How To Delete Backed Up Google Photos

How to Delete Backed Up Google Photos: A Comprehensive Guide

This article will guide you through the process of deleting backed-up Google Photos, covering various scenarios and offering tips for managing your Google Photos storage. Understanding how to effectively manage your Google Photos backup is crucial for maintaining control over your online storage and ensuring you only keep the photos you want.

Understanding Google Photos Backup

Before diving into deletion, it's essential to understand how Google Photos backup works. When you back up photos and videos, Google creates copies stored in your Google account. This means deleting the photos from your device doesn't automatically delete them from the cloud backup. You need to perform a separate deletion process for your backed-up photos. This also means that even if you delete the original photo from your phone or computer, it will still be available in your Google Photos backup until you delete it manually.

Methods for Deleting Backed-Up Google Photos

There are several ways to delete backed-up Google Photos, depending on whether you want to delete individual photos, albums, or everything at once:

1. Deleting Individual Photos or Videos:

• Open the Google Photos app or website: Access your Google Photos library through the app on your mobile device or the website on your computer.
• Locate the photo or video: Browse your library to find the specific photo or video you want to delete.
• Select the item: Tap or click on the photo or video.
• Delete the item: Look for a delete button (often a trash can icon). Tap or click it to delete the selected item. Confirm the deletion when prompted. Remember, deleting a photo from your Google Photos backup also removes it from any albums it's in.

2. Deleting an Entire Album:

• Open the Google Photos app or website: Access your Google Photos library.
• Locate the album: Find the album you wish to delete.
• Open the album: Tap or click on the album to open it.
• Delete the album: Look for an option to delete the entire album. This option is usually found in the album's settings or menu (often represented by three vertical dots). Confirm the deletion. This will delete all photos and videos within the album from your Google Photos backup.

3. Deleting All Photos and Videos (Use with Caution):

This is a drastic measure and should only be used if you're certain you want to delete everything from your Google Photos backup. There's no easy "undo" option.

This method is not directly available through a single button. You would need to delete photos and albums individually or utilize a third-party tool (though this is not officially supported by Google and carries risks).

Important Considerations:

• Trash: Deleted photos and videos move to the Trash folder in Google Photos. They remain there for 60 days before being permanently deleted. You can recover them from the Trash within this timeframe. After 60 days, they are permanently deleted and irretrievable.
• Storage: Deleting photos and videos frees up storage space in your Google account. This is especially important if you're approaching your storage limit.
• Albums: Deleting a photo from an album does not remove it from your Google Photos library. Only deleting the photo itself will remove it from the backup.
• Shared Albums: If you've shared an album, deleting it from your account will also remove it for others who have access to that shared album.

By carefully following these steps, you can effectively manage your Google Photos backup, ensuring you only keep the photos and videos you truly want. Remember to always double-check before deleting anything important. Regularly reviewing and deleting unwanted photos will prevent your storage from filling up and keep your Google Photos organized.