The iPad is most likely signed in with your Apple Account, and iCloud Photos is on. That is sync, not a backup restore. Turn off iCloud Photos on the iPad, then give the iPad its own Apple Account.
Do not delete photos in the Photos app on the iPad yet. With iCloud Photos on, Apple says that a delete on one device removes the photo on all your devices, your iPhone too.
Turn off the sync on the iPad
- On the iPad, open Settings and tap your name.
- Tap iCloud, then tap Photos under Saved to iCloud.
- Turn off Sync this iPad.
- When the iPad asks, choose to keep a copy of the photos on the iPad or to remove them. Read each prompt before you tap.
New uploads, edits and deletions then stop syncing between the iPad and your other devices. Apple also tells you to download your original photos first.
Sign out and use a second account
Apple recommends one Apple Account for each family member, linked with Family Sharing. On a shared account, Apple says some of your personal data can show to other family members, and messages, voicemails and call history can mix.
- Open Settings and tap your name.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Sign Out.
- Choose Erase this iPad or Sign Out But Don’t Erase. Read the prompts.
- Enter the passcode or your Apple Account password, then confirm.
Sign Out But Don’t Erase keeps most data on the iPad, Photos included. That is why the sync switch comes first. Signing out also ends iCloud, iMessage and FaceTime on the iPad. What is already in iCloud stays there. Then sign in with the family member’s own Apple Account.
Move the private files out of Photos
A Vault9 vault lives only on your iPhone. There is no iPad app and no sync between devices, so the vault cannot show up on the iPad.
First check that the iPad no longer syncs. Then, on your iPhone:
- Import the private files into Vault9 from the Photos app.
- Delete the originals in Photos yourself.
- Empty Recently Deleted in Photos. Deleted items stay there for 30 days.
Once iCloud Photos no longer reaches the iPad, a delete on your iPhone does not change the iPad.
What Vault9 cannot fix here
It cannot take photos off the iPad. The steps above do that. If someone holds your iPhone unlocked with the vault open, they see your files, so lock the app first. It also locks when it goes to the background or after the time you set. And we cannot reset your pattern or passphrase, so keep your Emergency Kit safe.
For the opposite question, read how to stop iCloud Photos syncing to other devices.
Sources
- Apple Support: How to turn off iCloud Photos (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Set up and use iCloud Photos (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Sign out of your Apple Account and iCloud on your devices (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: What happens after you choose Sign Out But Don’t Erase (checked 2026-11-06)
- Apple Support: Make sure that each family member has their own Apple Account (checked 2026-11-06)
