Too many unwanted pictures taking up space? You can delete photos from Google Photos in just a few steps. Whether you're using a computer or mobile device, this guide walks you through multiple ways to remove your images quickly and safely. Learn how to clear your entire photo library, free up storage, and manage your Google account more efficiently.
Before you move forward with the decision to delete all Google Photos, it’s important to understand how the process works. Taking a few precautions now can help you avoid permanent loss and ensure your data is handled properly. Here's what you need to know before you delete everything.
To protect the photos stored on your phone while removing images from Google Photos, it’s important to understand how to turn off Google Photos sync. By choosing to unsync Google Photos by disabling Backup & Sync, you prevent cloud deletions from impacting your device’s local files. Keeping sync enabled may cause unwanted removal of photos from your phone when deleting from the cloud, so turning it off safeguards your device’s pictures during cleanup.
Here's how to do that:
Here are some additional tips to help you avoid common mistakes and manage your storage more effectively.
📌 Empty Trash Manually to Free Space Immediately
Deleted photos go to Trash and remain there for 30 or 60 days before permanent removal. You must empty the Trash manually to free up Google storage right away.
📌 Check for Hidden Photos in Archive or Albums
Some photos may be hidden in the Archive or saved in Albums. Be sure to review those sections—deleting from "Photos" may not remove them all unless you delete from every area.
📌 Shared Albums Won’t Be Deleted Automatically
If you've shared albums with others, deleting photos from your main library won't necessarily remove them from shared views. Double-check and delete from those albums separately if needed.
📌 Large Libraries May Require Batch Deletion
Google Photos doesn't allow you to select everything at once if you have a large library. You'll need to delete photos in multiple batches, so prepare for a longer process if you have thousands of images.
📌 Backup Important Photos to Avoid Data Loss
Backing up important photos to a reliable cloud backup service ensures your memories stay safe and recoverable, even if something goes wrong during the deletion process. >>> Click to learn more
Deleting multiple photos from Google Photos using a web browser offers a simple and effective way to manage large photo libraries. Although Google doesn’t provide a "Select All" option, the Shift + Click method lets you select and delete hundreds of photos at once without extra tools. This approach works across Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it ideal for freeing up storage or removing specific photo batches.
You need to scroll manually to load more images, and Google may limit how many photos you can select per batch. If you want to delete Google Photos backup, remember to disable syncing on your devices first. Despite some limitations, this method remains a reliable way to delete multiple photos from Google Photos quickly and safely.
📝 Let’s walk through how to delete Google Photos pictures in bulk using your web browser:
Step 1. Go to https://photos.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2. On the left-hand menu, click Photos to view all images in chronological order.
Step 3. Click the checkmark on the first photo you want to delete. Then scroll down to load more images. Hold the Shift key and click the last photo in the batch — this selects all photos in between.
Step 4. Once selected, click the trash bin icon at the top right. In the confirmation popup, click Move to Trash to proceed.
Step 5. On the left menu, click Trash, then click Empty Trash in the top-right corner. Confirm to permanently delete all photos and free up storage space.
If you want to remove photo from Google account right from your phone, the Google Photos app is super convenient. It’s great for quickly deleting a few pictures or managing new uploads when you’re on the move. But if you need to delete multiple photos in Google Photos at once, the app can be a bit frustrating since it doesn’t let you select large batches easily like on a computer. Also, it’s harder to get a good overview of your entire library on the small screen. So, for quick cleanups, the app works well, but for deleting lots of photos, using a web browser is faster and easier.
📝 Here’s a simple step-by-step tutorial to help you remove photos from Google Photos using the app:
Step 1. Open the Google Photos app on your phone and sign in to your Google account if you haven’t already.
Step 2. On the main screen, tap and hold on the first photo you want to remove until you see a checkmark indicating it’s selected.
Step 3. Tap on additional photos one by one to select multiple images you want to delete.
Step 4. Once you’ve selected all the photos, tap the trash bin icon located at the top-right corner of the screen.
Step 5. A confirmation prompt will appear; tap Move to Trash to remove the selected photos from your Google Photos backup.
You might look for a faster way to remove all Google Photos, especially if your library contains thousands of images. Running a JavaScript script in your browser’s developer console can help automate this task, allowing you to delete backed-up photos from Google Photos in large batches without manually selecting each one.
This method can save a lot of time, but it isn’t risk-free. It requires a basic understanding of JavaScript, and any mistake in the script could lead to the loss of important files. Google may also detect automated actions and temporarily limit access to your account. Since these scripts are unofficial, they may stop working if Google updates its platform. Always back up your data before proceeding, and use trusted code sources to stay safe.
📝 Let’s go over how to delete all photos on Google Photos using a JavaScript script step by step:
Step 1. Open Google Photos in a desktop browser
Go to https://photos.google.com and sign in to your Google account. Make sure you are in the "Photos" tab, where all your pictures are displayed in chronological order.
