Deleting photos from Google Photos is straightforward: select the photo, tap or click the trash icon, and it moves to Trash where it stays for 60 days before permanent deletion

Google Photos gives you three ways to remove pictures depending on how many you want to delete and whether you're on a phone or computer. The process is the same across all devices — find the photo, mark it for deletion, and confirm. Photos don't vanish when ready; they sit in your Trash folder for two months, which means you can recover them if you change your mind.

Understanding where your photos go and how long you have to undo a deletion matters if you're clearing out storage space or organizing your library. It also matters if you're sharing albums with others, because deleting a photo from your library doesn't automatically remove it from shared albums.

Key Takeaways

  • Single photos delete through the trash icon in the photo detail view, and deleted photos stay in Trash for 60 days before permanent removal.
  • Multiple photos delete faster using selection mode: tap or click the first photo, then tap or click others to select them all at once, then tap or click trash.
  • Deleting a photo from your library does not remove it from shared albums — you must delete it from the album separately if you want it gone from there too.
  • Photos in Trash still count toward your storage quota until the 60 days pass, so permanently deleting them is the only way to free up space.
  • Recovering a deleted photo takes the same steps as deleting it: go to Trash, select the photo, and tap or click the restore icon.

Delete a single photo on your phone

Open Google Photos and find the photo you want to remove. Tap it to open the full-screen view. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a row of icons — one of them is a trash can. Tap the trash icon. The photo moves to Trash when ready, and you return to your library.

If you don't see the trash icon, swipe up from the bottom of the screen or look for a menu icon (three dots) and tap it to reveal more options. The trash icon should appear in that menu.

Delete a single photo on your computer

Go to photos.google.com and find the photo. Click it once to open it. Look for the trash icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen — it usually looks like a bin or can. Click it. The photo moves to Trash, and you return to your library view.

If you're in grid view and want to delete without opening the photo, right-click on it and select "Delete" from the menu that appears. This skips the full-screen view and sends the photo straight to Trash.

Delete multiple photos at once

Deleting several photos together is faster than deleting them one by one. On your phone, open Google Photos and tap and hold on the first photo you want to delete. It will highlight with a checkmark. Keep tapping other photos to select them — you can select as many as you want. Once you've marked all the photos, tap the trash icon at the bottom of the screen.

On your computer, click the first photo, then hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click other photos to select multiple ones. You can also click the first photo, hold Shift, and click the last photo in a range to select everything between them. Once selected, click the trash icon in the toolbar.

Understand what happens in Trash

When you delete a photo, it doesn't vanish. It moves to a Trash folder where it stays for 60 days. During those 60 days, you can recover it by going to Trash, selecting the photo, and tapping or clicking the restore icon (usually an arrow pointing upward or a circular arrow). The photo returns to your library in the same place it was before.

After 60 days pass, Google Photos permanently deletes the photo from Trash automatically. You cannot recover it after that point. If you want to free up storage space when ready instead of waiting, you can permanently delete a photo from Trash right away by selecting it and tapping or clicking the delete icon again.

Photos in Trash still count toward your Google storage quota. If you're running low on space, permanently deleting photos from Trash is the only way to actually reduce what you're using. straightforward moving them to Trash doesn't free up any room.

Delete photos from shared albums

If you shared an album with someone else and want to remove a photo from it, deleting the photo from your library doesn't remove it from the shared album. You must delete it from the album itself. Open the shared album, find the photo, and tap or click the trash icon. This removes it from the album only — it doesn't delete it from your library unless you delete it separately there.

If someone else shared an album with you and you want to remove a photo they uploaded, you can only do that if you're the album owner. If you're just a member, you can't delete other people's photos from the album. You can only remove your own.

Recover a deleted photo from Trash

Open Google Photos and look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner. Tap or click it and select "Trash" from the menu. You'll see all photos you've deleted in the last 60 days. Find the photo you want to keep, tap or click it, and look for the restore icon (usually an upward arrow or circular arrow). Tap or click it. The photo returns to your library when ready.

You have until day 60 to recover a photo. After that, it's gone permanently. If you're not sure whether you deleted something, check Trash first before assuming it's lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a photo without it going to Trash first?

No. All deletions go to Trash first, where they stay for 60 days. If you want to permanently delete a photo when ready, you must delete it once to send it to Trash, then go to Trash and delete it again.

Do deleted photos still use my storage space?

Yes, until they're permanently deleted. Photos in Trash count toward your Google storage quota. To actually free up space, you must permanently delete them from Trash or wait for the 60 days to pass.

What if I delete a photo by accident?

Go to Trash within 60 days, find the photo, and tap or click the restore icon. It returns to your library. If more than 60 days have passed, the photo is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

If I delete a photo, does it disappear from albums I shared with others?

No. Deleting a photo from your library doesn't remove it from shared albums. You must open the shared album and delete the photo from there separately if you want it gone from the album.

Can I set photos to delete automatically?

Google Photos doesn't have an automatic deletion feature. You must manually delete photos or let them sit in Trash for 60 days until they're automatically removed. There's no way to schedule deletions in advance.