The fastest way to remove everything from Google Photos
You can delete all your photos from Google Photos in one action by deleting your entire Google account, but that also removes Gmail, Drive, YouTube, and every other Google service tied to that account. If you want to keep your account and delete only the photos, you must delete them in batches through the Google Photos app or website — there is no single "delete all" button that leaves your account intact.
The batch method takes longer but gives you control. You can delete photos by date range, by album, or by selecting them manually. Most people finish a full library in 15 to 30 minutes depending on how many photos exist and how fast your connection is.
Key Takeaways
- Google Photos has no built-in "delete all" feature that preserves your account, so you delete in batches using the selection tool.
- The web version (photos.google.com) is faster than the mobile app because you can select hundreds of photos at once without scrolling.
- Deleted photos go to Trash for 60 days before permanent removal, so you can recover them if you change your mind.
- Deleting photos from Google Photos does not delete them from your phone, computer, or other cloud services — it only removes them from Google's servers.
- If you want to delete your entire Google account instead, all connected services (Gmail, Drive, YouTube) are deleted permanently after 30 days.
Delete photos in batches on the web
Open photos.google.com in a web browser and sign in with the Google account that holds the photos. Click the search icon (magnifying glass) at the top, then click "Photos" to show all your photos in one view. This is faster than scrolling through your library month by month.
Click the first photo to select it. A checkbox appears in the top left corner. Hold Shift and click the last photo on the screen to select all photos visible at once. If you have thousands of photos, the page shows about 100 at a time, so you will repeat this process multiple times. Click the trash icon (or the three-dot menu and select "Delete") to move the selected batch to Trash.
Scroll down to load more photos and repeat: click the first visible photo, Shift-click the last one, then delete. Continue until you reach the end of your library. The search view shows a count at the top, so you can watch the number decrease as you delete batches.
Delete photos using the mobile app
Open the Google Photos app on your phone. Tap the search icon at the bottom, then tap "Photos" to see all your photos. Tap and hold the first photo until it highlights with a checkmark. Tap additional photos to add them to the selection — you can usually select 20 to 50 at once before the interface slows down.
Tap the trash icon at the bottom right to delete the selected batch. Return to the search view and repeat. The mobile method is slower than the web version because you can only select a smaller number of photos before scrolling becomes necessary, but it works if you do not have access to a computer.
Delete by album or date range
If your photos are organized into albums, you can delete entire albums at once. Open an album, tap the three-dot menu at the top, and select "Delete album." This removes all photos in that album from Google Photos. The photos are not deleted from your phone or computer — only from Google's servers.
You can also delete by date range using the search tool. Tap the search icon, then look for date-based filters like "This month" or "Last year." Select all photos in that range using the method above, then delete them in one batch. This approach works well if you want to keep recent photos but remove an older archive.
Understand what happens to deleted photos
When you delete a photo from Google Photos, it moves to the Trash folder and stays there for 60 days. During this time, the photo still counts against your storage quota. You can recover any photo from Trash by opening the Trash folder, selecting the photo, and tapping "Restore."
After 60 days, Google permanently deletes the photo from its servers. You cannot recover it after that point. If you are certain you want photos gone when ready, you can open Trash, select the photos, and tap "Delete permanently" to skip the 60-day wait.
Deleting from Google Photos does not affect photos stored elsewhere. If you uploaded photos from your phone, computer, or another cloud service, those original files remain in their original location. Google Photos is a backup and viewing tool — deleting from it does not delete your source files.
Delete your entire Google account instead
If you want to remove all traces of your Google account, you can delete the account itself through Google's account management page. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Delete your account and data" in the left menu, and follow the prompts. Google will ask you to confirm your password and may ask why you are leaving.
When you delete your Google account, all associated services are deleted: Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, YouTube history, and any other Google service linked to that account. Google keeps your data for 30 days in case you change your mind and want to recover it. After 30 days, deletion is permanent.
Before you delete your account, read any data you want to keep. Use Google Takeout (takeout.google.com) to read your photos, emails, contacts, and other files as a backup. This step is important because once the account is deleted, you cannot access these files through Google anymore.
Recover photos from Trash before they are gone
Open Google Photos and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom left on mobile, or click the menu on the left side of the web version. Select "Trash" to see all deleted photos. They remain here for 60 days. Tap or click a photo to select it, then tap or click "Restore" to move it back to your library.
If you deleted photos by mistake and realize it after several weeks, check Trash when ready. The 60-day timer is counting down. Once you restore a photo, it returns to your main library and no longer counts as deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting photos from Google Photos delete them from my phone?
No. Google Photos is a backup and viewing service. Deleting from Google Photos only removes the copy stored on Google's servers. Your original photos remain on your phone, computer, or wherever you stored them. If you want to delete the originals too, you must delete them separately from your device.
Can I delete photos by date without deleting everything?
Yes. Use the search tool to filter by date range (like "2015" or "Last year"), select all photos in that range, and delete them. This lets you keep recent photos while removing older ones. You can repeat this process for different date ranges until you have removed only what you want.
What happens if I delete my Google account by mistake?
You have 30 days to recover your account. Go to accounts.google.com, sign in with your email, and look for the option to recover your account. If you act within 30 days, Google can restore your photos, emails, and other data. After 30 days, recovery is not possible.
Does Google Photos keep a backup of deleted photos?
Google keeps deleted photos in Trash for 60 days. After that, they are permanently removed from Google's servers. If you have a backup elsewhere (like on your phone or computer), those copies remain safe. Google Photos itself does not maintain a separate backup of deleted items.
Can I schedule photos to delete automatically?
Google Photos does not have a built-in scheduling feature for automatic deletion. You must delete photos manually through the app or website. If you want to remove old photos regularly, set a reminder to delete them by date range every few months.