How to permanently delete photos from an iPhone

Many of us are guilty of having too many photos stored on our iPhones. And those unnecessary photos take up valuable storage space.

The solution is to review your photos and delete them permanently, but how? This article will give you information on how to delete photos not only on your iPhone but also from your iCloud account.

How to permanently delete photos from an iPhone

Before detailing how to permanently delete photos from an iPhone, it is a good idea to make a backup before deleting them. This can be achieved by saving them to a different device first. You can also keep them stored in your iCloud account by signing out of iCloud on your iPhone before permanently deleting them from your phone.

To permanently delete photos from an iPhone, follow the instructions below:

How to delete a single photo

1. Tap the “Photos” icon on your iPhone.
   
2. Depending on how the app opens on your phone, you may need to select “All Photos.”
   
3. Tap the photo you want to delete and press the “Trash” icon in the bottom right corner.
   
4. You will be prompted to select “Delete Photo” or “Cancel.” Choose “Delete Photo.”
   
5. Tap the “Back Arrow” located in the upper left corner of the screen.
   
6. Select the “Albums” icon at the bottom of the screen.
   
7. Scroll down and tap “Recently Deleted.”
   
8. Go to the photo you just deleted and tap it.
   
9. Select “Delete” in the lower left corner.
   

How to delete multiple photos

1. Select the “Photos” icon on your iPhone.
   
2. If the view of all your photos does not open, choose “All Photos.”
   
3. In the upper right corner of the screen, press “Select.”
   
4. Tap each of the photos you want to delete. A blue check mark will appear in the lower right corner indicating it has been selected.
   
5. In the lower right corner of the screen, tap the “Trash” icon.
   
6. To delete selected photos, choose “Delete x photos”, where “x” indicates the number of photos you have selected to delete.
   
7. Select the “Albums” icon at the bottom of the screen.
   
8. Navigate to “Recently Deleted” and select it.
   
9. Choose “Select” and tap each of the photos you just deleted.
   
10. Tap “Delete” in the lower left corner of the screen.
    

When you delete a photo from your iPhone library, it’s not permanently deleted until you also delete it from the “Recently Deleted” photo album. If you don’t do this last step, the photo will remain in this folder for 30 days before being automatically deleted. This is a feature that Apple uses to prevent photos from being deleted by mistake. You will have 30 days to recover a photo from the “Recently Deleted” folder.

How to Permanently Delete Photos from iPhone iCloud

You can permanently delete photos from your iCloud account using your iPhone. However, it is important to mention that when you delete photos from your iCloud, they could also be deleted from your iPhone. If you are signed in to your iCloud account on your iPhone, removing them from iCloud will also remove them from your iPhone. We’ll cover that later in the article.

If you want to permanently delete photos from your iCloud account, follow the steps below:

1. Sign in to your iCloud account using your iPhone’s web browser.
   
2. Select the “Photos” icon.
   
3. Tap the photo you want to delete.
   
4. Select the “Trash” icon at the bottom of the screen.
   
5. Tap “Delete.”
   

How to permanently delete photos from iPhone memory

You can easily delete photos permanently from your iPhone memory. But keep in mind that this action is irreversible. If you want to delete them from your iPhone but want to store them somewhere else, you will need to save them before deleting them.

To permanently delete photos from your iPhone memory, follow these steps:

1. Tap the “Photos” icon.
   
2. Select the folder containing the photos you want to permanently delete.
   
3. To delete a single photo, tap it. To delete multiple photos, choose “Select” in the upper right corner of the screen and then tap each photo.
   
4. Tap the “Trash” icon at the bottom right of the screen.
   
5. Select “Delete.”
   
6. Use the “Back Arrow” icon and then choose “Albums” at the bottom of the screen.
   
7. Scroll down and tap “Recently Deleted.”
   
8. Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
   
9. To delete all photos, select “Delete all.” To delete inpidual photos, tap and press “Delete.”
   

Frequent questions

How do I know if my iPhone photos are also saved to my iCloud?

You can see if your iPhone photos are saved to your iCloud account by checking your iPhone settings. To check it, follow the steps below:

1. Tap “Settings”.

2. Tap your name at the top of the screen.

3. Select “iCloud” and tap “Photos.”

4. Check if the button next to “iCloud Photos” is in the “on” position.

If enabled, your iPhone photos will be backed up and saved to your iCloud.

Can I delete a photo from my iPhone but keep it on my iCloud?

Yes. To keep a photo on your iCloud but not on your iPhone, you’ll need to turn off iCloud photo sharing. Here’s how to do it:

1. Select “Settings”.

2. Located at the top of the screen, tap your name.

3. Choose “iCloud” and then press “Photos.”

4. Toggle the button next to “iCloud Photos” to the “off” position.

If you want to continue saving photos to your iCloud, remember to go back to iCloud settings and turn the switch back to the “on” position.

I deleted a photo by mistake. Can I get it back?

If you haven’t deleted it from the “Recently Deleted” folder, you will have 30 days to recover the photo before it is permanently deleted. To recover a photo deleted by mistake, follow these steps:

1. Tap the “Photos” icon.

2. Scroll down and select “Recently Deleted”.

3. Select the photo you deleted by accident.

4. Tap “Recover” at the bottom right of the screen.

The photo will be removed from this folder and placed back in your photo library.

When I delete a photo from my iPhone, is it also deleted from my Mac and iPad?

That will depend on whether you share the same iCloud account on your Mac and iPad. If those devices are connected to the same iCloud account that you use with your iPhone, then the answer is yes.

Say goodbye permanently to unwanted photos

Simply deleting a photo on your iPhone does not delete it immediately. It is just moved to a folder where it will stay for 30 days before it is deleted from your phone’s memory. But by going to your Recently Deleted photos album, you have the option to delete them immediately. You can also recover an accidentally deleted photo.