Deleting pictures from Google Photos can be confusing. This guide provides clear steps to remove photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your device. We’ll cover how to turn off backup, delete photos from Google Photos, and ensure your local copies remain safe.
Deleting Backed-Up Photos While Keeping Local Copies
To remove photos from Google Photos without affecting the pictures on your phone or computer, you need to disable backup first. Here’s a detailed walkthrough:
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Turn Off Backup: On each device where you want to keep the photos, disable the Google Photos backup feature. This prevents future uploads and ensures your local deletions don’t sync.
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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: Choose the photos you want to remove from Google Photos. You can select multiple photos at once to speed up the process. Click the trash can icon to delete them.
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Verify Deletion on Mobile: If you’re deleting photos from a mobile device, 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 website.
Understanding Local Copies and Backup Status
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. To check a photo’s backup status:
- Open the Google Photos app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the photo you want to check.
- Tap the “More” icon (three vertical dots).
- Scroll down to “Details.” This section will show you if the photo is backed up or not.
Important Considerations for Backup and Deletion
Turning off backup means you lose the benefits of automatic photo storage and syncing across devices. Learn more about the benefits of backup. If you re-enable backup, previously deleted photos might be uploaded again if they still exist on your device. Learn how to turn backup on. Re-enabling backup can also sometimes delete the local copy of a photo that was previously deleted from Google Photos.
In summary, permanently deleting pictures from Google Photos requires turning off backup and then deleting them through the website interface. Understanding the difference between local copies and backed-up photos is crucial for managing your photo library effectively.
