Deleting photos in Google Photos is straightforward: select the photos you want to remove, tap or click the trash icon, and they move to your Trash folder for 60 days before permanent deletion
Google Photos keeps deleted photos in a Trash folder for two months, which gives you time to change your mind. After 60 days, they delete permanently and cannot be recovered. You can delete one photo at a time, multiple photos at once, or entire albums — the steps are slightly different for each.
The process works the same way on your phone, tablet, or computer, though the buttons look a little different depending on which device you use. If you delete a photo by accident, you can restore it from Trash as long as you act within those 60 days.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted photos sit in Trash for 60 days before they are gone forever, so you can undo a deletion if you change your mind quickly.
- On your phone, open Google Photos, tap and hold a photo to select it, then tap the trash icon at the bottom of the screen.
- On a computer, click a photo to open it, then click the trash icon in the toolbar above the image.
- If you delete an entire album, the photos inside it move to Trash but the album itself disappears when ready.
- Emptying your Trash folder permanently removes all photos in it at once, so only do this if you are certain you do not want them back.
How to delete a single photo on your phone
Open the Google Photos app and find the photo you want to delete. Tap and hold the photo — your phone will highlight it with a checkmark or a blue border. Once the photo is selected, look at the bottom of your screen for a trash icon (it looks like a garbage can). Tap that icon, and the photo moves to Trash.
The photo disappears from your library when ready, but it is not gone for good yet. You can still find it in your Trash folder for the next 60 days if you need to bring it back.
How to delete multiple photos at once on your phone
If you want to remove several photos in one go, tap and hold the first photo until it is selected. Then tap each additional photo you want to delete — each one will show a checkmark when selected. You can select as many as you want this way. Once you have chosen all the photos, tap the trash icon at the bottom of the screen.
This method is much faster than deleting photos one by one, especially if you are cleaning up a lot of blurry shots or duplicates. All the selected photos move to Trash together.
How to delete photos on a computer
Go to photos.google.com in your web browser and sign in with your Google account. Find the photo you want to delete and click it to open it. At the top of the image, you will see a toolbar with several icons. Click the trash icon (it looks like a garbage can) to delete the photo.
If you want to delete multiple photos at once on a computer, click the first photo to select it, then hold down the Ctrl key (or Cmd key on a Mac) and click each additional photo you want to remove. Once you have selected all of them, click the trash icon in the toolbar.
How to delete an entire album
Open Google Photos and find the album you want to delete. Tap or click the three dots (the menu icon) next to the album name. A menu will appear with several options — look for "Delete album" or "Remove album" and tap or click it. Google Photos will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the album.
When you delete an album, the photos inside it move to your Trash folder, but the album itself disappears right away. The individual photos stay in Trash for 60 days, so you can restore them if you change your mind. If you only want to remove the album but keep the photos, look for an option to "Remove from album" instead — this keeps the photos in your library but takes them out of that specific album.
How to restore a deleted photo from Trash
Open Google Photos and look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left of the screen on your phone, or at the top left of the page on a computer. Tap or click "Trash" to see all your deleted photos. Find the photo you want to bring back and tap or click it to open it.
Once the photo is open, look for a "Restore" button at the bottom of your phone screen or in the toolbar on your computer. Tap or click it, and the photo returns to your library. It will go back to the same place it was before you deleted it — the same album, the same date, everything.
How to permanently empty your Trash folder
Open Google Photos and go to the Trash folder (tap or click the menu icon, then select "Trash"). At the top of the Trash folder, you will see an option that says "Delete all" or "Empty Trash" — the exact wording depends on whether you are on your phone or computer. Tap or click it.
Google Photos will ask you to confirm that you want to permanently delete everything in your Trash. Once you confirm, all the photos in Trash are gone forever and cannot be restored. Only do this if you are absolutely certain you do not want any of those photos back. If you are not sure, leave your Trash alone — the photos will delete automatically after 60 days anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a photo after I empty my Trash?
No. Once you empty your Trash folder or the 60-day period ends, the photos are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. Google Photos does not keep a backup of deleted photos after they leave Trash, so make sure you really want to delete them before you empty Trash.
What happens to photos I delete if I share an album with someone?
If you delete a photo from a shared album, it disappears for everyone who has access to that album, not just for you. The person you shared it with will no longer see that photo. If you only want to remove it from your view, remove yourself from the album instead of deleting the photo.
Does deleting a photo from Google Photos delete it from my phone?
No. Deleting a photo in Google Photos only removes it from your Google Photos library. The original photo file stays on your phone unless you delete it separately from your phone's camera app or photo gallery. Google Photos and your phone's storage are separate.
Can I set photos to delete automatically?
Google Photos does not have a built-in feature to delete photos automatically on a schedule. However, you can manually delete old photos by going to your Trash folder and emptying it whenever you want to clean up. Some phones have their own automatic photo deletion features in the phone's settings, separate from Google Photos.
What if I deleted a photo by accident and it has been more than 60 days?
If more than 60 days have passed since you deleted the photo, it is permanently gone and cannot be restored through Google Photos. Your only option is to check if you have a backup of the photo elsewhere — on your phone, a computer, an external hard drive, or another cloud service like OneDrive or iCloud.