Running out of storage on your iPhone? Or perhaps you’re preparing to sell or give away your device and want to ensure all your personal photos are removed? Deleting photos from your iPhone is a straightforward process, whether you want to remove a single image or clear your entire photo library. This guide will walk you through the steps on how to delete photos from your iPhone, including how to delete individual photos, multiple photos, and manage your “Recently Deleted” album, ensuring you understand every step for effective photo management.
Before you begin deleting any photos, it’s crucial to back up any photos and videos you wish to keep. Once deleted, photos are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album for a limited time, but permanently deleting them from there means they are gone forever. If you are using iCloud Photos, deleting photos on your iPhone will also remove them from all other devices connected to the same Apple ID. Be sure to back up your precious memories to iCloud, your computer, or an external drive before proceeding.
To check your iPhone’s storage and see how much space your photos are occupying, navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This will give you an overview of your storage usage and help you decide if deleting photos is necessary.
Deleting Photos or Videos from Your iPhone
When you delete photos and videos from your iPhone, they are not immediately removed permanently. Instead, they are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album for 30 days. This grace period allows you to recover any photos you might have deleted accidentally. After 30 days, these items are automatically and permanently deleted from your device and iCloud, if you are using iCloud Photos.
Keep in mind that if you originally added photos to your iPhone by syncing from your computer, you cannot directly delete them from the Photos app on your device. If the trash icon appears grayed out when you attempt to delete such photos, you’ll need to stop syncing photos from your computer to manage them directly on your iPhone.
How to Delete a Single Photo or Video
iPhone showing Delete Photo option
Deleting a single photo is quick and easy:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the photo or video you wish to delete to view it in full screen.
- Tap the Trash icon located at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Confirm deletion by tapping “Delete Photo” in the prompt that appears. The item will be moved to the “Recently Deleted” album.
This method is ideal for removing individual photos or videos you no longer need.
How to Delete Multiple Photos or Videos at Once
iPhone showing multiple photos selected in the Photos app
To delete multiple photos simultaneously, follow these steps:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- In the Library view (Photos or Albums tab), tap “Select” in the top right corner.
- Tap on each photo or video you want to delete. A checkmark will appear on each selected item. Alternatively, slide your finger across multiple photos to select a range quickly.
- Once you have selected all the items, tap the Trash icon at the bottom right corner.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping “Delete [Number] Items”. The selected photos and videos will be moved to the “Recently Deleted” album.
Deleting multiple photos at once is efficient for clearing out large numbers of unwanted images quickly.
Managing the “Recently Deleted” Album
The “Recently Deleted” album acts as a safety net, giving you a chance to recover photos if you change your mind or deleted them by mistake. It also plays a crucial role in permanently removing photos from your iPhone.
Recovering Deleted Photos or Videos
If you’ve deleted a photo and want to get it back, here’s how:
- Open the Photos app.
- Scroll down to the “Utilities” section and tap “Recently Deleted”.
- In iOS 16 and later, you may need to use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the “Recently Deleted” album for privacy. Tap “View Album” and authenticate.
- Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
- Tap on the photo or video you wish to recover.
- Tap “Recover” at the bottom right. To recover all items, tap “Recover All”.
- Confirm recovery by tapping “Recover Photo” or “Recover Video”. The recovered items will be restored to your main Photos Library.
You have 30 days to recover items from the “Recently Deleted” album.
Permanently Deleting Photos or Videos
To permanently delete photos and free up storage space on your iPhone, you need to empty the “Recently Deleted” album:
- Open the Photos app.
- Scroll down to “Utilities” and tap “Recently Deleted”.
- Unlock the album using Face ID or Touch ID if prompted.
- Tap “Select”.
- Select the photos or videos you want to permanently delete. To delete everything in the album, you can usually find a “Delete All” option. If not, you’ll need to select all items manually or in batches.
- Tap “Delete” at the bottom left.
- Confirm permanent deletion by tapping “Delete Photo” or “Delete [Number] Items”. Once you delete photos from this album, they cannot be recovered.
Permanently deleting photos from the “Recently Deleted” album is essential to truly remove them from your iPhone and free up storage space.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and delete photos from your iPhone, whether you’re removing a few unwanted shots or clearing out your entire library. Remember to always back up your important photos before deleting and understand the “Recently Deleted” album to manage your photos efficiently.
