How to Delete All Photos from Your iPhone at Once (and Manage Your Photo Library)

Managing photos on your iPhone can become overwhelming quickly. Whether you’re freeing up storage, decluttering your digital life, or preparing to sell or trade in your device, knowing how to efficiently delete photos is essential. While deleting photos one by one can be tedious, especially if you have thousands, there are faster ways to clear out your iPhone photo library. This guide will walk you through various methods to delete photos, including how to delete all photos at once, manage duplicates, recover accidentally deleted memories, and understand the implications of using iCloud Photos.

Understanding Photo Deletion on Your iPhone

Before we dive into deleting photos, it’s important to understand how the process works on your iPhone. When you delete photos and videos from the Photos app, they aren’t immediately gone for good. Instead, they are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. This acts like a recycle bin, giving you a 30-day window to recover anything you might have deleted by mistake. After 30 days, these items are permanently deleted from your device and iCloud (if you use iCloud Photos).

It’s also crucial to consider whether you are using iCloud Photos. If you are, deleting a photo on your iPhone will also delete it from all other devices logged into the same Apple ID. This synchronization can be incredibly convenient but requires caution when deleting photos.

Another point to note is if your photos were synced from your computer to your iPhone using iTunes or Finder, you cannot delete them directly from the Photos app on your device. You’ll need to manage them from the computer they were synced from.

Step-by-Step Guide to Deleting All Photos from Your iPhone at Once

For those moments when you need a clean slate and want to delete all photos from your iPhone, here’s how to do it efficiently:

Open the Photos App: Locate and tap the Photos app icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
Navigate to “Library”: At the bottom of the screen, tap on the “Library” tab to view all your photos.
Select “All Photos”: Ensure you are viewing “All Photos” within your Library. This usually shows your entire photo collection in chronological order.
Tap “Select”: In the top right corner of the screen, you’ll see the “Select” option. Tap on it. This activates selection mode, allowing you to choose multiple photos.
Select Multiple Photos: You can now individually tap on each photo you want to delete, or for a faster method to select all, you can swipe your finger across multiple rows of photos to select them in bulk.
Scroll to the Bottom and Select More (If Necessary): If you have a large photo library, scroll down to load more photos. Continue swiping or tapping to select all the photos you wish to delete. For truly deleting all photos, you will need to scroll all the way to the beginning of your photo library and swipe down to select everything.
Tap the Trash Icon: Once you have selected all the photos you want to delete, look for the trash can icon at the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap this icon.
Confirm Deletion: A confirmation prompt will appear, asking “Delete [Number] Photos?”. Tap “Delete Photos” to confirm. The selected photos will now be moved to the “Recently Deleted” album.

iPhone showing multiple photos selected in the Photos app

This image illustrates the process of selecting multiple photos on an iPhone for deletion, highlighting the efficiency of bulk selection.

Deleting Specific Photos: Single and Multiple

While the focus is on deleting all photos, you might often need to delete just a few specific images or videos. Here’s how to do that:

Deleting a Single Photo or Video

Open Photos: Launch the Photos app.
Find the Photo: Navigate to the photo or video you wish to delete.
Tap the Photo: Open the individual photo or video.
Tap the Trash Icon: Look for the trash can icon, usually located at the bottom right or bottom center of the screen. Tap it.
Confirm Deletion: Tap “Delete Photo” or “Delete Video” to confirm.

iPhone showing Delete Photo option

This image demonstrates the single photo deletion option on an iPhone, clearly showing the location of the delete icon.

Deleting Multiple Photos or Videos

The process for deleting multiple specific photos is very similar to deleting all, but you only select the ones you want to remove:

Open Photos and Go to Library: Open the Photos app and go to your Library.
Tap “Select”: Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
Select Photos: Tap on each photo or video you want to delete. A checkmark will appear on each selected item.
Tap the Trash Icon: Once you’ve selected all desired items, tap the trash can icon.
Confirm Deletion: Confirm by tapping “Delete [Number] Items”.

Permanently Deleting Photos from “Recently Deleted”

To truly free up space and permanently remove photos, you need to empty the “Recently Deleted” album:

Open Photos and Go to Albums: Open the Photos app and tap the “Albums” tab at the bottom.
Scroll Down to “Utilities” and Tap “Recently Deleted”: You’ll find “Recently Deleted” under the Utilities section.
Unlock if Necessary: In iOS 16.1 and later, you might need to use Face ID or Touch ID to view the “Recently Deleted” album. Tap “View Album” and authenticate.
Tap “Select”: Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
Delete All or Select Specific Photos:
- To delete all photos permanently, tap “Delete All” in the bottom left corner.
- To delete specific photos, tap on each photo you want to permanently delete and then tap “Delete” at the bottom right.
Confirm Permanent Deletion: Confirm your action by tapping “Delete [Number] Photos” or “Delete All”. Be aware that this action is irreversible.

Managing Duplicate Photos to Save Space

Another way to efficiently manage your photo library and potentially free up space before deleting is to remove duplicate photos. iPhones with iOS 16 and later have a built-in feature for this:

Open Photos and Go to Albums: Open the Photos app and tap the “Albums” tab.
Scroll Down to “Utilities” and Tap “Duplicates”: If your iPhone detects duplicate photos, you’ll see a “Duplicates” album under Utilities.
Review Duplicates: Tap on the “Duplicates” album. The app will show groups of photos it believes are duplicates.
Tap “Merge”: For each set of duplicates, you can tap “Merge” to combine them. The iPhone will keep the highest quality version and move the duplicates to “Recently Deleted”.
Confirm Merge: Tap “Merge [Number] Items” to confirm.

Recovering Accidentally Deleted Photos

If you realize you’ve deleted a photo or video you still need, you can recover it from the “Recently Deleted” album, as long as it’s within the 30-day window:

Open Photos and Go to Albums: Open the Photos app and navigate to the “Albums” tab.
Go to “Recently Deleted”: Find and tap on the “Recently Deleted” album under Utilities.
Unlock if Necessary: Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID if prompted.
Tap “Select”: Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
Select Photos to Recover: Tap on the photos or videos you want to recover.
Tap “Recover”: Tap “Recover” at the bottom right. To recover all, tap “Recover All” in the bottom left.
Confirm Recovery: Tap “Recover [Number] Photos” to confirm. The recovered items will be restored to your main photo library.

This “More” button icon is referenced in the context of recovering deleted photos, guiding users on interface elements.

Important Considerations Before Deleting Photos

Before you proceed with deleting a large number of photos, keep these crucial points in mind:

Backup: Always back up your important photos and videos before deleting them, especially if you are planning to delete all photos. You can use iCloud, Google Photos, a computer, or an external hard drive for backups.
iCloud Photos: Understand the implications of using iCloud Photos. Deleting photos on one device syncs the deletion across all devices using the same Apple ID.
Synced Photos from Computer: If your photos were synced from a computer, you must manage and delete them from that computer, not directly from your iPhone.
Storage Management: Regularly managing your photos is a good practice to free up storage space on your iPhone and keep your photo library organized.

Conclusion

Deleting photos from your iPhone, including deleting all photos at once, is a straightforward process once you understand the steps and considerations. By using the “Select All” method combined with bulk selection, you can efficiently clear your photo library. Remember to manage your “Recently Deleted” album for permanent removal and always back up your important memories. Regularly decluttering your digital photo life not only frees up valuable storage space but also helps in maintaining a more organized and manageable photo collection on your iPhone.