How to Delete Photos from Google Photos? Solutions & Helpful FAQs

Do you like to take photos with your Android phone? If you do, how do you back them up? I think most Android users would select Google Photos as their picture backup tool due to its convenience and powerful functions. However, the storage space of this application is limited, and these pictures would take up a lot of space on the device as well.

So a lot of users want to delete photos from Google Photos as well. But how to complete that? Just read on- this is a full guide for you.

Part 1: How to Delete All Pictures from Google Photos

If you want to delete all the pictures in Google Photos, you need to make sure that no photo you want is saved inside, or they will be deleted from the device as well. That's because this operation will remove your device copies at the same time.

Thus, for the users who have saved desired pictures on the device but want to remove all the images in Google Photos, you are advised to back them up to a computer. Then, you can start to delete all photos from Google Photos now:

Step 1. Launch Google Photos on your phone and then turn off the feature backup and sync.

Step 2. Next, you need to go to photos.google.com to select the first image of your Google backup and then hold the Shift key and scroll down to select the last photo. This will pitch all the photos in Google Photos.

Step 3. At last, click the Delete icon at the top to remove all the pictures at once.

See Also: How to Download Google Photos to Android/PC? [Latest Info]

Part 2: How to Remove Images from Android Device Only

Since the local copy of the picture will be deleted as well while users remove the image from Google Photos, users are suggested to delete the photos from the device only - it won't delete the pictures in Google Photos and is able to free up the device meanwhile. To remove the images from the device only, you have 3 methods:

Method 1. Omit the photos from your device

Step 1. Open Google Photos on your mobile phone and then select a photo.

Step 2. Now you can tap on the three dots icon at the top to open the menu.

Step 3. Tap on Delete from device to remove the picture from your phone. But it will remain in Google Photos.

Method 2. Remove all the device copies at once

Step 1. Go to Google Photos > Settings > Free up device storage.

Step 2. After that, the application will find out the photos that have been backed up to Google.

Step 3. Finally, you can click Remove to delete all the device copies on the device.

Method 3. Delete Pictures from Gallery

Step 1: Open the Gallery app, select the photos you want to remove, then tap the Delete button (a trash can icon) to send them to the phone's trash/recycle bin.

NOTE: For more control, use the File Manager app to navigate to folders like "DCIM/Camera" and delete photos directly, which is useful for clearing specific file types or downloads.

Step 2: Remember to permanently delete photos from the "Trash" or "Recently Deleted" album within the Gallery app to free up storage space, as items there are not removed immediately

Part 3: How to Omit Duplicate Photos in Google Photos

Although Google Photos can automatically detect the same images and avoid uploading duplicate pictures if users enable the backup & sync feature. But you may still get duplicate pictures in Google Photos due to manual uploading or Google Drive backup.

And what's worse, Google Photos does not support the feature of removing duplicate photos. Hence, if you want to avoid this situation, you need to keep 2 tips in your mind:

* Pay attention not to upload the same photo to Google Photos twice.

* Disable Google Drive backup feature when you turn on the back up & sync feature on Google Photos.

These two tips will prevent you from getting duplicate pictures in Google Photos, which would help you to manage the photos on the device more easily.

FAQs about Deleting Photos from Google Photos

1. Does deleting photos from Google Photos delete them from my phone?

Yes, if backup & sync is enabled, deleting a photo in Google Photos will remove it from both Google Photos cloud storage and your device. If backup is off, the photo may only be deleted from the cloud.

2. Are deleted photos permanently removed right away?

No. Deleted photos go to the Trash (Bin) and stay there for 60 days before being permanently deleted. You can restore them during this period.

3. How do I permanently delete photos from Google Photos?

Go to Trash (Bin) > select photos > tap Delete permanently. Once permanently deleted, the photos cannot be recovered from Google Photos.

4. Can I delete photos from Google Photos but keep them on my phone?

Yes. Turn off Backup & sync first, then delete photos from the Google Photos app. This removes them from the cloud while keeping local copies on your device.

5. Why did my photos disappear from my phone after deleting them in Google Photos?

This usually happens because Backup & sync was enabled, so Google Photos treats cloud and local copies as the same item and deletes both.

6. How do I restore deleted photos from Google Photos?

Open Trash (Bin) > select the photos > tap Restore. The photos will return to their original albums and your device (if synced).

7. Does clearing Google Photos free up storage?

Yes. Permanently deleting photos from Google Photos frees up Google account storage, including space used across Google Drive and Gmail.

8. What happens if I delete photos from the Google Photos website?

Deleting photos from photos.google.com has the same effect as deleting them in the app - photos are removed from all synced devices and moved to Trash.

9. Can I delete multiple photos at once?

Yes. Long-press one photo, select multiple items, then tap Delete. This works in albums, search results, and the main photo feed.

10. Is there a way to delete photos older than a certain date?

Google Photos doesn't offer an automatic date-based delete, but you can use Search by date or year, then manually select and delete photos in bulk.

11. Will deleting photos affect shared albums?

If you delete a photo you added to a shared album, it will be removed for everyone. Photos added by others won't be affected unless you're the owner.

12. Can I recover photos after the 60-day Trash period?

No. Once the Trash is emptied automatically or manually after 60 days, the photos are permanently deleted and cannot be restored via Google Photos.

Related Articles:

4 Ways to Download HEIC as JPG in Google Photos [Step-by-Step Guide]

Google Photos Not Showing All Photos? Causes & 13 Simple Solutions

10 Best Google Photos Alternatives You Must Know [Latest Info]

How to Stop Google Photos Backup? 9 Well-tested Strategies for You