Running out of storage on your iPhone? Photos and videos often take up the most space. While you can delete photos individually, sometimes you need a clean sweep to reclaim a significant amount of memory quickly. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t offer a straightforward “select all” button in the Photos app to delete everything at once. But don’t worry, there’s a simple trick to erase all your iPhone photos all at once. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, ensuring you can easily clear your photo library and free up valuable space on your device.
Step-by-Step Guide to Deleting All Photos on Your iPhone
Here’s how to delete all your photos from your iPhone in a few simple steps:
1. Open the Photos App
Start by locating and tapping the Photos app icon on your iPhone’s home screen. This will open your photo library.
2. Navigate to Your Library
Once the app is open, tap on the Library tab located at the bottom left corner of the screen. This will display all your photos organized by date or in other views depending on your settings.
3. Tap on “Select”
In the top right corner of the screen, you’ll see a Select button. Tap on it. This activates the selection mode, allowing you to choose multiple photos.
4. Use the Drag Selection Trick to Select All
This is the key trick to selecting all photos at once. Lightly tap on the very last photo in your library (usually at the bottom). Without lifting your finger, drag your finger to the left and then upwards towards the top of the screen. Continue dragging your finger all the way up to the clock in the upper left corner of your iPhone’s screen. As you drag, photos will be automatically selected as you scroll. This process might take a little while, especially if you have a large photo library.
5. Tap the Trash Icon to Delete
Once all your photos are selected (indicated by blue checkmarks), look for the trash bin icon at the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap this icon to initiate the deletion process.
6. Confirm Deletion
A confirmation prompt will appear at the bottom of your screen, asking “Delete [Number] Items?”. Tap Delete [Number] Items to confirm that you want to delete all the selected photos.
How to Permanently Remove Photos from Your iPhone
After deleting the photos using the steps above, they are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. These photos will remain there for 30 days before being permanently deleted by iOS. If you want to permanently erase these photos immediately and reclaim storage space right away, you need to empty the “Recently Deleted” folder. Here’s how:
1. Open the Photos App and Go to Albums
Open the Photos app again and tap on the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.
2. Scroll Down to “Recently Deleted”
Scroll down the Albums list until you find the Utilities section. Within this section, tap on Recently Deleted.
3. Tap “Select”
In the top right corner of the “Recently Deleted” album, tap on Select.
4. Tap “Delete All”
At the bottom left corner of the screen, you will see a Delete All option. Tap on it.
5. Confirm Permanent Deletion
A confirmation message will pop up, asking “Delete [Number] Items?”. Tap Delete [Number] Items to permanently delete the photos from your iPhone. Once you confirm, these photos will be gone for good, and the storage space they occupied will be freed up.
Deleting Photos from iCloud: Considerations
If you are using iCloud Photos, deleting photos on your iPhone will also delete them from iCloud and any other devices synced with the same iCloud account. Ensure that iCloud Photos sync is enabled if you intend to manage your iCloud photo storage by deleting photos from your iPhone.
Backing Up Your Photos Before Deleting
Before you erase all your iPhone photos, it’s crucial to consider backing them up, especially if they are precious memories. Cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Photos, and OneDrive offer convenient solutions for automatically backing up your photos and videos. By installing one of these apps and setting up automatic backups, you can ensure your photos are safely stored in the cloud.
Benefits of backing up photos to the cloud:
- Access Anywhere: View your photos on any device by logging into your cloud service account.
- Automatic Backup: Your photos are automatically backed up, providing peace of mind.
- Free Up iPhone Storage: Delete photos from your iPhone after backing them up and still access them via the cloud app.
By following these steps, you can effectively erase iPhone photos all at once, manage your storage, and ensure your valuable memories are safely backed up.
