Running out of storage on your iPhone? One of the quickest ways to free up space is by deleting photos and videos you no longer need. Whether you want to remove a single snapshot, clear out a bunch of images, or manage your iCloud storage, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to delete photos on your iPhone.
Before we dive in, it’s crucial to back up any photos and videos you want to keep. Deleting photos is permanent (after 30 days from the Recently Deleted album), so ensure your precious memories are safely stored elsewhere. If you use iCloud Photos, remember that deleting photos on your iPhone will also remove them from all your devices connected to the same Apple ID. Learn more about managing your iCloud Photos storage.
To check your iPhone storage, navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This will give you an overview of your storage usage and help you decide which photos and videos you might want to delete. You can also learn more about managing your device photo storage for further optimization tips.
Steps to Delete Photos and Videos from Your iPhone
When you delete photos and videos from your iPhone, they aren’t immediately gone forever. They are moved to the Recently Deleted album for 30 days, giving you a chance to recover them if you change your mind. After 30 days, these items are permanently deleted.
Keep in mind that if you are using iCloud Photos, deleting photos from one device will delete them across all devices synced with your iCloud account.
It’s also important to note that if you added photos to your iPhone by syncing from your computer, you can’t directly delete them from the Photos app on your device. If the trash icon appears grayed out, you might need to stop syncing photos from your computer. You can find instructions on how to stop syncing photos from your computer if needed.
Deleting a Single Photo or Video on iPhone
This is the simplest way to remove unwanted photos one by one.
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Select the photo or video you wish to delete by tapping on it.
- Tap the Trash icon located at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Confirm deletion by tapping “Delete Photo” (or “Delete Video”).
Deleting a single photo on iPhone: Tap the trash icon and confirm delete.
Deleting Multiple Photos and Videos on iPhone
If you need to delete a large number of photos, deleting them one by one can be time-consuming. Here’s how to delete multiple photos at once:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Tap “Select” at the top right corner of the screen.
- Select multiple photos or videos by tapping on each one. You can also slide your finger across multiple photos to select a range quickly.
- Tap the Trash icon at the bottom right corner.
- Confirm deletion by tapping “Delete [Number] Items”.
How to delete multiple photos on iPhone: Select photos and tap the trash icon.
If you are using iCloud Shared Photo Library (available in iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and later), be aware that anyone with access to the shared library can delete, add, or edit items. If someone else deletes a photo from the Shared Library, it will also disappear from your view. However, only the person who originally added the photo can permanently delete it from the “Recently Deleted” folder or recover it. Remember, you have 30 days to recover any photo or video from the Recently Deleted album. You can learn more about setting up and using iCloud Shared Photo Library.
How to Delete Duplicate Photos and Videos on iPhone
Duplicate photos can take up unnecessary space. iPhones with iOS 16 and later have a built-in feature to detect and merge duplicates:
- Open the Photos app.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see the Utilities section.
- Tap the “Duplicates” album under Utilities.
- Tap “Merge” to combine the duplicates.
- Confirm by tapping “Merge [Number] Items”.
When you merge duplicates, your iPhone intelligently keeps the photo with the highest image quality and relevant data, moving the other duplicates to the Recently Deleted album. The duplicate detection process is automatic and might take some time to complete. You can find more information about the Duplicates album on Apple Support.
Recovering Deleted Photos and Videos on iPhone
Accidentally deleted a precious photo? Don’t worry! You can recover it from the Recently Deleted album within 30 days:
- Open the Photos app.
- Swipe up and tap the “Recently Deleted” album under Utilities.
- In iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or later, tap “View Album” and use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the album.
- Tap “Select”, then choose the photos or videos you want to recover.
- Tap the “More” button (three dots icon) at the bottom right.
- Tap “Recover”. To recover all items, tap “Recover All”.
- Confirm by tapping “Recover”.
Recovered photos and videos will be restored to their original locations in your Photos Library. If you need further assistance with missing photos, learn what to do if you’re missing a photo or video.
Option to Unlock Recently Deleted Album without Face ID/Touch ID
For added privacy, the Recently Deleted album is locked by default using Face ID or Touch ID in iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, and later. If you prefer to access it without biometric authentication:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap “Photos”.
- Toggle “Use Face ID” (or “Use Touch ID”) off under the “Recently Deleted Album” section.
Turning this off will also unlock the Hidden album by default. You can learn more about how to hide your photos if needed.
Permanently Deleting Photos and Videos on iPhone
If you want to immediately and permanently delete photos and videos before the 30-day period, you can do so from the Recently Deleted album:
- Open the Photos app.
- Swipe up and tap the “Recently Deleted” album under Utilities.
- In iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or later, tap “View Album” and use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock.
- Tap “Select”, then choose the photos or videos to permanently delete.
- Tap the “More” button (three dots icon).
- Tap “Delete”. To delete all items permanently, tap “Delete All”.
- Confirm by tapping “Delete Photo” (or “Delete Video”).
Once you delete photos from the Recently Deleted album, they are gone for good and cannot be recovered.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and delete photos and videos on your iPhone, freeing up valuable storage space and keeping your photo library organized.
