How To Delete Images from Google Photos Permanently?

In today’s digital age, we capture countless moments through our smartphones and cameras. And with services like Google Photos, we have a convenient way to store and organize our precious memories in the cloud. However, as our photo collections grow, we may find ourselves running out of storage space or wanting to get rid of certain photos permanently. Whether it’s to free up space or delete embarrassing pictures, this guide will show you how to permanently delete photos from Google Photos on various platforms.

Why Permanently Delete Photos from Google Photos?

Google Photos is an excellent cloud storage option for photos, offering seamless organization and easy accessibility. However, it’s essential to be mindful of the storage space it shares with your other Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive. By default, Google Photos provides 15GB of free storage, and exceeding this limit may require you to pay for additional space.

To avoid reaching your storage limit or to remove unwanted photos from your collection, permanently deleting images from Google Photos is necessary. While you can move photos to the trash and let them be automatically deleted after 60 days, permanently deleting them ensures they are removed immediately from your device and cloud storage.

How to Permanently Delete a Picture on Google Photos

Deleting a photo from your Google Photos account is a straightforward process, regardless of the platform you use. The steps for deleting a picture are similar on both the mobile app and the web version of Google Photos. Let’s explore how to permanently delete a photo on each platform.

Delete a Picture on the Mobile App

If you prefer managing your Google Photos on your mobile device, follow these steps to permanently delete a picture:

1. Open the Google Photos app on your Android device, iPhone, or iPad.
2. Find the image you want to delete and tap on it to view it in full-screen mode.
3. Tap the Delete button located in the lower-right corner of your screen. A dialog box will appear, asking if you want to move the photo to the trash bin.
4. Select Allow to confirm that you want to trash the photo.
5. Navigate to the Google Photos Library section, which is located at the bottom tab of the screen.
6. Open the Trash folder located in the upper-right corner of the screen.
7. Locate the photo you trashed and tap on it.
8. Tap the Delete button in the lower-left corner of the display.
9. Confirm the deletion by tapping Allow.

By following these steps, the image will be deleted from both your mobile device and cloud storage immediately. However, if you have sufficient Google Photos cloud storage and don’t need the space right away, or if you don’t mind waiting for 60 days for automatic deletion, moving the photo to the trash bin is sufficient.

Delete a Picture on the Web App

If you prefer managing your Google Photos on your desktop browser, here’s how you can permanently delete a picture from the web app:

1. Open your desktop browser and visit photos.google.com.
2. Sign in to your Google account if prompted.
3. Locate the photo you wish to delete and click on it to open it.
4. Click the Delete button located in the upper-right corner of the screen. You will be asked to confirm the deletion.
5. Select Move to trash to remove the item from the gallery immediately.
6. Navigate to the Trash folder, which is usually located in the left sidebar.
7. Select the photo you just deleted.
8. Click the Delete button in the upper-right corner of the screen to permanently delete the picture.

Following these steps will ensure that the selected photo is permanently deleted from your Google Photos account.

How to Permanently Delete Multiple Pictures on Google Photos

If you have numerous images to delete, you can speed up the process by following these steps:

1. From the gallery view, tap and hold one of the images you want to delete to select it.
2. Tap the other images you want to delete to select them.
3. Tap Delete beneath the trash can icon in the toolbar at the bottom. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to move the images to the trash.
4. Click Allow to proceed.
5. Navigate to the Library section located in the lower-right corner of the screen.
6. Tap the Trash button to view all the trashed photos.
7. Locate the photos you deleted and select them. You can speed up the process by tapping and holding the first photo and sliding your finger across the others you want to delete permanently.
8. Tap the Delete button in the lower-left corner.
9. Confirm the deletion by touching Allow. You can also empty the bin using the ⋮ icon in the upper-right corner.

By following these steps, you can efficiently delete multiple pictures from your Google Photos account.

How to Delete Pictures from a Google Photos Album

If you have created an album in Google Photos and want to delete individual pictures from it without removing the entire album, follow these steps:

Deleting Album Pictures Using the Web App

1. Go to photos.google.com.
2. Navigate to Albums located in the left sidebar.
3. Select the album you want to delete a picture from.
4. Click the picture you wish to remove.
5. Go to More options in the upper-right corner of the screen.
6. Select Move to trash from the options.

Following these steps will remove the selected picture from the album without deleting the entire album.

Deleting Album Pictures Using the Mobile App

Deleting a picture from a Google Photos album on the mobile app requires a slightly different approach. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open the album containing the picture you want to delete.
2. Select the photo you wish to remove.
3. Either tap the ⋮ icon in the upper-right corner or swipe up on the screen to bring up more options.
4. Swipe the ribbon menu beneath the photo to the left and tap on the Move to trash option.
5. Confirm your choice by selecting Move to trash from the menu that pops up from the bottom of the screen.

By following these steps, you can remove a picture from a Google Photos album on your mobile device.

How to Archive Pictures on Google Photos

If you don’t want specific pictures to be shown in the main Google Photos gallery but still want to keep them, you can hide them by moving them to the Archive. Here’s how you can do it on both the mobile app and web app:

Archive Pictures on the Mobile App

1. Launch the Google Photos app on your mobile device.
2. Select the image you want to hide.
3. Tap More options (the ⋮ button) in the upper-right corner of the screen. A menu with several buttons will slide out. Alternatively, swipe up to reveal the menu.
4. Select Move to archive.

By following these steps, the selected picture will be moved to the Archive folder and will no longer appear in your main gallery. However, it will still be visible in any album you previously added it to and in search results.

Move Pictures to the Archive on the Web App

1. Go to photos.google.com on your desktop browser.
2. Select the picture you want to hide.
3. Click More options (the ⋮ button) in the upper-right corner of the display.
4. Select Archive. You can also use the shortcut Shift + A.
5. The photo will be moved to the Archive folder.

You can access the Archive folder by navigating to Archive under the Library tab. From here, you can follow similar steps to unarchive the photo or delete it using the trash button in the upper-right corner of the screen. It’s important to note that archived photos are only hidden from your main gallery and continue to take up storage space.

Manage Your Google Photos Storage like a Pro

Google provides 15GB of free storage across Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive. To effectively manage your Google Photos storage, consider the following tips:

1. Assess your storage usage: Check how much storage you are currently using in Google Photos and identify areas where you can free up space.
2. Delete unnecessary photos: Permanently delete photos that you no longer need from both your device and Google Photos. This will help you reclaim storage space.
3. Review your trash: Regularly empty the trash in Google Photos to ensure that the photos you have deleted are permanently removed and do not continue to take up storage space.
4. Optimize storage settings: Enable the “High quality” option in Google Photos settings, which allows unlimited storage for compressed photos. This can help you save storage space while maintaining good image quality.
5. Utilize Google One: Consider upgrading to a Google One subscription, which provides additional storage space and access to advanced photo editing features. The subscription can be shared across multiple accounts and also offers a Google One VPN service.

By following these tips, you can efficiently manage your Google Photos storage and ensure that you have enough space for your precious memories.

Conclusion

In conclusion, deleting photos from Google Photos is a simple process that can help you free up storage space and remove unwanted images. Whether you’re using the mobile app or the web app, you can easily delete individual photos, multiple photos, or pictures from specific albums. Additionally, archiving photos provides a way to hide certain images without permanently deleting them. By managing your Google Photos storage effectively, you can ensure that your collection remains organized and easily accessible.

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