Your iPhone is more than just a communication device—it’s also your portable camera, photo album, and memory keeper. But as the photos pile up, so does the pressure on your storage space. Whether you want to free up storage, remove old memories, or reset your photo library, deleting all photos from your iPhone can seem like a massive task.
Fortunately, Apple makes it relatively easy to wipe your photo library clean—whether you’re doing it manually, in batches, or with help from iCloud settings. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn all the practical ways to delete every photo from your iPhone quickly and safely, while making sure you don’t lose anything important by mistake.
Why You Might Want to Delete All Photos
Before we dive into the how-to steps, it helps to understand why someone might want to delete all their photos:
- Free up storage space for apps, videos, and system performance.
- Reset the phone before selling or giving it away.
- Start fresh with a new photo organization strategy.
- Remove unwanted images after a backup.
- Clear clutter from years of unused screenshots or duplicates.
Whatever your reason, this guide ensures you do it efficiently and with minimal hassle.
Important: Backup Your Photos First (Optional But Recommended)
Before you hit delete, consider whether you might want to revisit those memories one day. If yes, here are common ways to back up your photos:
- Use iCloud Photos to store images in the cloud.
- Transfer photos to a Mac or Windows PC.
- Move your library to an external hard drive.
- Send photos to Google Drive, OneDrive, or another storage platform.
Once you’ve backed up what you need, you’re ready to move on to deletion.
Method 1: Delete All Photos Using the Photos App
This is the most straightforward way to delete photos, especially for users who don’t use iCloud Photo syncing.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the “Library” tab at the bottom.
- Tap “All Photos” to view your entire photo library.
- Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
- Tap and drag your finger across photos to select multiple images at once.
- Continue dragging until you’ve selected all your photos.
- Tap the Trash icon in the bottom-right corner.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
Note: This sends your photos to the “Recently Deleted” album—they are not completely removed yet.
Method 2: Permanently Delete Photos from “Recently Deleted”
When you delete photos from the main library, they remain in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days. To clear that folder:
- Go to the Photos app.
- Tap Albums at the bottom.
- Scroll down to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted.
- Tap Select in the top right corner.
- Tap Delete All in the bottom-left.
- Confirm by tapping Delete Photos again.
This step is crucial. Until you do this, the photos are still consuming storage space.
Method 3: Delete Photos from iPhone Using a Mac (Fastest Method)
If you own a Mac, you can bulk delete photos from your iPhone through the built-in Image Capture app.
Steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
- Open the Image Capture app (found in Applications).
- Select your iPhone from the device list.
- Select all photos (press Cmd + A).
- Click the Trash icon at the bottom of the window.
- Confirm deletion.
This method is fast, safe, and doesn’t require any syncing.
Method 4: Use a Windows PC to Delete Photos
If you’re using a Windows computer:
- Connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB cable.
- Open File Explorer and find your iPhone under Devices and Drives.
- Open the DCIM folder.
- Select all folders or files (Ctrl + A).
- Right-click and choose Delete.
Note: This method deletes photos that are stored locally on the device but won’t affect cloud-stored photos.
Method 5: Turn Off iCloud Photos and Delete Locally Stored Photos
If you use iCloud Photos and try to delete photos from your iPhone, it will also delete them from iCloud. To avoid this, you need to turn off iCloud syncing first.
Steps:
- Open Settings.
- Tap on your name at the top.
- Go to iCloud > Photos.
- Toggle iCloud Photos off.
- Choose “Remove from iPhone” if prompted.
Now you can delete photos from your device without affecting the cloud.
Method 6: Use the Files App to Delete Downloaded Photos
Some photos, such as those downloaded from WhatsApp or email, may be saved in the Files app instead of the Photos app.
To delete them:
- Open the Files app.
- Navigate to the Downloads or On My iPhone folder.
- Tap Select in the top right.
- Choose the photos or folders to delete.
- Tap the Trash icon.
Then, go to the Recently Deleted section of the Files app to permanently erase them.
Additional Tips for Managing Photos Before Deleting
1. Filter by Type
In the Photos app, go to Albums to filter by:
- Selfies
- Screenshots
- Videos
- Live Photos
- Bursts
You can delete them one category at a time if full deletion feels overwhelming.
2. Use Search Bar
You can search by month, year, or keyword (e.g., “beach”) to selectively delete specific events or types of photos.
3. Use Storage Settings
Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Photos to see how much space your photo library is using. You may also find optimization tips there.
What Happens After You Delete All Photos?
- They’re removed from your device and, if synced, also from iCloud and other Apple devices.
- You free up a significant amount of storage.
- Any deleted photos can’t be recovered unless you backed them up or they are still in “Recently Deleted.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I recover deleted photos after I empty ‘Recently Deleted’?
A: Only if you have a backup in iCloud, iTunes, or another cloud platform.
Q: Why don’t all photos delete from my phone?
A: Some photos might be synced from a computer via iTunes or Finder. You must remove them through that device.
Q: Does deleting photos from iPhone affect my iCloud storage?
A: Yes—if iCloud Photos is on, deleting from your iPhone also removes them from iCloud.
Q: Can I delete just local photos without touching iCloud?
A: Yes, but only if you first turn off iCloud Photo syncing on your device.
Q: Is there a way to automate photo deletion?
A: Not natively on iOS, but you can set reminders or manually delete older photos monthly.
Final Thoughts
Deleting all your iPhone photos may seem like a big task at first—but with the right method, it becomes quick, efficient, and stress-free. Whether you’re freeing up space, clearing out old clutter, or preparing your device for resale, you now know all the safe and smart ways to wipe your photo library clean.
Just remember: always back up the memories you care about. Once they’re gone, they’re hard to get back. But once your storage is refreshed and your gallery is clean, your iPhone will feel like new again—lighter, faster, and ready for your next adventure.
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