How to Delete All Pictures from Your iPhone: A Comprehensive Guide
Deleting all your iPhone photos can seem daunting, but it's a straightforward process once you know the steps. This guide will walk you through several methods, answering common questions along the way, ensuring you completely clear your photo library.
Method 1: Deleting Photos from the Photos App
This is the most common and easiest method for deleting all your photos.
-
Open the Photos app: Locate the Photos app icon on your iPhone's home screen and tap it to open.
-
Navigate to Albums: At the bottom of the screen, you'll see tabs. Tap "Albums."
-
Select the "All Photos" Album: This album contains all the photos and videos on your iPhone. Tap on it to view your entire library.
-
Select Photos for Deletion: There are two ways to proceed:
- Individual Deletion (for selective removal): Tap "Select" in the top right corner. Then, tap each photo you want to delete. You can tap multiple photos. Once selected, tap the trash can icon in the lower right corner to delete them.
- Delete All Photos (for complete removal): There isn't a single button to delete all photos at once. The best approach is to use the "Select" option (as described above) and carefully select all photos on every page. This is time-consuming but ensures complete removal.
-
Confirm Deletion: After selecting photos (or, ideally, all of them), a trash can icon appears. Tap it, then tap "Delete [Number] Photos" to confirm.
Important Note: Deleted photos are moved to the "Recently Deleted" album for 30 days before permanent deletion. You can recover them from there if needed. After 30 days, they're gone for good.
Method 2: Using iCloud Photo Library (if enabled)
If you use iCloud Photo Library, deleting photos from your iPhone will also delete them from iCloud.
-
Follow Steps 1-4 from Method 1. The process of selecting photos for deletion remains the same.
-
Confirm Deletion: Once you delete photos, they will be removed from both your iPhone and your iCloud Photo Library. Remember the 30-day grace period in the "Recently Deleted" album.
How to Empty the "Recently Deleted" Album?
To permanently delete all photos and videos from your "Recently Deleted" album:
-
Open the Photos app and go to Albums.
-
Tap "Recently Deleted."
-
Tap "Select" and then select all the photos and videos.
-
Tap "Delete [Number] Items" to permanently delete them. This action cannot be undone.
What Happens to Photos Stored in Other Apps?
Deleting photos from your Photos app won't affect photos saved within other applications like WhatsApp, Instagram, or Snapchat. You'll need to delete them individually within each respective app.
What if I Want to Delete Photos from My iPhone but Keep Them on iCloud?
If you want to remove photos from your device's storage but preserve them in your iCloud Photo Library, you can disable "Optimize iPhone Storage" in your iCloud settings. This setting downloads full-resolution images to your device, and disabling it means deleting photos will only remove them from the iPhone, not iCloud.
By following these steps, you can effectively delete all your pictures from your iPhone. Remember to exercise caution, as the permanent deletion after 30 days in the "Recently Deleted" album is irreversible. Always back up your photos to a computer or cloud storage service before undertaking a mass deletion if you aren't completely certain you want to permanently remove them.
