Many people choose to keep memories by taking pictures on their phones. But the truth is that these images and videos are the data that take up the most storage space on iPhones and iPads.

If you often take pictures and videos with your iPhone or iPad, you may notice that your device runs out of storage quickly. Moreover, there may be many pictures or videos that you do not want to see or want others to see.

Therefore, it is important to regularly check and delete photo and video data on your iPhone and iPad. So, how can you permanently delete photos and videos from these devices?

How to Permanently Delete Photos and Videos from iPhone and iPad

Having too many photos and videos on your iPhone and iPad can slow down your device and take up valuable storage space. If you want to permanently delete your photos and videos but don’t know how, follow these steps:

Step 1: Delete Photos from the Photos App

This is one of the most common methods for deleting photos, but note that if you only delete them from the Photos app, they are not permanently deleted. The deleted items will be stored in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days before being removed from your device.

To delete photos or videos, open the Photos app, go to the “Library” tab, then the “All Photos” tab, and select the items you want to remove. Tap the trash can icon and confirm by tapping “Delete Photo.”

If you want to delete multiple photos or videos at once, tap “Select,” choose the items, tap the trash can icon, and then “Delete.”



How to Delete Photos from the Photos App

Step 2: Delete Photos from the Recently Deleted Album

The Recently Deleted album stores photos and videos that you have recently deleted for 30 days. So, if you have deleted items from the Photos app, make sure to delete them from this album as well. This ensures that even if someone accesses your device, they will not find the photos, and it will be challenging to recover them.

To do this, open the Photos app, go to the “Albums” tab, and find the “Recently Deleted” album. You will be asked to authenticate with Face ID or your passcode to access this album.

Once you have accessed the album, tap “Select,” then the three-dot icon, and choose “Delete All” to permanently remove the photos and videos from your device.



How to Delete Photos from the Recently Deleted Album

Step 3: Delete Photos and Videos from the Shared Album

This step is crucial because even if you have deleted photos and videos from your device, they might still be stored in your iCloud backup or the Shared album.

To delete photos and videos from the Shared album, open the Photos app, go to the “Sharing” tab, and select the “Shared Albums” option. Tap on the album you want to delete items from, select the photos or videos, and tap the trash can icon.



How to Delete Photos and Videos from the Shared Album

Step 4: Turn Off iCloud Photo Sync

This step is essential to ensure that your photos and videos are not automatically backed up to iCloud, which would defeat the purpose of permanently deleting them from your device. To do this, go to Settings > iCloud > Photos and turn off all the toggles related to syncing photos to iCloud.



How to Turn Off iCloud Photo Sync

By following these steps, you can free up storage space on your iPhone or iPad and improve the performance of your device. Occasionally, it is a good idea to go through your photo library and delete any duplicate or low-quality images.

According to VTC News

Frequently asked questions

Images and videos tend to occupy the most storage space on Apple devices. Regularly deleting them ensures your device runs smoothly, and you maintain privacy by removing unwanted content.

There are a few steps to follow for permanent deletion. First, delete them from the Photos app. Then, go to the ‘Recently Deleted’ album and remove them from there as well. Don’t forget to delete them from the ‘Shared’ album and finally, turn off iCloud Photo Sync to prevent automatic backups.

The ‘Recently Deleted’ album is where your iPhone or iPad temporarily stores deleted photos and videos for 30 days before permanent removal. This gives you a chance to recover any photos you might have accidentally deleted, but it’s important to remember to delete them from here if you want them gone for good.

Turning off iCloud Photo Sync ensures that your photos and videos are not automatically backed up to iCloud. If you don’t do this, even after deleting them from your device, they will still be stored in your iCloud backup.

By deleting photos and videos, you free up valuable storage space, improve your device’s performance, and maintain your privacy by removing unwanted content that you or others might not want to see.
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