Delete or restore your photos & videos

If you have turned on Back up and Sync, photos and videos you delete will stay in your trash for 60 days before they are deleted forever. Learn how to turn on Back up and Sync.

Tip: To move all your photos to a different account, share your photo library with that account.

Before you delete photos & videos

Delete photos & videos

You can delete up to 1,500 items from your Google Photos library or your SD card at a time.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
  3. Touch and hold a photo or video you want to move to the trash. You can select multiple items.
  4. At the top, tap DeleteDelete.

Important:

  • If you delete a photo or video that's backed up in Google Photos, it will stay in your trash for 60 days.
  • If you permanently delete an item from your iPhone or iPad without it being backed up in Google Photos, it will be deleted forever. Learn how to turn on back up and sync.
  • If you see a photo or video in Google Photos that you think you deleted, it might be on a removable memory card. To delete it, use your device's gallery app.

To permanently delete an item from your device:

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
  3. Select the items you want to delete from your iPhone or iPad.
  4. In the top right, tap MoreMoreand then Delete from device.

Learn how to free up space on your device.

Restore photos & videos

If you deleted an item and want it back, check your trash to see if it's there.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Photos app Photos.
  2. At the bottom, tap Libraryand then Trash Delete.
  3. Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore.
  4. At the bottom, tap Restore. The photo or video will be back:
  • In your phone's gallery app
  • In your Google Photos Account
  • In any albums it was in

If the item is not in your trash, it may be permanently deleted.

Don't see the photo or video?

If a deleted photo or video isn't in trash, you can't restore it. You won't be able to restore a photo if:

  • You moved it to trash more than 60 days ago.
  • You moved it to trash, then emptied your trash.
  • You moved it to trash more than 30 days ago, and it wasn't backed up.
  • You permanently deleted it from your trash.
  • You permanently deleted it from your device's Gallery app, without backing it up first.

To find and recover photos easily, turn on back up and sync.

Important: If your Google Photos account is inactive for 2 years or you're over your storage limit, your content may be impacted.Learn more about this.

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