Delete all photos at once using the selection tool

Google Photos does not have a single "delete all" button, but you can select every photo in your library and delete them together in one action. Open Google Photos in a web browser (photos.google.com), then click the circle icon in the top left corner of the first photo. This selects that photo. A menu will appear at the top of the screen with options — click "Select all" to mark every photo in your library for deletion.

Once all photos are selected, a trash icon will appear in the top menu. Click it, then confirm the deletion when Google Photos asks you to verify. Your photos will move to the Trash folder, where they stay for 60 days before Google permanently deletes them. If you change your mind within those 60 days, you can restore them from Trash.

This method works fastest on a computer rather than a phone, because the selection interface is clearer and you can see more photos on screen at once. On a phone, the same steps explore, but you may need to scroll through your library multiple times if you have thousands of photos.

Key Takeaways

  • Use the circle icon in the top left of the first photo to start selection, then click "Select all" to mark every photo in your library at once.
  • Deleted photos move to Trash and stay there for 60 days — you can restore them during this window if you change your mind.
  • After 60 days, Google permanently deletes photos from Trash automatically, so you do not need to take a second action.
  • Deleting all photos does not delete your Google Photos account itself — the account remains active and empty.
  • If you have shared albums or photos shared with you by others, those do not delete from the other person's library when you delete them from yours.

What happens to shared photos and albums

When you delete a photo from your library, it only deletes from your own account. If you shared that photo with someone else through Google Photos, the other person still has their copy. If you created a shared album and then delete the photos from your library, the album itself remains in the other person's account, but the photos you contributed no longer appear in it.

If someone else shared photos with you and you delete them, those photos only disappear from your library. The person who originally took them still has them in their own Google Photos account. This is why deleting all your photos does not affect anyone else's access to photos they shared with you or that you shared with them.

Recovering photos from Trash before they are gone forever

After you delete photos, they sit in your Trash folder for 60 days. During this time, you can restore them to your main library. Open Google Photos, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the left side, and select "Trash." You will see all deleted photos. Click the circle icon in the top left of the first photo, then "Select all" to mark every photo in Trash, or select individual photos by clicking their circle icons.

Once you have selected the photos you want back, a restore icon will appear in the top menu — it looks like a curved arrow pointing left. Click it, and the photos return to your main library. If you do nothing, Google automatically and permanently deletes everything in Trash after 60 days have passed.

Deleting photos by date range or album instead of all at once

If you want to keep some photos and delete only certain ones, you can select by album or by date. In Google Photos, click "Albums" on the left menu to see all your albums. Open an album, click the circle icon in the top left of the first photo, then "Select all" to mark every photo in that album. Click the trash icon to delete them.

You can also delete photos by year or month. Click "Search" at the top of Google Photos, then click "Photos" to see options for filtering by date. Select the year or month you want to delete, then use the circle icon and "Select all" to mark those photos. This method is slower than deleting everything at once, but it lets you keep photos from other time periods.

Why Google Photos keeps deleted photos in Trash for 60 days

The 60-day Trash window exists because accidental deletion happens often. If you selected all your photos by mistake, or if someone else with access to your account deleted them, you have two months to notice and restore them. This is a safety feature — it prevents a single click from permanently erasing your entire photo library.

After 60 days, Google permanently deletes the files from its servers. You cannot recover them after this point, even if you contact Google support. This is why it matters to check your Trash folder if you think you deleted something by accident — the sooner you restore it, the safer it is.

Deleting photos on your phone versus on a computer

The steps are the same on both, but the experience is different. On a computer, you see many photos at once and the selection menu is larger and easier to tap. On a phone, you see fewer photos on screen, and selecting all of them may require the app to process for several seconds, especially if you have tens of thousands of photos.

If you have a very large library (more than 50,000 photos), deleting on a computer is faster and less likely to cause the app to freeze or crash. On a phone, the process may take several minutes. Either way, you can close the app or browser tab while the deletion is happening — Google Photos continues deleting in the background.

What to know about storage and your Google account after deletion

When you delete photos from Google Photos, the storage space they used becomes available again. If you were paying for extra storage because your photos filled up your account, deleting them may bring you back under the free storage limit. Google does not refund money for paid storage plans, but your next billing cycle will reflect your new storage use.

Deleting all your photos does not affect other files in your Google account, such as Gmail messages, Google Drive documents, or files in Google One. Each service has its own storage bucket, so clearing Google Photos does not free up space for Gmail or Drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a deletion after the 60 days in Trash are over?

No. Once the 60-day period ends, Google permanently deletes the photos from its servers. You cannot recover them through Google Photos, and Google support cannot restore them. This is why checking your Trash folder within 60 days is important if you think you deleted something by mistake.

If I delete all my photos, will my Google Photos account disappear?

No. Your Google Photos account remains active and empty. You can continue to take new photos or upload photos to it. Deleting all photos does not close your account or affect your ability to use Google Photos in the future.

What if I share my Google account with family members — will deleting my photos delete theirs?

No. Each person who has access to a shared Google account has their own separate Google Photos library. If you delete your photos, only your library is affected. Family members' photos remain in their own libraries. However, if you created a shared album together, deleting your photos from your library removes them from that shared album.

Does deleting photos from Google Photos also delete them from my phone?

No. Google Photos is a cloud storage service separate from your phone's camera roll or gallery app. Deleting from Google Photos does not touch the original files on your device. If you want to delete photos from both places, you must delete them separately from your phone's photo app as well.

How long does it take to delete thousands of photos at once?

The selection process is when ready, but the actual deletion can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes depending on how many photos you are deleting and how fast your internet connection is. You do not need to wait for it to finish — you can close the browser or app and Google Photos will continue deleting in the background.