Delete Photos from Google Photos in Bulk: A Step-by-Step Guide

Google Photos is a popular platform for backing up and organizing your photos, but over time, you may find that your photo library has become cluttered with unnecessary or duplicate images. Rather than manually deleting each photo one by one, Google Photos offers a convenient way to bulk delete photos. In this article, we will walk you through the process step by step.

Before proceeding with the bulk delete process, it’s important to note that deleting photos from Google Photos will also remove them from all synced devices and albums. Once a photo is deleted, it cannot be recovered, so be sure to back up any important images before deleting. Now, let’s dive into the steps to bulk delete photos from Google Photos.

Step 1: Sign in to Your Google Account

The first step is to sign in to your Google account. Open a web browser and go to the Google Photos website (https://photos.google.com). If you’re not already signed in, click on the “Sign in” button in the top right corner and enter your Google account credentials.

Once signed in, you will be redirected to the Google Photos main page, where you can access and manage your photo library.

Note: If you’re using the Google Photos mobile app, the process may vary slightly, but the general steps will be the same.

Step 2: Select the Photos You Want to Delete

To begin selecting the photos you want to delete, navigate to the “Photos” tab in the left sidebar. This will display all the photos in your Google Photos library. You can scroll through the photos or use the search bar to find specific images.

To select multiple photos for deletion, hover over the first photo you want to delete and click on the small checkbox that appears in the top left corner of the photo. This will select the photo. You can continue scrolling and selecting photos individually, or to select a range of photos, click on the checkbox of the last photo in the range while holding down the Shift key. This will select all the photos in between.

Alternatively, if you want to select all the photos in your library for deletion, you can click on the checkbox that appears in the top right corner of the main Google Photos page. This will select all the photos currently visible in your library.

Expert Tip: Filtering Photos for Easier Selection

If you have a large photo library and want to filter and select specific groups of photos for deletion, you can use the filter options at the top of the Google Photos page. These filters allow you to choose photos based on their date, location, or content. For example, you can filter photos by a specific month or year, filter photos taken at a certain location, or filter photos with specific objects or people.

By using filters, you can narrow down the selection and make it easier to delete specific groups of photos.

Step 3: Delete the Selected Photos

Once you have selected the photos you want to delete, click on the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the Google Photos page. From the dropdown menu, select the “Delete” option.

A confirmation message will appear, asking you to confirm the deletion of the selected photos. Review the photos carefully to ensure you’ve selected the correct ones, as this action cannot be undone.

After confirming the deletion, Google Photos will remove the selected photos from your library and all synced devices. The photos will be moved to the “Trash” or “Bin” folder, where they will remain for 60 days. During this time, you have the option to recover any accidentally deleted photos.

Recovering Photos from the Trash

If you realize that you’ve deleted a photo by mistake and want to recover it, you can follow these steps:

• Navigate to the “Trash” or “Bin” folder in Google Photos.
• Select the photo you want to recover.
• Click on the three-dot menu icon and choose the “Restore” option.

The photo will be restored to your Google Photos library and will once again be accessible on all synced devices and albums.

Step 4: Empty the Trash

If you’re certain that you no longer need the deleted photos, you can choose to empty the “Trash” or “Bin” folder to permanently remove them from your Google Photos library.

To empty the “Trash” folder, follow these steps:

• Navigate to the “Trash” or “Bin” folder in Google Photos.
• Click on the three-dot menu icon and choose the “Empty Trash” or “Empty Bin” option.
• Confirm the deletion of the photos when prompted.

Once the Trash is emptied, the deleted photos will be permanently removed from your account and cannot be recovered.

Conclusion

Deleting photos in bulk from Google Photos can help you keep your photo library organized and free up storage space. With the step-by-step guide provided in this article, you can easily select and delete multiple photos at once. Remember to review your selections carefully before confirming the deletion, and consider backing up any important images before deleting them. By following these steps, you can efficiently manage your Google Photos library and ensure that it only contains the photos you truly want to keep.