Step 2. Scroll down to load all the photos
To allow the script to detect and select all visible photos:
Step 3. Open Developer Console
Press F12 or right-click on the page and select Inspect, then go to the Console tab.
Step 4. Paste and Run the Script
Here’s a commonly used JS script to auto-click each photo and delete them in bulk:
(function() {
const sleep = ms => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
async function deletePhotos() {
let items = document.querySelectorAll('[aria-label="Select item"]');
console.log(`Found ${items.length} photos to delete...`);
for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
items[i].click();
await sleep(100);
}
// Click the trash/delete icon
const deleteButton = document.querySelector('[aria-label="Delete"]');
if (deleteButton) {
deleteButton.click();
await sleep(500);
// Confirm deletion in popup
const confirmButton = document.querySelector('[aria-label="Move to trash"]');
if (confirmButton) {
confirmButton.click();
console.log("Deleted selected photos.");
} else {
console.warn("Confirm button not found.");
}
} else {
console.warn("Delete button not found.");
}
}
deletePhotos();
})();
Step 5. Repeat if Needed
This script selects only visible photos (those currently loaded on the page). After the first batch is deleted, refresh the page, scroll again to load more, and run the script again.
If you want to delete everything from Google Photos quickly without manual selection or coding, using browser extensions is a convenient option. These third-party tools automate the process, allowing you to Google Photos delete all photos in just a few clicks, which saves time and effort, especially for large photo libraries. However, because these extensions aren’t official Google products, their reliability and security can vary. Some may request extensive permissions, and Google Photos updates can break their functionality.
Before using any extension, always back up your photos with Google Takeout and disable Backup & Sync on your devices to avoid accidentally deleting local files. It’s also wise to test the extension on a small batch first before deleting everything.
📝 Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to delete all photos in Google Photos using an extension:
Step 1. Open Google Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store. In the search bar, type "Google Photos Bulk Delete" or similar keywords. Look for a well-rated extension such as "Google Photos Bulk Delete" or "Bulk Photo Delete for Google Photos."
Step 2. Click Add to Chrome on the extension page, then confirm by selecting Add extension in the pop-up. The extension icon will appear in the upper-right corner of your browser toolbar.
Step 3. Go to https://photos.google.com and sign in to your Google account if you aren’t already logged in.
Step 4. Click the extension icon in your browser toolbar to launch it. The extension will load your Google Photos library and provide options to select photos. Use the extension’s interface to select all photos or choose specific groups to delete.
Step 5. After selecting, click the Delete or Trash button within the extension. Confirm the deletion when prompted. Finally, visit the Trash folder on Google Photos (from the sidebar), and click Empty Trash to permanently delete the photos and free up storage space.
Before deleting photos from Google Photos, it’s important to back up your important images to avoid accidental data loss. A reliable cloud backup service like CBackup can help you securely store your photos and make sure they’re recoverable when needed. CBackup offers PC-to-cloud, as well as cloud-to-cloud backup, allowing you to transfer photos to cloud services such as Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox with simple clicks.
It supports incremental backups, which save time and bandwidth by only backing up new or changed files, and lets you schedule automatic backups daily, weekly, or monthly to keep your photo library up to date. Additionally, CBackup can combine storage from multiple cloud accounts to maximize your available space and provides an easy way to restore your photos whenever necessary.
📝 Follow these steps to back up your photos before you proceed to remove all photos from Google Photos:
Step 1. Go to CBackup.com and sign up for a free account or log in.
Step 2. Download and install the CBackup desktop app on your computer, then open the app and log in with your account.
Step 3. Connect your phone or external drive to your computer and locate the folder where your photos are stored.
Step 4. In the CBackup app, click Backup > Backup PC to Public Cloud, then select the photo folder on your device as the source.
Step 5. Add your preferred cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.) as the backup destination by clicking Add Cloud and authorizing access. Finally, click Start Backup and wait for the process to complete.
In this post, we’ve covered a bunch of easy and effective ways to help you delete photos in Google Photos, whether you prefer using your browser, the app, browser extensions, or even a bit of JavaScript if you’re comfortable with that. Just remember, before you start deleting, make sure to back up your important pictures—using tools like CBackup makes this simple and safe. Picking the right method for your needs and prepping ahead will save you time and stress, so you can clear out your photo library without worries.
If you want to deepen your understanding or explore additional methods, here’s some helpful information to learn more about deleting all Google Photos.
Google Photos doesn’t offer a direct "Select All" button, but you can still select large batches quickly using a simple method. Here’s how to do it step by step:
Managing Google Photos storage on your phone helps keep your device and cloud space organized. Google Photos offers tools to free up space, control backups, and review large or blurry files. Here’s how to do it in 5 simple steps:
If you no longer want your photos automatically uploading to Google Photos, you can turn off the backup feature to save storage and control what gets synced. Disabling this is quick and easy.
Here's how to stop backing up photos to Google Photos: