How to Delete Photos on iPhone in Bulk: Quick & Easy Methods

Running out of storage on your iPhone? Or perhaps you just want to declutter your photo library? Many iPhone users find themselves needing to delete a large number of photos at once. While Apple’s interface is generally user-friendly, deleting photos in bulk isn’t immediately obvious. If you’ve been frustrated trying to figure out How To Delete Photos On Iphone In Bulk, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are several efficient methods to clear out your unwanted images quickly, freeing up space and simplifying your digital life.

This guide will walk you through the most effective ways to delete multiple photos on your iPhone, whether directly on your device or using your computer. We’ll cover step-by-step instructions to ensure you can easily manage your photo library and remove those photos taking up valuable space.

Method 1: Bulk Delete Photos Directly on Your iPhone

The most straightforward way to delete photos in bulk is directly through your iPhone’s Photos app. This method is convenient when you want to quickly clear out photos while on the go.

1. Open the Photos App: Locate and tap the Photos app icon on your iPhone’s home screen.

2. Navigate to Albums or Library: At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see options like “Library” and “Albums”. If your photos are organized into albums, navigate to the album you want to clean up. If you want to delete from your entire library, stay in the “Library” view.

3. Enter Select Mode: In the top-right corner of the screen, tap the “Select” button. This will allow you to select multiple photos for deletion.

4. Select Photos Individually or in Batches:

   • Individual Selection: Tap on each photo you want to delete. A blue checkmark will appear on the selected photos.
   • Batch Selection (Swipe Method): For faster selection of consecutive photos, tap on the first photo in a group you want to delete. Then, drag your finger across the rows and columns of photos. This swipe gesture allows you to select entire rows or sections of photos quickly. You can swipe downwards to select more photos as you scroll.

5. Delete Selected Photos: Once you’ve selected all the photos you wish to remove, look for the trash can icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen. Tap the trash can icon.

6. Confirm Deletion: A confirmation prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen asking “Delete [Number] Photos?”. Tap “Delete Photos” to confirm.

7. Empty the “Recently Deleted” Album: Deleted photos are not immediately removed from your iPhone. They are moved to the “Recently Deleted” album for 30 days, giving you a chance to recover them if needed. To permanently delete the photos and free up space, you need to empty this album.

   • Go back to the main “Albums” view in the Photos app (usually by tapping “Albums” at the bottom).
   • Scroll down to the “Utilities” section and tap on “Recently Deleted”.
   • Tap “Select” in the top-right corner.
   • You can choose “Delete All” in the bottom-left corner to permanently remove all photos in this album, or individually select photos to delete permanently.
   • Confirm your action when prompted.

Alt text: In the iPhone Photos app, the “Select” button is highlighted in the top right corner, and the trash can icon for deletion is pointed out at the bottom right.

By following these steps, you can effectively delete photos in bulk directly on your iPhone, making it easier to manage your photo storage.

Method 2: Using Image Capture on Mac for Bulk Deletion

If you are a Mac user, the “Image Capture” application provides another efficient method for deleting photos in bulk from your iPhone. This is particularly useful if you prefer managing your photos on a larger screen.

1. Connect Your iPhone to Your Mac: Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your Mac. Ensure your iPhone is unlocked and trusts the computer if prompted.

2. Open Image Capture: Image Capture is a pre-installed utility on macOS. You can find it by:

   • Going to “Applications” > “Utilities” > “Image Capture”.
   • Using Spotlight Search (Command + Spacebar) and typing “Image Capture”.

3. Select Your iPhone in Image Capture: Once Image Capture is open, your iPhone should appear in the “Devices” list on the left sidebar. Click on your iPhone’s name to select it.

4. View Photos on Your iPhone: Image Capture will display thumbnails of all the photos stored on your iPhone’s Camera Roll (and potentially other photo locations depending on your iPhone settings).

5. Select Photos for Deletion:

   • Select All: To delete all photos, use the keyboard shortcut Command + A (⌘ + A) to select all thumbnails.
   • Selective Selection: Hold down the Command key (⌘) and click on individual photos to select multiple non-consecutive photos. To select a range of photos, click on the first photo, hold down the Shift key, and click on the last photo in the range.

