Managing photos on your iPhone or iPad is crucial, whether you’re freeing up storage space, decluttering your photo library, or getting rid of unwanted images. Knowing how to effectively remove photos is a fundamental skill for any iOS user. This guide will walk you through various methods to delete photos on your iPhone or iPad, from removing single images to managing albums and recovering accidentally deleted memories.
Deleting Photos and Videos: The Basics
When you delete photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad, they aren’t immediately gone forever. Instead, they are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. This acts as a safety net, giving you 30 days to recover anything you might have deleted by mistake. After 30 days, these items are permanently erased from your device and iCloud, if you’re using iCloud Photos.
It’s important to note that if you are using iCloud Photos, deleting a photo or video on one device will remove it from all other devices linked to the same Apple ID. Before you start deleting, especially if you’re using iCloud Photos, it’s always a good idea to back up any photos and videos you want to keep.
To check your device storage and see how much space you have available for new photos and videos, navigate to Settings > General > [Device] Storage.
Steps to Delete a Single Photo or Video
Removing a single photo or video is a simple process, perfect for quickly getting rid of unwanted shots as you browse your library.
- Open the Photos App: Locate and tap the Photos app icon on your iPhone or iPad home screen to launch the app.
- Select the Photo or Video: Browse through your albums or “Library” tab and tap on the specific photo or video you wish to delete.
iPhone showing Delete Photo option
Alt text: iPhone screen displaying the “Delete Photo” option after tapping the trash icon, ready to remove a single image from the Photos app.
- Tap the Trash Icon: Once you’ve selected the image, look for the trash can icon, usually located at the bottom right or bottom left corner of the screen. Tap this icon.
- Confirm Deletion: A confirmation prompt will appear, asking “Delete Photo?”. Tap Delete Photo to move the item to the “Recently Deleted” album.
How to Delete Multiple Photos and Videos at Once
For a more efficient cleanup, especially after a photoshoot or when clearing out a large number of similar images, deleting multiple photos at once is the way to go.
- Open the Photos App: Start by opening the Photos app on your device.
- Enter Selection Mode: In any album or the “Library” view, tap the Select button, typically found in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select Multiple Items: Now you can tap on each photo or video you want to delete. Alternatively, you can drag your finger across the screen to select multiple adjacent items quickly. Selected items will usually be indicated with a checkmark.
iPhone showing multiple photos selected in the Photos app
Alt text: iPhone screen displaying multiple photos selected with blue checkmarks in the Photos app, ready for bulk deletion using the trash icon.
- Tap the Trash Icon: Once you have selected all the photos and videos you want to remove, tap the trash can icon.
- Confirm Bulk Deletion: A confirmation message will appear, indicating the number of items you’re about to delete. Tap Delete [Number] Items to confirm and move the selected items to the “Recently Deleted” album.
Handling Duplicate Photos
Modern iPhones and iPads running iOS 16 and later have a built-in feature to detect and merge duplicate photos, helping you save storage and organize your library.
- Open the Photos App: Launch the Photos app on your device.
- Access the Duplicates Album: Swipe up from the “Library” tab to scroll down to the “Utilities” section. Here, you should find a “Duplicates” album if your device has detected any duplicate photos or videos. Tap on Duplicates.
- Merge Duplicates: Review the suggested duplicates. Tap Merge to combine the duplicates into a single item.
- Confirm Merge: Tap Merge [Number] Items to confirm the action. The system will keep the photo with the highest image quality and relevant data, and move the other duplicates to the “Recently Deleted” album.
The duplicate detection process is automatic and runs in the background, so it might take some time for the “Duplicates” album to appear after you’ve taken new photos or videos.
Recovering Deleted Photos and Videos
Accidentally deleted a precious memory? Don’t worry, you have 30 days to recover it from the “Recently Deleted” album.
- Open the Photos App: Go back to the Photos app.
- Access Recently Deleted Album: Swipe up from the “Library” tab and locate the “Utilities” section. Tap on Recently Deleted.
- Unlock if Necessary: On iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and later, the “Recently Deleted” album is locked by default and requires Face ID or Touch ID to access. Tap View Album and authenticate using your biometric method.
- Select Items to Recover: Tap Select and then choose the photos or videos you want to recover. To recover everything, you can choose “Recover All” after tapping the More button.
- Recover Photos and Videos: Tap the Recover button (or the More button followed by Recover for individual items). Confirm by tapping Recover Photo (or Recover [Number] Photos) in the prompt. The recovered items will be restored to their original locations in your photo library.
Permanently Deleting Photos and Videos
If you want to permanently remove photos and videos and free up storage space immediately, you need to delete them from the “Recently Deleted” album as well. Remember that once you delete items from “Recently Deleted,” they are gone for good and cannot be recovered.
- Open the Photos App and Access Recently Deleted: Follow steps 1-3 from the “Recovering Deleted Photos and Videos” section to access the “Recently Deleted” album.
- Select Items for Permanent Deletion: Tap Select and choose the photos and videos you want to permanently delete. To delete everything in the album, you can choose “Delete All” after tapping the More button.
- Permanently Delete: Tap the Delete button (or the More button followed by Delete for individual items). Confirm your decision by tapping Delete Photo (or Delete [Number] Photos) in the final confirmation prompt.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and remove photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad, ensuring your photo library stays organized and your device storage remains optimized. Whether you’re deleting a single photo or managing duplicates, understanding these methods will give you full control over your digital memories.
