How to Delete All Photos on iPhone

Before you delete everything, back up anything you want to keep. Apple notes that with iCloud Photos, a photo you delete on one device is deleted on every device signed in with the same Apple Account.

Select and delete many photos at once

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   Step 1: Open the Library

   Open Photos and go to your Library.

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   Step 2: Select

   Tap Select, then tap photos one by one or slide your finger across several thumbnails to select more than one.

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   Step 3: Delete

   Tap the Delete button, then confirm.

Empty Recently Deleted to get the space back

Deleted photos and videos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days before they’re permanently removed, so the space doesn’t come back right away.

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   Step 1: Open the album

   In Photos, tap Collections, then tap Recently Deleted under Utilities. Tap View Album and unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

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   Step 2: Select

   Tap Select, but don’t pick any items. If some are already selected, tap Cancel, then Select again.

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   Step 3: Delete for good

   Tap the More button, then Delete All, and confirm. Items deleted here can’t be recovered.

More on that album: Recently Deleted on iPhone.

Free up space but keep your photos in iCloud

If you want the space back but don’t want to lose your photos, deleting isn’t the right tool while iCloud Photos is on, because deletions sync. Apple’s answer is Optimize iPhone Storage: full-resolution photos and videos are kept in iCloud, with space-saving versions on your iPhone. To delete in one place only, see how to delete photos from iCloud but not iPhone. For other ways to make room, see how to free up space on iPhone.

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   Step 1: Open iCloud Photos settings

   Go to Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Photos and make sure Sync this iPhone is on.

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   Step 2: Optimize

   Make sure Optimize iPhone Storage is selected (in iOS 27 or later, tap iPhone Storage first).

If you don’t use iCloud Photos, copy your photos to a Mac or PC before you delete them from your iPhone.

If the Delete button is gray

Apple says photos added by syncing your iPhone with a computer can’t be deleted directly in the Photos app; if the Delete button is gray, you may need to stop syncing photos from your computer.

CleanX

Don’t want to delete everything? Clear out groups with CleanX

If you only want certain kinds of photos gone, not the whole library, CleanX sorts your photos into groups such as similar photos, duplicates, screenshots, blurry shots and chat photos, so you can select a whole group at once. Blurry shots, chat photos, selfies and photos with text can also be swiped through one by one. Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted, like any deletion in Photos.

• Select All within each group or list
• Swipe review for blurry, chat, selfie and text photos
• Scanning is free; deleting needs CleanX Pro

See everything CleanX does →

Before you delete all your photos

• Check your backup. With iCloud Photos on, deleting removes photos from your other devices and iCloud too.
• Shared Library: anyone in an iCloud Shared Photo Library can delete items in it, and deleted items disappear for everyone.
• If only copies are the problem, merge them instead: see how to delete duplicate photos on iPhone.