It’s a common scenario: you want to clear space in your Google Photos cloud storage but keep the original, high-resolution images safely stored on your phone or computer. Deleting backed-up photos from Google Photos while preserving the local copies requires a specific approach. This guide will walk you through the steps to remove photos and videos from your Google Photos backup without affecting what’s saved on your devices.
To delete your Google Photo backups effectively, follow these steps:
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Disable Backup & Sync: The first crucial step is to turn off the backup feature on any device where you intend to keep the original photos or videos. This prevents Google Photos from syncing changes and potentially deleting local copies after you remove them from the cloud.
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Access Google Photos on the Web: Using a computer or mobile browser, navigate to photos.google.com and log in to your Google account. Managing your Google Photos library is most efficiently done through the website interface.
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Remove Photos from Google Photos: On the Google Photos website, select the photos and videos you wish to delete from your backup. Once selected, proceed to delete them. This action will remove these items from your Google Photos cloud storage.
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Verify Local Copies: After deleting from Google Photos, wait a few minutes, ensuring your device is connected to Wi-Fi. Then, close and reopen the Google Photos app on your phone or tablet. The deleted photos might still appear, but these are now only local copies stored on your device.
To confirm a photo’s backup status, tap on it, then select “Details.” If backup is disabled, it will indicate that the photo is only on your device.
Important Considerations:
Leaving backup off means you won’t benefit from automatic cloud saving. If you re-enable backup later, be aware that:
- Photos deleted from Google Photos might be backed up again if they are still on your device.
- Conversely, local copies could be deleted if Google Photos syncs the deletion after backup is turned back on.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your Google Photos storage and delete backups without losing your precious memories from your devices.
