To mass delete photos on Google Photos, the most efficient method is using a computer: scroll to load all thumbnails, then hold Shift and click to select a large range before moving them to trash. This works best when you need to quickly free up storage by clearing out hundreds or thousands of photos at once.
How to mass delete photos on Google Photos with a computer
Using a computer is the fastest way to delete many photos because you can select large batches in one action. Go to photos.google.com and sign in to your Google Account. Select the first photo you wish to delete, then scroll down to load all thumbnails in the view. While holding down the Shift key, click the last photo in the desired range to select all photos between the first and last. Once selected, click the trash can icon or "Move to trash" to send them to the trash.
To select all photos from a specific date on a computer, hover over the first photo of that date and click the checkmark that appears. This selects every photo from that day, allowing you to delete an entire day's worth of images in one step.
How to mass delete photos on Google Photos with a mobile device
On a mobile device, open the Google Photos app (Android or iOS) and sign in. Tap and hold the first photo you want to delete, then tap on additional photos or videos to select them. After selecting all desired items, tap the trash can icon or "Move to trash" to delete them.
For selecting entire months at once, tap the three vertical dots (More) at the top, select "Layout", then "Month". Then tap the Check icon next to each month you wish to select. This is useful when you want to organize Google photos by month and clear out entire periods quickly.
What happens after you delete photos
Photos and videos moved to the trash will remain there for 60 days before being permanently deleted. To permanently delete items immediately, go to "Library" > "Trash" (mobile) or "Trash" (computer), select the items, and choose "Delete permanently" or "Empty trash". A critical fact: deleting backed-up photos or videos from the Google Photos app or website will also delete them from all devices where backup is turned on. This means if you delete a photo on your computer, it disappears from your phone too. If you need to clear space on your device without affecting your cloud library, you can delete photos from phone but not Google photos.
How to delete photos from Google Photos but keep them on your phone
If you want to delete photos from Google Photos but keep them on your device, you must first turn off "Backup & Sync" on that device. This breaks the sync link, so when you delete the photos from Google Photos afterward, the local copies on your phone remain untouched. Without this step, deleting from Google Photos will also remove the photos from your phone.
How to delete photos from Google Photos but keep them on your phone
If you need to delete all Google photos at once, the "Manage storage" tool in Google Photos allows you to select up to 250 items at a time for deletion. For very large libraries, this can be tedious. Third-party Chrome extensions, such as "Bulk Select Google Photos" or "Google Photos Delete Tool," can automate the selection and deletion process for very large numbers of photos, but should be used with caution. These tools bypass Google's built-in limits, so only use them if you are comfortable with the risks of automated deletion.
