Deleting photos from Google Photos without removing them from your device can be tricky. This guide provides a step-by-step process on How To Delete Google Backed Up Photos while keeping your local copies safe.
First, ensure Google Photos backup is off on all devices where you want to retain the photos. This prevents future uploads and ensures your changes are reflected across all devices.
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Access Google Photos: On your computer or mobile browser, navigate to photos.google.com/login. Log in to your Google account.
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Select and Delete Photos: Browse your Google Photos library and select the backed-up photos and videos you wish to delete. Use the selection tools to choose multiple items. Click the trash can icon to delete the selected items.
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Verify Deletion on Mobile: On your iPhone or iPad, connect to Wi-Fi and wait a few minutes for the changes to sync. Close and reopen the Google Photos app to ensure the deleted photos are no longer visible in the cloud.
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Check Local Copies: Deleted photos might still appear in your device’s photo gallery. These are local copies and not affected by the Google Photos deletion. To confirm a photo’s backup status, open the photo, tap “More,” and scroll down to “Details.” If it indicates “Backed up,” the photo still exists in Google Photos.
To permanently remove Google backed up photos and prevent future backups, keep the backup setting off.
Remember, disabling backup means losing the benefits of automatic photo and video storage and syncing across devices. If you decide to re-enable backup, deleted photos might be re-uploaded, and local copies could be removed depending on your settings.
You can re-enable backup at any time by following Google’s instructions: Learn how to turn on backup. Understand that re-enabling backup might lead to deleted items being restored or local copies being removed based on your chosen settings. For more information about backup benefits and settings, visit Learn about the benefits of backup. Carefully consider your backup settings to ensure your photos are managed according to your preferences.
