I’m running out of storage on my iPhone and want to delete some photos to free up space. I’m unsure of the best way to proceed and don’t want to accidentally lose any important images. Could someone guide me on the correct steps to safely delete photos from my iPhone?
Alright, deleting photos from your iPhone isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to screw up and lose something you didn’t mean to. So take a deep breath, put on your serious face, and follow along.
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Go to Photos App – Obvs. No magic portal hidden here. Open the app where your photographic masterpieces live.
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Select Photos – Browse through and start tapping on the stuff you can live without (blurry sunsets, 50 pics of the same latte, screenshots of memes you’ve already sent to the group chat). Use the “Select” button in the top right corner if you’re feeling particularly decisive.
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Hit Trash Can Icon – After selecting, the trash icon appears. Tap it. Poof, they go into the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder. (You didn’t think they were gone forever, did you?)
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Empty ‘Recently Deleted’ – You’ve got 30 days before iOS actually gets rid of those photos, unless you empty this folder manually. (Settings > Photos > Recently Deleted, then nuke it.)
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Backup First If Paranoid – If the thought of “accidental deletion” has you spiraling, back them up to iCloud, Google Photos, or an external drive before you start the purge. Cover all your bases, Sherlock.
Pro Tip™: If you’re struggling to choose what stays or goes, the ‘Offload Unused Apps’ function in Settings might free some space too, so you’re not just breaking ties with your snapshots.
Crucial note: DO NOT just delete something assuming the cloud has your back. Confirm that your backup system is working beforehand. Trust issues are real. Also, screenshots of your ex? Time to let those go.
Deleting photos without losing something precious? Okay, here’s my take—and no shade to @sonhadordobosque, but let’s tweak their process a bit.
First, I agree on backups, but instead of relying on iCloud or Google Photos (because let’s be honest, those sometimes duplicate or miss stuff), consider transferring your entire Camera Roll to a computer or external drive. Plug in your phone, open the Photos app (on Mac) or File Explorer (on Windows), and drag those babies over before you start the purge. Manual. Efficient. No “oh no, it didn’t sync” freak-outs later.
Now, instead of agonizing over what to delete, why not use Search Filters in the Photos app? Go to Albums → Media Types and check the ‘Screenshots,’ ‘Videos,’ or ‘Selfies’ sections. You KNOW these categories are clutter central. Bonus: sorting by “location” can help you target entire batches (like vacation pics where you already picked the best for Insta).
When deleting, smash that trash can like your Wi-Fi depends on it, but here’s where I differ—don’t rush to clear out ‘Recently Deleted’ right away. Let those photos sit there a couple of days, just in case. You’d be surprised how many ‘oh no, I deleted Aunt Susan’s 80th birthday pic!’ moments happen. Give it a buffer.
Another hack: Use Optimize iPhone Storage (Settings > Photos). It keeps your full-res files in iCloud but frees up storage by saving lower-res versions on your phone. Basically, you get space without actually ditching photos.
Lastly, why even keep photos of memes you’ve already sent? Save your storage for memories, not pixelated screenshots of Shrek jokes (unless they’re truly epic—we’ve all got weaknesses).