How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (2024)

Are you in a dilemma regardinghow to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting from phone? If yes, then we are here with 2 effective workarounds that will help you tackle this situation flawlessly! Read thoroughly and opt for the method at your convenience.

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (1) Joy Taylor Last Updated: Mar. 21, 2023

Google Photos is an amazing application that is available on both iOS and Android devices. Apart from the handful of useful functionalities that it offers, the Backup and Sync feature of Google Photos makes it a top-notch app. It allows easybacking up of all your device’s photos over to the cloud. This thing not only saves a significant amount of storage space but also allows you to access media files anywhere on any device.

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (2)

Delete Photos from Google Photos But Not on My Phone

However, when it comes to Google Photos, one thing that needs to be addressed ishow to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting from phone. Well, this may sound pretty challenging initially, but with the correct methods, you can easily get it done in a couple of minutes.

So, here in this article, we’ll walk you through the top2 methods that will help you delete photos from Google Photos withoutdeleting from phone! But before moving forward, let’s clear out some confusion relating to it!

  • Does Delete Photos from Google Photos Delete from Gallery?
  • How to Delete Photos from Google Photos without Deleting from Phone?

Does Delete Photos from Google Photos Delete from Gallery?

This is the most common question that might strike your mind before deleting photos from Google Photos. Well, you can simply get an answer to it by referring below!

1. What happens when you delete photos from Google Photos?

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (3)

Does deleting from Google Photos delete from phone

Case 1. Delete Photos on Phone with Back Up & Sync Enabled

Whenever the Backup & Sync feature is enabled, and you delete any of the synced photos from the Google Photos app, it will be deleted from everywhere. In short, the photo will immediately be removed from Google Photos, Andriod Gallery, and File Manager applications.

Case 2. Delete Photos on Phone with Back Up & Sync Disabled

After syncing a photo, if you delete it while the Backup & Sync feature is turned off, the result will be the same as Case 1. The specific image will be deleted from your phone’s storage too. But if you had disabled the Backup & Sync feature recently, then the deleted photo will still be shown on another shared device. When you enable this feature again on the same device, the photo will be deleted from all the shared devices.

Case 3. Delete Photos on Website with Back Up & Sync Disabled

You can delete photos on the Google Photos website with the Back-Up & Sync feature disabled on your phone. By doing so, the images will get deleted instantly from the other synced device. As the Back-Up & Sync feature is disabled on your phone, the photo will continue to reside on your phone and will be visible in the File Manager app and Gallery. Later, if you enable the Back-Up & Sync feature on your phone, the image will reappear on the Google Photos website because its original file is still there on your phone.

2. Does deleting from Google Photos delete from the phone?

This question’s answer depends on how youremove photos from Google photosand whether the Back Up & Sync feature is enabled or disabled on your device. Suppose the Back-Up & Sync feature is disabled on your phone, and you delete the photo from the Google Photos website. In that case, the photo will not be deleted from the phone, but if you delete the photo with the Back-Up & Sync feature enabled or disabled, then the photo will instantly be deleted from the phone.

Further Reading:

How to Delete Photos from Google Photos without Deleting from Phone?

As you have got the answers to your common queries above, let’s now look at the top 2 methods relating tohow to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting from phone!

Method 1. Delete Photos from Google Photos on Your Computer

This method of deleting the photos from the Google Photos application requires the users to use a PC or laptop as well as their Smartphone.

Here’s how you can do it!

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (4)

Delete Photos from Google Photos on Your Computer

  1. On the Home Screen, locate and click on “Google Photos.” > Sign in to your Google Account that contains all the photos and then tap on the “Menu” option indicated by three horizontal lines.
  2. Here, click on “Settings” and disable the “Back Up & Sync” function on all the devices that are saving images to Google Photos. This is to make sure that photos are not re-uploaded to Google Photos after deletion.
  3. Now, search for photos.google.comon your PC and sign in to the website using the Google Account that your phone is connected to.
  4. Here, find the images you have saved on Google Photos. Hover on the image/images that you wish to delete. Now, check the little tick icon on the top left corner of the media files. You can click on more than one image at a time.
  5. Click on the “Trash Bin” icon at the top right corner of the webpage. This will move all the photos to Trash Bin. After 60 days, the images will be deleted permanently.

Method 2. Delete Photos from Google Photos on Your Phone

Another method to tackle this situation is to delete photos from Google Photos on your Phone. This method is highly suitable for both iOS and Android users as it is relatively easy and simple to follow. So, here’show to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting from phone!

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (5)

Delete Photos from Google Photos on Your Phone

  1. Navigate to Settings > Apps > Google Photos > Storage. And thendeny access to storage.
  2. Once done, it will makeyou delete photos without deleting them from phone.
  3. Scroll through the photos that you on Google Photos. Long press the photo that you want to delete until it is selected. You can choose more than one photo.
  4. Tap on the “Trash” icon at the top right corner of the screen. This will move all the selected photos to the Trash. They will be stored in the Trash for 60 days in case you wish to restore them back.
  5. To delete all the photos permanently in your bin, go to the “Menu” icon again. Here, you can delete each photo individually or choose the “Delete All” function to delete all the images at once in the bin.

