Google Photos is an excellent service for backing up and managing your photos across multiple devices. However, there may be times when you want to delete photos from Google Photos without removing them from your phone. This could be due to various reasons, such as freeing up storage space in your Google account, removing duplicates, or simply organizing your photos. In this article, we will explore the different methods to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone.
Understanding Google Photos And Its Storage Options
Before we dive into the deletion process, it’s essential to understand how Google Photos works and its storage options. Google Photos offers unlimited storage for photos and videos, but with some conditions. If you upload photos in “High quality” (up to 16 megapixels), Google won’t count them towards your storage limit. However, if you upload photos in “Original quality” (higher than 16 megapixels), they will consume your Google Drive storage space.
Google Photos also offers a “Storage saver” option, which compresses your photos to reduce storage space. However, this option may affect the image quality.
Google Photos And Google Drive Storage
It’s crucial to understand the relationship between Google Photos and Google Drive storage. Until 2019, Google Photos and Google Drive shared the same storage space. However, Google changed its policy, and now Google Photos has its own storage space. If you have a Google One account, your Google Photos storage is combined with your Google Drive storage.
Method 1: Delete Photos From Google Photos Using The Web Interface
Deleting photos from Google Photos using the web interface is a straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to the Google Photos website (photos.google.com) and sign in with your Google account.
- Select the photos you want to delete by clicking on them. You can select multiple photos by holding the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Mac) while clicking.
- Click on the “Trash” icon (represented by a trash can) at the top right corner of the screen.
- Confirm that you want to move the photos to the trash by clicking “Move to trash.”
What Happens To The Photos On Your Phone?
When you delete photos from Google Photos using the web interface, they will be moved to the trash folder. The photos will still be available on your phone, and you can continue to access them from your phone’s gallery app.
Method 2: Delete Photos From Google Photos Using The Mobile App
You can also delete photos from Google Photos using the mobile app. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Google Photos app on your phone.
- Select the photos you want to delete by long-pressing on them. You can select multiple photos by tapping on them.
- Tap on the “Trash” icon (represented by a trash can) at the top right corner of the screen.
- Confirm that you want to move the photos to the trash by tapping “Move to trash.”
What Happens To The Photos On Your Phone?
Similar to the web interface method, deleting photos from Google Photos using the mobile app will move them to the trash folder. The photos will still be available on your phone, and you can continue to access them from your phone’s gallery app.
Method 3: Use The “Free Up Space” Feature
Google Photos offers a “Free up space” feature that allows you to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone. Here’s how to use this feature:
- Open the Google Photos app on your phone.
- Go to the “Settings” menu by tapping on the three horizontal lines (represented by a hamburger icon) at the top left corner of the screen.
- Tap on “Settings” and then select “Free up space.”
- Google Photos will analyze your photos and suggest which ones to delete. You can select the photos you want to delete or let Google Photos suggest which ones to delete.
- Tap on “Free up space” to delete the selected photos from Google Photos.
What Happens To The Photos On Your Phone?
When you use the “Free up space” feature, the selected photos will be deleted from Google Photos, but they will still be available on your phone. You can continue to access them from your phone’s gallery app.
Method 4: Use The “Backup & Sync” Feature
If you want to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone, you can use the “Backup & sync” feature. Here’s how to use this feature:
- Open the Google Photos app on your phone.
- Go to the “Settings” menu by tapping on the three horizontal lines (represented by a hamburger icon) at the top left corner of the screen.
- Tap on “Settings” and then select “Backup & sync.”
- Toggle off the “Backup & sync” switch.
- Google Photos will stop syncing your photos, and you can delete them from Google Photos without affecting the photos on your phone.
What Happens To The Photos On Your Phone?
When you toggle off the “Backup & sync” switch, Google Photos will stop syncing your photos. You can delete photos from Google Photos without affecting the photos on your phone.
