Are my files actually backed up? Can I delete originals?

[dills84]

I'm new to Lightroom CC and I really like the workflow of importing to the cloud and working on my images wherever I may be. Even able to upload my RAW files directly from my phone! Amazing stuff!

I have one concern though. I'm contemplating deleting all of my originals from my local storage as this takes a tremendous amount of hard drive space. I've read from multiple sources that it's safe to do this as my files are "backed up" by the lightroom cloud. The words "Backed up" indicates that my files are stored in redundant locations and are capable of being "restored". Is this true? I just want to be sure it's safe for me to remove my originals from my local drive.

Also, what happens if for some reason my account is cancelled due to a payment not going through or something? What happens to my files?

And my last question. What if I wanted to migrate back to Lightroom Classic? How would I download my entire 1TB archive from the Lightroom cloud to make it local again?

Thank you!

[99jon]

Everything imported into one of the LRCC apps is automatically backed up. So once you are sure everything is sync’d to the cloud you could delete originals from your folders or archive them to an external drive whichever is preferred? This assumes you are using the system cache and you have not elected to store a local copy under preferences. If the cloud is to be your only back up you would need to take care not to delete files accidentally, although Adobe provides a warning for your confirmation.

Adobe provides a download tool which enables everything to be downloaded from the cloud back on to your computer. Additionally, Adobe will continue to store your original images for one year after your membership lapses. During that time, you can continue to launch Lightroom CC to download your original files from the cloud

If you wished to return to LR Classic you can enable sync in LR Classic and everything would get downloaded into the LR Classic catalog with the exception of keywords.

[john beardsworth · Accepted solution]

No, it is not safe to delete your originals.

Multiple sources may have copied the expression "backed up" from LRCC's marketing, but "stored" would be a better word. Having a single copy of a file does not count as backup in any meaningful sense of the word, regardless of whether it is in the cloud. If you accidentally delete that file through LRCC, it is gone forever - as is LRCC's local storage copy. If you end your subscription, the file is deleted if you don't download it within a year. So don't let loosely-worded marketing hype mislead you - only delete originals from your hard drive when you know you have your own backups.