Further Reading:

  • How to Restore Deleted Photos from Google Photos >
  • How to Recover Deleted Photos From Android Without Root >

The Botton Line

With that, we conclude this guide onhow to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from the phone! No matter which method you choose from the list above, it will indeed offer you seamless results when it comes to deleting photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone.

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (6)

Joy TaylorHow to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (7)How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (8)

Senior writer of the iMobie team as well as an Apple fan, love to help more users solve various types of iOS & Android-related issues.

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How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone (2024)

FAQs

How to Delete Photos on Google Photos But Not from Phone? ›

Disable Back Up & Sync to delete Google Photos without deleting them on your phone. You can also block Google Photos from accessing your photos in the Settings menu on Android and iPhone. Once you disable Back Up & Sync, you can delete photos in a web browser without affecting your mobile devices.

How do I free up space in Google Photos? ›

Free up space on your Android device
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
  3. Tap your account profile photo or initial. Free up space.
  4. You'll see how much space will be freed up. ...
  5. To see your photos and videos, go to photos.google.com or open the Google Photos app .

How do I get rid of photos on Google Photos? ›

Delete photos & videos
  1. On your computer, go to photos.google.com/login.
  2. Choose the photo or video that you want to delete.
  3. At the top, click Select .
  4. At the top, click Delete. Move to trash.
  5. To undo, at the bottom, click Undo.

How do I unsync photos from Google Photos? ›

Whether you're using an Android or iPhone, open the Google Photos app and tap your profile picture. Tap "Photos Settings > Backup" and turn it off. On a computer, open Google Drive, tap the gear, select a synced folder, and uncheck "Back up to Google Photos."

How do I bulk delete photos from Google Photos? ›

Hold the Shift key, and the images leading up to the mouse should highlight in blue. * Click to select the batch. Click the trash can icon at the top-right of the screen. Empty the trash.

Does archiving Google Photos free up space? ›

Does Google Photo archive take up space? As a matter of fact, Google Photo archive does not take up additional storage space, and it has no influence on the storage space. If your Google Photos is full, just remove files from Google Photos, like blurry photos, unneeded screenshots, or other videos.

What happens when you delete Google Photos? ›

You can delete up to 1,500 photos and videos from your Google Photos library or your camera roll at a time. Important: Deleting photos and videos from the Google Photos app deletes the same items from your device. If these items are backed up, the same content will be deleted on all devices with backup turned on.

Why doesn t deleting Google Photos free up space? ›

It is caused by many reasons. Cached Thumbnails: Sometimes, even after you delete photos, your device may keep cached thumbnails or previews of those photos. These cached files can take up space. Auto-Backup Settings: Check if your device is set to automatically back up photos or videos.

How do I declutter my Google Photos? ›

Clean up storage
  1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
  3. At the top, tap your Profile picture or Initial.
  4. Tap Photos settings Backup. Manage storage.
  5. Under "Review and delete," select any category.
  6. Tap Select.
  7. Select the items you want to delete.
  8. Tap Move to trash .

How do I get my pictures off Google? ›

If you want to remove an image from Google search results, you need to contact the owner of the site that contains the image. Important: Most images that show up in Google search results are from websites that aren't owned by Google, so we are unable to remove these images from the web.

How to delete photos from Google without deleting from phone? ›

Delete from Google Photos But Not Device on Android, iPhone, PC
  1. Content at a Glance:
  2. Please open up the Google Photos app on your Android phone, and log in.
  3. Choose Profile image or Initial on the top right.
  4. Select the Settings icon > Backup, and turn off the Backup option.
Dec 6, 2023

How do I stop sharing my photos in Google Photos? ›

Turn Link sharing on & off
  1. Open the desired album and click More. Options.
  2. Click the toggle next to Link sharing to turn it on or off.

Why are all my photos syncing to Google Photos? ›

By default& Google Photos on your device is set to upload photos and videos when connected to a Wi-Fi network. This means that once your device connects to a wireless network with the internet& it begins to upload files.

How do I select all on Google Photos? ›

Hold the Shift key and hover with the mouse over a thumbnail. When the thumbnails turn blue you can click. Now all pictures from the first to the last picture are selected.

How do I delete photos from Google Photos and not iCloud? ›

If you have enabled the Back Up & Sync feature, removing a picture from Google will also disappear on your device. In this case, you won't see the deleted photo on iCloud either since it is gone on the local device. However, turning off the sync connection between the Google account and your device will help.

Do I need both Gallery and Google Photos? ›

While you can use both Google Photos and your built-in Gallery app at the same time, you'll have to choose one as the default. Luckily, Android makes it easy to set and change default apps by going into your settings. On the Samsung Galaxy, images and videos are opened by default with the Samsung Gallery app.

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