As Apple iPhone users, it’s common to take a lot of photos and videos. However, as time passes, our iPhone gallery may become cluttered with duplicate, blurry, and unimportant photos, which can take up a significant amount of storage. While deleting individual pictures is easy, it can be hard to know how to delete a folder containing multiple photos. In this blog post, we will show you different ways to delete a folder from iPhone photos, helping you keep your gallery organized and your device running smoothly.
Video Tutorial:
The Challenge of Deleting A Folder from iPhone Photos
Deleting a folder from your iPhone photos can be challenging because of a few reasons. To begin with, there are no visible delete options for some photos, and you can only see the delete function when you open that photo. There is also no way to delete an entire folder at once in the Photos app.
You can’t delete the folders from your iPhone connected to iCloud on a computer. If you try to delete on computer, it would delete the folder from iCloud and would be deleted from your phone too. You can also get some error messages while trying to delete a folder, preventing you from removing a significant amount of storage. Therefore, it’s essential to know different methods that you can use to delete folders from iPhone photos, and what preparations you need to make before using each method.
Things You Should Prepare for
Before we dive into different methods to delete a folder from iPhone photos, it’s essential to consider these things:
1. Make sure that you want to delete the folder permanently. Once you delete a folder, it’s gone forever.
2. Before deleting a folder, make sure to back up all the pictures and videos that you want to keep.
3. Check the folders to delete because sometimes they also contain important photos and videos.
4. Make sure that you have enough storage space on your iPhone to save your pictures after deleting the folder.
5. If you have iCloud enabled, ensure there’s enough storage space to back up the pictures and videos in case they get accidentally deleted or lost.
Method 1: Manually Deleting A Folder
The most common and straightforward way to delete a folder from iPhone photos is to delete it manually. Follow these steps:
1. Open the Photos app and locate the folder you want to delete.
2. Once you find the folder, tap on "Select" on the top right corner of the screen to select the folder you want to delete.
3. Select all the items in the album by tapping "Select All."
4. Tap the trash bin icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
5. Confirm that you want to delete the folder by tapping "Delete Folder."
Pros:
- Fast and straightforward way to delete a folder and all the photos it contains.
- No extra applications or tools are needed to do this.
- You’ll save storage space on your iPhone or iPad.
Cons:
- All photos within the folder selected will be permanently deleted.
- No undo function if you accidentally delete the folder.
- No way to recover deleted photos unless you have a backup.
Method 2: Using a Third-Party Application
Another way to delete folders is by using a third-party app. Some of the most popular application’s include Gemini Photos, CleanMyPhone, and Snapselect. These applications use artificial intelligence and machine learning to suggest the best photos to delete in your photos app. Although you’ll have to pay for the premium versions of these applications, it can be worth it if you need your photos sorted quickly.
Here are the steps to delete a folder using third-party apps:
1. Install a third-party application like Gemini Photos, CleanMyPhone, and Snapselect from the App Store.
2. Open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to allow access to your Photos app.
3. The app will analyze every photo and video on your phone and suggest which ones to delete. This step shouldn’t take long, especially if you have a fast internet connection.
4. Select the folder you want to delete, and the app will mark the photos for deletion.
5. After selecting all the photos you want to delete from the folder, click the "trash bin" icon at the bottom of the app’s window to delete it.
Pros:
- Helpful if you’re having trouble sorting your photos.
- Applicable to large photo collections that need organizing.
- Allows you to select multiple folders to delete from the photos app.
Cons:
- You may have to pay a fee to use some of these apps’ premium features.
- You need to download a third-party app, which can be time-consuming and risky.
- It may take longer to delete folders using third-party apps as they have to scan and analyze all your photos and videos before deleting them.
Method 3: Using Third-Party Software
Another method to delete folders from iPhone photos is by using third-party software, such as Tenorshare iCareFone. This software provides a one-click solution to delete folders, making the process faster and easier.
Here are the steps to follow when using Tenorshare iCareFone:
1. Download Tenorshare iCareFone from their official website and install it on your computer.
2. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable and launch Tenorshare iCareFone.
3. Select the "File Manager" option and click on the "Photos" tab.
4. From here, choose the folder you want to delete and click the "Delete" button.
5. Confirm the action by clicking "Yes" in the pop-up message.
Pros:
- Faster and more efficient than manually deleting folders.
- Deletes multiple albums and folders at once with one-click functionality.
- Works in instances where regular deletion methods fail or are too time-consuming.
Cons:
- You have to download and install third-party software, which can be risky.
- The software may not be available for platforms other than Windows or MacOS.
- You have to pay for the full version to access all the app’s features.
Why Can’t I Delete Folders from iPhone Photos?
As we mentioned earlier, deleting folders from iPhone photos can be a challenge. Here are some reasons why you may experience difficulties:
1. Lack of permission. Some users experience permission issues when deleting photos using their iPhone. If this happens, you need to adjust your iOS settings to allow the Photos app to access other apps and services.
2. Storage space. A lack of storage space can prevent your iPhone from deleting files, and you may need to free up some space before deleting photos.
3. Limitations of protected photos. There may be some instances when you cannot delete a photo because it’s a protected asset. For instance, if the picture was taken by an app whose storage restrictions you don’t control, it will be impossible to delete the image from your Photos app.
If you experience difficulties deleting folders from iPhone photos, try some of the methods described earlier to see if they might solve your issue.
Additional Tips
Before deleting folders from iPhone photos, there are additional tips that you can follow to save storage space and improve the performance of your iPhone.
1. Enable iCloud Photos. Turning on "iCloud Photos" makes it easier to manage your photo storage and backup your images.
2. Back up your photos regularly. To avoid losing photos and videos, it’s essential to back up your files regularly. You can use iCloud, iTunes, or third-party apps like Google Photos or Dropbox.
3. Disable Live Photos. Live Photos take up more storage space than regular pictures. You can disable this feature to save space.
4. Delete unwanted photos and videos regularly. Make it a habit to delete blurred, duplicate, or unnecessary photos regularly.
5 FAQs about Deleting Folders from iPhone Photos
Q1: Can I recover files that I have deleted from my iPhone?
A1: You can recover deleted photos and videos from your iPhone using iCloud or iTunes. However, you need to have backed up your data before deleting it.
Q2: Can I select multiple folders to delete from the Photos app?
A2: Unfortunately, there’s no option to choose multiple folders, so you have to select and delete them one by one.
Q3: Can I delete a folder from my iPhone photos but keep it on iCloud?
A3: No, deleting a folder from your photos app will remove it from iCloud too.
Q4: Will deleting a folder from iPhone photos delete it from Recently Deleted?
A4: Yes, deleting folders permanently removes them from Recently Deleted too.
Q5: What is the best way to organize and manage iPhone photos?
A5: Using folders and albums is the best way to organize and manage your iPhone photos. Regularly backing them up, keeping duplicates to a minimum, and deleting unnecessary photos regularly can also help.
In Conclusion
Deleting folders from iPhone photos is essential to free up space, keep your gallery organized and keep your device running smoothly. In this article, we’ve covered the three most popular methods to delete a folder from iPhone photos: Manually Deleting a Folder, Using a Third-Party Application, and Using Third-Party Software. We’ve also discussed why deleting folders can be challenging, important considerations that you should make before deleting folders, and additional tips to improve the performance of your iPhone. Hopefully, this article has been valuable in explaining the different methods and helping you find the right approach for you.