6. Delete Selected Photos: After selecting the photos you want to delete, look for the “Delete” button at the bottom of the Image Capture window. It’s represented by a circle with a “no entry” symbol (🚫). Click this button.

7. Confirm Deletion: Image Capture will ask “Are you sure you want to delete the selected images?”. Click “Delete” to confirm.

Alt text: Screenshot of the Image Capture application on macOS, with an iPhone selected in the devices list and the delete button (no entry symbol) highlighted at the bottom of the window.

Image Capture offers a quick way to select and delete a large number of photos from your iPhone when you’re working on your Mac. Remember to also empty the “Recently Deleted” album on your iPhone to permanently remove the photos and reclaim storage space.

Method 3: Deleting Photos via File Explorer on Windows PC

Windows users can also bulk delete iPhone photos using File Explorer. This method treats your iPhone as a digital camera, allowing you to access and delete photos as files.

1. Connect Your iPhone to Your Windows PC: Connect your iPhone to your Windows computer using a USB cable. Unlock your iPhone and tap “Trust” if prompted to allow access from your computer.

2. Open File Explorer: Open File Explorer (Windows Explorer).

3. Locate Your iPhone: Your iPhone should appear under “This PC” or “Devices and drives” as an Apple iPhone or similar device name, often appearing as a camera. Click on your iPhone’s name to access its folders.

4. Navigate to Photo Folders: Inside your iPhone’s storage, you will typically find folders like “Internal Storage” or “DCIM” (Digital Camera Images). Open these folders to find your photos. Photos are usually organized in subfolders, often named with numbers.

5. Select Photos for Deletion:

   • Select All: To delete all photos within a folder, press Ctrl + A to select all files.
   • Selective Selection: Hold down the Ctrl key and click on individual photos to select non-consecutive images. To select a range, click on the first photo, hold Shift, and click the last photo in the range.
   • Preview Photos (Optional): You can often view thumbnails or double-click photos to preview them before deleting to ensure you are deleting the correct ones.

6. Delete Selected Photos: Once you have selected the photos, press the “Delete” key on your keyboard, or right-click on the selected files and choose “Delete” from the context menu.

7. Confirm Deletion: Windows will ask you to confirm if you want to delete the selected files. Click “Yes” to confirm. The photos will be moved to the Recycle Bin on your PC.

Alt text: Screenshot of Windows File Explorer showing an iPhone listed as a device, with folders containing photos visible, ready for file selection and deletion.

Deleting photos through File Explorer on Windows is a fast way to remove large quantities of images. Remember that this method typically deletes photos from your Camera Roll. Photos synced from iTunes or iCloud might require different steps to remove. And, as with the other methods, don’t forget to empty the “Recently Deleted” album on your iPhone to permanently free up space after deleting.

Important Considerations and Limitations

• iCloud Photos: If you use iCloud Photos, deleting photos from your iPhone will also delete them from iCloud and any other devices synced with the same iCloud account. Be sure this is your intended action before bulk deleting, especially if you only want to remove photos from your iPhone and not iCloud.
• Synced Photos: Photos synced to your iPhone from iTunes (or Finder in newer macOS versions) are generally not deleted using the methods above. These synced photos need to be managed through iTunes/Finder sync settings. You usually need to deselect the photo albums from syncing in iTunes/Finder and then resync to remove them from your iPhone.
• “Recently Deleted” Album is Crucial: Always remember to empty the “Recently Deleted” album after bulk deleting photos to actually free up storage space on your iPhone. Photos remain in this album for 30 days, still occupying storage until permanently deleted.
• Large Libraries: For extremely large photo libraries, using a computer (Image Capture or File Explorer) may be faster and more stable than deleting directly on the iPhone, especially for older iPhone models.

Conclusion

Knowing how to delete photos on iPhone in bulk is essential for efficient iPhone photo management and freeing up valuable storage space. Whether you choose to delete directly on your iPhone through the Photos app, utilize Image Capture on a Mac, or use File Explorer on a Windows PC, these methods provide quick and effective ways to clear out your unwanted photos. By following the steps outlined in this guide and remembering to empty the “Recently Deleted” album, you can easily keep your iPhone photo library organized and optimized for storage. Take control of your photos and enjoy a cleaner, faster iPhone experience today!