How to Delete Photos From Your iPad

Clear some space and organize your Camera Roll

What to Know

  • Delete a single photo: Go to Photos > Albums > Camera Roll. Tap the photo you want to delete, then tap the trash can icon > Delete Photo.
  • Delete many photos: Go to Photos > Albums > Camera Roll > Select. Tap each photo you want to delete > trash can icon > Delete Photo.
  • Note: Deleted photos move to the Recently Deleted album and stay there for 30 days before being permanently deleted.

You can delete pictures from your iPad one at a time, or you can get rid of several images all at once. In this guide, we show you how to do both.

How to Delete a Single Photo From Your iPad

To clear out one picture that you don't need anymore, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Photos app.

    Delete photos from iPad
  2. Tap Albums, and then tap Camera Roll.

    You can also tap Photos, but this tab has smaller thumbnails that might make it harder to find the picture you're looking for.

    Delete photos from iPad
  3. Tap the photo you want to delete to bring it up in full-screen mode.

    Delete photos from iPad
  4. Tap the trash can icon in the upper-right corner.

    Delete photos from iPad
  5. Tap Delete Photo.

    Delete photos from iPad
  6. The photo will leave your Camera Roll.

How to Delete Multiple Photos From Your iPad

You can also delete multiple photos from your iPad at the same time. Doing so can be a great tool if you take dozens of pictures trying to get that one great shot. It's also a time-saving technique if you need to clear out a lot of space on your iPad. Here's how to do it:

  1. Launch the Photos app, and then go to Albums > Camera Roll.

    Delete photos from iPad
  2. Tap the Select button in the upper-right corner of the screen. 

    Delete photos from iPad
  3. Tap all of the photos you want to delete. Ones you select will have a blue checkmark next to them.

    You can also tap and drag to select multiple photos, or rows of photos, quickly.

    Delete photos from iPad
  4. Tap the trash icon.

    Delete photos from iPad
  5. Tap Delete Photos.

    Both the delete button and the top of the screen will say how many photos you've selected.

    Delete photos from iPad
  6. The iPad will delete the photos you selected.

Where Do Deleted Photos Go?

Photos you delete don't leave your iPad immediately. Instead, they move to the Recently Deleted album in the Photos app. They stay there for 30 days before your iPad deletes them permanently. You can recover photos from this album if you delete them accidentally. You can also empty this album to clear space right away.

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