Download Article
Try these four simple methods to wipe the photos off your phone
Download Article
Do you need to erase all the photos on your iPhone? If so, there are a few ways you can do it. In this article, we go over how to delete your photos by selecting them in the Photos app, through an album, or by erasing all the data on your phone. We also teach you how to permanently delete the pictures you've marked for deletion. Read on to learn more.
How to Erase All iPhone Photos
To delete all of your iPhone photos, open the Photos app and tap Select at the top-right. Drag your finger across all the photos you want to erase, then tap the trash can. Deleted photos will remain in your Recently Deleted folder for 30 days
Steps
-
Open the Photos app. This app looks like a flower with rainbow-colored petals. By default, it's on your Home Screen, but you can also find it in the App Library by swiping left on your device.
- If you want to erase all the photos from your iPhone, you can use this method to do so.
- If any of your photos are synced to iCloud, deleting them from your iPhone will also delete them from iCloud.
-
Tap Select in the upper-right corner. If you're on an older version of iOS, you may need to go into the All Photos or Camera Roll album first.Advertisement
-
Drag your finger across multiple photos to select them. You can either select each row individually by dragging your finger across the rows, or you can gently drag your finger up in a diagonal to select multiple rows at once.
-
Tap the trash can icon in the bottom-right corner. This will move all selected images to the Recently Deleted folder in your Photos app.
- Photos in your Recently Deleted folder will be permanently deleted after 30 days. [1] X Research source If you don't want to wait and would like the photos to be deleted immediately, jump down to Deleting Photos Permanently to learn how.
Advertisement
-
Open the Photos app and tap an album. If you want to erase all the photos in a specific album on your iPhone, you can do so easily. Start by opening the Photos app and tapping the album.
- This can be an album you created, one that Apple automatically generated, or one of the preset albums under "Media Types" or "Utilities."
-
Tap Select . It's in the upper-right corner.
-
Tap Select All . It's in the upper-left corner.
-
Tap the trash can icon in the bottom-right corner. This will move all selected images to the Recently Deleted folder in your Photos app.
Advertisement
-
Open the Photos app and tap the Utilities . If you want to find and delete duplicate photos on your iPhone, you can do so using the Duplicates album in the Photos app. Just open the app, scroll down, and tap Utilities
- You must be on iOS 16 or later to have access to the Duplicates album. [3] X Research source
-
Tap Duplicates . If duplicate photos are detected, you will see this album under Utilities.
- If you don't see the Duplicates album on your iPhone, no duplicates were detected, or it hasn't been enough time since the duplicate images were added to your iPhone. [4] X Research source
-
Tap Merge to combine duplicates. This option will combine the selected photos. The duplicate with the higher image quality will remain on your iPhone, while all other duplicates will be moved to the Recently Deleted album.
- If you want to combine all duplicates at once, tap Select > Select All > Merge > Merge [number] Items .
- The deleted duplicates will remain in your Recently Deleted album for 30 days unless you erase that album before then. To learn how to clear out your Recently Deleted album, jump down to Deleting Photos Permanently .
Advertisement
-
Select each photo you want to delete. You can also double-click on a single photo or video to select it.
-
Click the trash can icon, then click Delete . Deleted photos and videos are moved to the Recently Deleted album. To permanently delete a photo, go to your Recently Deleted album, select the photos you want to delete, and click Delete .
Advertisement
-
Open the Photos app and tap Recently Deleted . If you have erased the photos on your iPhone and want to be sure they are deleted permanently, you will just need to clear your Recently Deleted folder. This folder is under the "Utilities" heading. You'll have to scroll to find it.
- If you see a lock symbol by the Recently Deleted folder instead of a number, you'll have to unlock the folder with Face or Touch ID.
- If you don't clear your Recently Deleted folder, your deleted photos will be purged automatically after 30 days.
-
Tap Select . It's in the upper-right corner.
-
Tap any photos you want to delete. If you want to delete all the photos in your Recently Deleted folder, you can skip this step.
-
Tap the three-dot icon. It's in the lower-right corner.
-
Tap Delete . If you want to delete all of the photos in Recently Deleted , don't select any photos and instead tap Delete all in this menu. [5] X Research source
- All of the photos in Recently Deleted will be immediately deleted permanently.
Advertisement
-
Open your Settings app. It's got a gray icon with gears. By default, it's in the dock at the bottom of your screen.
- If your photos are synced to iCloud, you still might see the photos when you sign back into your Apple Account.
-
Tap General > Transfer or Reset iPhone . If you want to clear out all of your photos, you can also reset your phone. However, be aware that this will erase all of your data, including apps, saved passwords, custom settings, contacts, notes, and more.
- If you're giving your phone to someone else or selling it, this is the preferred way to delete all of your photos. That's because this method deletes all of your personal information, which leaves the phone wiped clean for the next person.
-
Tap Erase All Content and Settings . It's the choice at the bottom of the screen.
- If you're prompted to provide your passcode or password, enter it to proceed.
-
Tap Continue . Follow the on-screen instructions to erase your iPhone. All of the data on your device will be wiped. [6] X Research source
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/104967
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/104967
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/104967
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102260
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/delete-and-recover-photos-and-videos-mm08b49040b5/icloud
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/erase-iphone-iph7a2a9399b/ios
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 83 times.
Advertisement
