Running out of storage on your iPhone? Or maybe you’re simply looking to declutter your photo library? Knowing How To Delete Iphone All Photos or just a selection is a crucial skill for any iPhone user. This guide will walk you through various methods to efficiently remove photos and videos from your iPhone, manage your storage, and understand the recovery options available.
Before you start deleting, it’s always a good idea to back up your precious memories. Consider using iCloud, Google Photos, or your computer to ensure you don’t lose any photos you might want later. Remember, if you are using iCloud Photos, deleting photos on your iPhone will also remove them from all your devices synced with the same Apple ID. To check your device storage and manage your photo storage effectively, navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
Deleting Photos and Videos from Your iPhone: Step-by-Step
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 safety net in case you change your mind. After 30 days, these items are permanently deleted.
It’s important to note that if you’ve synced photos to your iPhone from your computer using iTunes or Finder, you can’t directly delete them from the Photos app on your device. 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
Deleting a single photo on iPhone
- Launch the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Locate and tap on the photo or video you wish to delete.
- Tap the Trash icon (located at the bottom right or bottom left corner).
- Confirm your action by tapping “Delete Photo” (or “Delete Video”).
How to Delete Multiple Photos and Videos
Selecting multiple photos for deletion on iPhone
- Open the Photos app.
- Tap “Select” at the top right corner of the screen.
- Tap on each photo or video you want to delete, or drag your finger across multiple items to select them quickly. Selected items will have a blue checkmark.
- Once you’ve selected all desired items, tap the Trash icon.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping “Delete [Number] Items”.
For users on iOS 16.1 and later, and iPadOS 16.1 and later, the introduction of the iCloud Shared Photo Library adds a collaborative dimension. In a Shared Library, participants can add, edit, and yes, delete content. However, if someone else deletes a photo from the shared library, it will also be removed from your view. Only the person who originally added the photo to the Shared Library has the power to permanently delete or recover it from the “Recently Deleted” folder. Remember, you have 30 days to recover items from this album.
Managing Duplicate Photos to Free Up Space
iOS 16 and later, and iPadOS 16.1 and later, offer a handy feature to identify and merge duplicate photos, helping you save valuable storage space.
- Open the Photos app.
- Swipe up from the “Library” tab to reveal “Utilities”.
- Tap the “Duplicates” album under Utilities.
- Review the identified duplicates and tap “Merge” to combine them.
- Confirm by tapping “Merge [Number] Items”.
Merging duplicates intelligently keeps the highest quality version and relevant data, moving the other duplicates to the “Recently Deleted” album. The duplicate detection process is automatic and may take some time to complete.
Recovering Deleted Photos and Videos
Accidentally deleted a cherished photo? Don’t worry, you have 30 days to recover it from the “Recently Deleted” album.
- Open the Photos app.
- Swipe up to find the “Recently Deleted” album under Utilities.
- On iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or later, you might need to “View Album” and use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock it for privacy.
- Tap “Select”, then choose the photos or videos you want to restore.
- Tap the “More” button (three dots icon) at the bottom right.
- Tap “Recover”. To recover everything, tap “Recover All”.
- Confirm by tapping “Recover”.
Recovered photos and videos will be restored to their original locations in your Library.
Making “Recently Deleted” Album Unlocked by Default
For convenience, you can disable Face ID or Touch ID requirement for the “Recently Deleted” album:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap “Photos”.
- Toggle “Use Face ID” (or “Use Touch ID”) to the off position.
Note that disabling this also unlocks the “Hidden” album by default.
Permanently Deleting Photos and Videos from iPhone
To permanently remove photos and videos and free up storage immediately, you need to empty the “Recently Deleted” album.
- Open the Photos app.
- Navigate to the “Recently Deleted” album (you may need to unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID).
- Tap “Select” and choose the items for permanent deletion.
- Tap the “More” button.
- Tap “Delete”. To delete everything in the album, tap “Delete All”.
- Confirm permanent deletion by tapping “Delete Photo” (or “Delete Video”).
Once deleted from the “Recently Deleted” album, photos and videos are gone for good and cannot be recovered.
In conclusion, managing photos on your iPhone, including deleting them to free up space or organize your library, is a straightforward process. Understanding the different methods for deleting single or multiple items, utilizing the “Recently Deleted” album, and managing duplicates will empower you to keep your iPhone photo library in check. Always remember to back up your important photos before performing any major deletions to avoid any irreversible loss.
