync photos while keeping files off iCloud. Both share the same iCloud storage when on.\n\nChoose by what you need on other devices. For how they differ, see iCloud Drive vs iCloud Photos.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/can-i-use-icloud-drive-without-icloud-photos"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud Drive basics

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Can I use iCloud Drive without iCloud Photos, or the other way round?

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Short answer: Yes — they're separate switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. Sync files without photos, or photos without files; whichever you turn on shares the same iCloud storage.

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Yes. They're independent switches in System Settings → your name → iCloud. You can sync files with iCloud Drive and keep your photo library local (backed up another way), or sync photos while keeping files off iCloud. Both share the same iCloud storage when on.

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Choose by what you need on other devices. For how they differ, see iCloud Drive vs iCloud Photos.

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