The fastest way to clear Google Photos completely
You can delete all photos from Google Photos in one action by selecting your entire library and removing it. The process takes about five minutes and works the same way whether you use a computer or phone. Google Photos does not have a single "delete all" button, but the selection method below gets you there without clicking each photo individually.
The key is understanding that Google Photos stores your images in two places: the app itself and your Google Drive storage. Deleting from Google Photos moves images to your Trash folder, where they stay for 60 days before Google removes them permanently. After 60 days, the space returns to your account and you cannot recover the photos.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted photos move to Trash for 60 days before permanent removal, giving you time to change your mind.
- On a computer, you select all photos at once using a checkbox; on a phone, you tap and hold to start selection, then use the menu to select all.
- Deleting from Google Photos does not automatically delete the original files if you uploaded them from your computer or phone.
- After photos leave Trash, the storage space becomes available again in your Google account.
Deleting all photos on a computer
Open Google Photos in your web browser and go to photos.google.com. You will see your photo library displayed as a grid. In the top left corner, you will see a checkbox next to the word "Select" — click that checkbox to select every photo in your library at once.
After you click the checkbox, Google Photos highlights all visible photos in blue. At the top of the screen, a toolbar appears with several options. Look for the trash icon (it looks like a garbage can) and click it. Google Photos will ask you to confirm the deletion. Click "Delete" again to move all photos to Trash.
The deletion happens in the background, so you can close the browser tab while it processes. If you have thousands of photos, the process may take several minutes. You can check your Trash folder anytime by clicking the menu on the left side and selecting "Trash" to see what was deleted.
Deleting all photos on an iPhone or Android phone
Open the Google Photos app on your phone. Tap and hold on any photo in your library — do not tap once, but press and hold for about one second. The photo will highlight in blue and a toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen.
Look for a menu icon (usually three dots or lines) in the toolbar at the bottom and tap it. You will see an option that says "Select all" — tap that option. Google Photos will highlight every photo in your library with a blue checkmark. The number of selected photos appears at the top of the screen.
Once all photos are selected, tap the trash icon in the toolbar. Google Photos asks you to confirm. Tap "Delete" to move all photos to Trash. On a phone, this process can take longer than on a computer if you have a large library, so leave the app open until it finishes.
Understanding what happens to your original files
Deleting photos from Google Photos does not automatically delete the original files on your phone or computer. If you uploaded photos from your device to Google Photos, those original files remain on your device unless you delete them separately. This is a safety feature — Google Photos keeps a copy but does not remove your originals.
If you want to delete the original files as well, you will need to go to your phone's photo gallery or your computer's file system and delete them there. On an iPhone, open the Photos app and delete from your library. On Android, open your file manager or gallery app and delete the files. On a computer, open your file explorer or Finder and delete the folders where you stored the photos.
Recovering photos from Trash before they are gone permanently
After you delete photos, they move to your Trash folder and stay there for 60 days. During this time, you can recover them if you change your mind. Open Google Photos, click the menu on the left, and select "Trash." You will see all deleted photos. Tap and hold on any photo you want to keep, then look for a "Restore" option in the toolbar. Click it to move the photo back to your library.
You can restore individual photos or select multiple photos at once using the same selection method described above. After 60 days, Google permanently deletes everything in your Trash folder and you cannot recover it. If you think you might want some photos back, go through your Trash folder before the 60 days are up.
What to do if deletion is taking a very long time
If you have a very large library — tens of thousands of photos — the deletion process can take hours or even a full day. Google Photos processes deletions in the background, so you do not need to keep the app or browser open. You can check your progress by going back to Google Photos and looking at how many photos remain in your library.
If the process seems stuck and nothing has changed after several hours, try signing out of Google Photos and signing back in. Close the app completely on your phone or close all browser tabs on your computer, wait a few minutes, and open Google Photos again. The deletion usually resumes after you refresh your connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting photos from Google Photos free up space on my phone?
Only if you also delete the original files from your phone's storage. Deleting from Google Photos only removes the copy stored in Google's servers. Your phone still has the original files taking up space. You must delete them separately from your phone's photo gallery or file manager to free up phone storage.
Can I delete photos by date or by folder instead of all at once?
Google Photos does not have a built-in way to delete by date range or folder. You can use the search feature to find photos from a specific time period — search for a month or year — then select and delete those results. This method takes longer than deleting everything at once but lets you keep some photos while removing others.
What happens to shared albums when I delete photos?
If you shared photos with others through Google Photos, deleting them from your library removes them from the shared album as well. Anyone you shared with will no longer see those photos. If you want to keep the shared album but remove your own copy, consider moving photos to a separate folder instead of deleting them.
Does Google Photos delete photos from my computer if I delete them from the app?
No. Deleting from Google Photos only removes the copy in Google's storage. If you uploaded photos from your computer, the original files remain on your hard drive. You must delete them separately using your computer's file manager or Finder to remove them from your device.
Can I schedule automatic deletion of old photos?
Google Photos does not have a built-in auto-delete feature. You must manually delete photos or use a third-party tool that connects to your Google account. The safest approach is to review your library periodically and delete photos you no longer need, rather than relying on automatic deletion.