Deleting photos from Google Photos can be confusing, especially if you want to keep them on your device. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step process on how to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone, computer, or other devices.
To successfully remove photos from Google Photos while retaining them on your device, you must first disable the backup feature. Disabling backup ensures that future photos and videos won’t be uploaded to Google Photos.
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Turn Off Backup: On each device where you want to keep your photos, navigate to your Google Photos settings and turn off the backup and sync option. This crucial step prevents Google Photos from deleting local copies when you remove them from the cloud.
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Access Google Photos on the Web: Open a web browser on your computer or mobile device and go to photos.google.com/login. Log into your Google account.
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Select and Delete Photos: Browse your Google Photos library and select the photos and videos you want to remove. Click the trash can icon to delete them.
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Verify Deletion on Mobile Devices: If you’re using a mobile device like an iPhone or iPad, connect to Wi-Fi, close the Google Photos app, and then reopen it. This refreshes the app and reflects the changes you made on the web. It may take a few minutes for the deleted photos to disappear.
After deleting photos from Google Photos, you might still see them in your device’s photo gallery. These are local copies, not the backed-up versions you just deleted. To confirm a photo’s backup status, open the photo in the Google Photos app, tap the “More” icon (three vertical dots), and scroll down to “Details.” You’ll see information about its backup status.
Keeping backup off prevents future uploads and protects your local photos from accidental deletion. However, remember that disabling backup also means losing the benefits of automatic cloud storage and access across devices. You can always turn backup back on later if needed. Learn about the benefits of backup. Learn how to turn on backup.
Re-enabling backup after deleting photos can sometimes lead to the deleted items being backed up again or the local copies being removed. Keep this in mind when managing your photo storage. By following these steps, you can effectively manage your Google Photos storage and control which photos are saved where.
