The fastest way to clear all photos

The quickest method is to use the Photos app's select-all feature, which lets you delete hundreds of photos in under a minute. Open the Photos app, tap "Select" in the top right corner, then tap "Select All" when it appears. This selects every photo and video in your library. Tap the trash icon at the bottom right, then confirm by tapping "Delete [number] Items." The photos move to your Recently Deleted album first, where they stay for 30 days before permanent removal.

If you want them gone when ready without the 30-day wait, open the Recently Deleted album right after deletion, tap "Select All" again, and tap "Delete Permanently." This removes them from your phone entirely and frees up storage space right away.

Key Takeaways

  • Use the Photos app's Select All feature to delete all photos at once rather than one by one.
  • Deleted photos sit in Recently Deleted for 30 days before they are permanently removed, giving you time to change your mind.
  • To free up storage when ready, delete photos a second time from the Recently Deleted album.
  • Clearing your photo library does not affect photos stored in iCloud unless you also delete them from iCloud Photos settings.

Why photos stay in Recently Deleted

When you delete a photo from your iPhone, it does not disappear right away. Instead, it moves to the Recently Deleted album, where it takes up storage space for 30 days. This is a safety feature — if you delete something by accident, you can still recover it during that window.

If you do not need that safety window and want the storage back when ready, you must delete the photos a second time from the Recently Deleted album. Once you do, they are gone for good and cannot be recovered.

Deleting photos without losing your iCloud copies

If you use iCloud Photos, deleting photos from your iPhone also deletes them from iCloud and all your other Apple devices signed into the same account. This happens because iCloud Photos syncs across all your devices — when you remove a photo from one place, it removes from everywhere.

If you want to keep your photos in iCloud but clear them from your iPhone to save space, turn off iCloud Photos before deleting. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, select iCloud, then Photos, and toggle off "iCloud Photos." Your photos stay in iCloud but stop syncing to your phone. You can turn iCloud Photos back on later without losing anything.

Clearing photos by type or date range

If you do not want to delete everything, the Photos app lets you select photos by category. Tap the "Albums" tab at the bottom, then choose "Recently Added," "Videos," "Screenshots," or "Selfies" to see only that type. Tap "Select" in the top right, then "Select All" to choose every photo in that album, and tap the trash icon to delete them.

You can also manually select individual photos or groups by tapping and holding one photo, then tapping others to add them to your selection. This takes longer but gives you full control over what goes.

What happens to storage after deletion

Deleting photos from your iPhone frees up storage space, but only after they are permanently removed from Recently Deleted. While they sit in Recently Deleted, they still count against your phone's storage limit. If you need space urgently, delete them permanently rather than waiting 30 days.

If you use iCloud Photos and want to free up iPhone storage without deleting photos, go to Settings, tap your name, select iCloud, then Photos, and turn on "Optimize iPhone Storage." This keeps full-resolution photos in iCloud and stores smaller versions on your phone, saving gigabytes of space while keeping your library intact.

Recovering photos you deleted by mistake

If you deleted photos and want them back, open the Photos app and scroll to the bottom of the Albums tab. Tap "Recently Deleted," find the photos you want, tap "Select," then tap the photos individually or tap "Select All." Tap "Recover" at the bottom right, and the photos return to your library.

This works only within the 30-day window. After 30 days, the Recently Deleted album empties automatically and the photos cannot be recovered from your phone. If you backed up your phone to iCloud or a computer before deletion, you may be able to restore from that backup, but that restores your entire phone to an earlier date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting all my photos delete them from iCloud too?

Yes, if you use iCloud Photos. Deleting from your iPhone syncs across all your devices and removes them from iCloud. If you want to keep iCloud copies, turn off iCloud Photos in Settings before deleting, or restore from a backup after deletion.

Can I delete photos in bulk without using Select All?

Yes. Tap and hold one photo, then tap others to select multiple photos at once. You can select dozens this way, but Select All is faster if you want everything gone. You can also delete by album type — tap Albums, choose Videos or Screenshots, then Select All within that album.

How long do photos stay in Recently Deleted?

Thirty days. After that, they are permanently removed and cannot be recovered from your phone. If you need them back, you must recover them within that window or restore from a backup made before deletion.

Does deleting photos free up storage right away?

Not until you delete them from Recently Deleted. While they sit there, they still use storage space. Delete them a second time from Recently Deleted to free up space when ready.

What if I only want to delete videos, not photos?

Go to the Albums tab, tap Videos, then tap Select and Select All. This shows only video files. Tap the trash icon to delete just the videos while keeping your photos.