Conclusion
Deleting photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone is a straightforward process. You can use the web interface, mobile app, “Free up space” feature, or “Backup & sync” feature to achieve this. Remember that deleting photos from Google Photos will not affect the photos on your phone, and you can continue to access them from your phone’s gallery app.
By following the methods outlined in this article, you can easily manage your photos across multiple devices and free up storage space in your Google account.
What Is The Difference Between Deleting Photos From Google Photos And Deleting Them From My Phone?
Deleting photos from Google Photos removes them from your Google account, including any backups, albums, and shared content. However, this action does not affect the original photos stored on your phone. On the other hand, deleting photos from your phone removes them from your device’s storage, but it may not necessarily delete them from Google Photos if they have been backed up.
To manage your photos effectively, it’s essential to understand the difference between these two actions. If you want to free up storage space on your phone, you should delete the photos from your device. However, if you want to remove photos from your Google account, you should delete them from Google Photos.
Why Would I Want To Delete Photos From Google Photos Without Deleting Them From My Phone?
There are several reasons why you might want to delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone. For instance, you might want to remove sensitive or personal photos from your Google account for privacy reasons, but still keep them stored on your phone. Alternatively, you might want to free up storage space in your Google account without losing access to your photos on your device.
Another reason is that you might have uploaded photos to Google Photos by mistake, and you want to remove them without affecting the original files on your phone. In any case, deleting photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone gives you more control over your digital content and allows you to manage your photos more efficiently.
How Do I Delete Photos From Google Photos Without Deleting Them From My Phone?
To delete photos from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone, you need to access the Google Photos app or website and select the photos you want to remove. Then, click on the “Delete” or “Remove” button to delete the photos from your Google account. Make sure that the “Delete from Google Photos” option is selected, rather than the “Delete from device” option.
It’s also important to note that if you have the “Backup & sync” feature enabled on your phone, deleting photos from Google Photos might not immediately remove them from your device. In this case, you might need to disable the “Backup & sync” feature or wait for the changes to sync across your devices.
Will Deleting Photos From Google Photos Affect My Phone’s Storage Space?
No, deleting photos from Google Photos will not affect your phone’s storage space. Since the original photos are stored on your device, deleting them from Google Photos only removes them from your Google account. Your phone’s storage space will remain unchanged, and you will still have access to the photos on your device.
However, if you have the “Backup & sync” feature enabled, and you delete photos from your phone, it might affect the storage space in your Google account. In this case, the photos will be removed from both your phone and your Google account, freeing up storage space in both locations.
Can I Recover Deleted Photos From Google Photos?
Yes, you can recover deleted photos from Google Photos, but only within a limited time frame. Google Photos stores deleted photos in the “Trash” folder for 60 days, after which they are permanently deleted. To recover deleted photos, you need to access the “Trash” folder in the Google Photos app or website and select the photos you want to restore.
Keep in mind that if you have permanently deleted photos from Google Photos, you will not be able to recover them. In this case, your only option is to restore them from a backup or from your phone’s storage, if you have not deleted them from your device.
How Do I Disable The “Backup & Sync” Feature On My Phone?
To disable the “Backup & sync” feature on your phone, you need to access the Google Photos app settings. On Android devices, go to the Google Photos app, tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select “Settings.” Then, toggle off the “Backup & sync” switch. On iOS devices, go to the Google Photos app, tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select “Settings.” Then, toggle off the “Backup” switch.
Disabling the “Backup & sync” feature will prevent your phone from automatically uploading new photos to Google Photos. However, it will not affect the photos that have already been uploaded to your Google account.
Will Deleting Photos From Google Photos Affect My Google Drive Storage Space?
Yes, deleting photos from Google Photos can affect your Google Drive storage space. Since Google Photos is integrated with Google Drive, the storage space used by your photos is shared between the two services. If you delete photos from Google Photos, it will free up storage space in your Google Drive account.
However, if you have the “High quality” or “Original quality” upload setting enabled, your photos might be stored in both Google Photos and Google Drive. In this case, deleting photos from Google Photos might not immediately free up storage space in your Google Drive account.