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Open Photos, tap Select, tap the first photo, then drag your finger down to the last visible photo — they all get selected. Tap the trash icon to delete. Important: iOS only loads about 500 photos per screen. Scroll down slowly to load and select more before deleting.
After deleting, always go to Albums > Recently Deleted > Delete All to permanently remove photos and actually free storage space.
Method 1: Select All in a Specific Album (Fastest)
This is the quickest method and the one Apple actually supports with a true "Select All" button. It works in albums like Screenshots, Videos, Recently Added, Selfies, Live Photos, and any album you created manually.
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Open Photos and go to Albums
Tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the Photos app. Scroll down to find the album you want to empty — common targets are Screenshots, Videos, or Recently Added.
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Tap Select in the upper-right corner
Inside the album, tap Select in the upper-right. A Select All button immediately appears in the upper-left corner. Tap it to select every photo in the album at once.
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Tap the trash icon and confirm
With all photos selected, tap the trash icon in the lower-right corner. Confirm the deletion. The photos move to Recently Deleted and disappear from the album.
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Empty Recently Deleted
Go back to Albums, scroll to the bottom, and tap Recently Deleted. Tap Select, then Delete All in the lower-left. Confirm. Storage is now freed.
Method 2: Select by Month in All Photos View
In the All Photos view (not Albums), iOS groups photos by year and month. You can tap the month header to select every photo from that entire month in one tap — no dragging required.
- Open Photos and tap the Library tab at the bottom.
- Tap All Photos at the top to switch to the full timeline view.
- Tap Select in the upper-right corner.
- Scroll to a month header (e.g., "October 2024") and tap the circle that appears next to the month name. Every photo from that month is selected instantly.
- You can tap multiple month headers to select across several months at once.
- Tap the trash icon and confirm, then empty Recently Deleted.
Method 3: Drag-Select Individual Photos
When you need to select a specific range of photos that does not align with an album or month boundary, the drag method gives you precise control.
- Open Photos and tap Select.
- Tap the first photo in the range you want to delete — a blue checkmark appears.
- Without lifting your finger, drag downward and across rows. Every photo your finger passes over is selected.
- Scroll slowly downward while keeping your finger on the screen to continue selecting as new photos load in.
- When you reach your desired end point, lift your finger. Tap the trash icon and confirm.
When to Use Selective Deletion vs Bulk
| Situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| Delete all screenshots | Albums > Screenshots > Select All — fastest possible method |
| Delete an entire month's photos | All Photos > Select > tap month header circle |
| Delete a range but keep some good photos | Use Swype Photo Cleaner — swipe right on keepers, left to delete |
| Delete all videos | Albums > Videos > Select All — then empty Recently Deleted |
| Start completely fresh (delete everything) | Albums > Recently Added > Select All, repeat month by month |
If you want to keep the good photos while deleting the bad ones — blurry shots, duplicates, bad angles — the Swype Photo Cleaner app is the fastest approach. Swipe right to keep, left to delete. 100% on-device, no uploads.
For the full walkthrough on bulk deletion including duplicate removal, see: How to Bulk Delete Photos on iPhone.
Once you delete photos, they are not immediately gone. Read more about what actually happens after deletion: How to Permanently Delete Photos from iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a "Select All" button in iPhone Photos?
No universal Select All exists in the main All Photos library view. However, individual albums — such as Screenshots, Videos, Selfies, or any album you created — do show a Select All button in the upper-left corner after you tap Select. This is the fastest way to delete an entire category of photos. In the main timeline, use the month-header tap trick instead.
How do I delete all photos from iPhone at once?
The most practical method: go to Photos > Albums > Recently Added, tap Select, then Select All, and delete. Repeat for each month if your library spans multiple years. Alternatively, use the month-header tap in All Photos view to select one month at a time. After deleting, go to Albums > Recently Deleted > Delete All to free the storage immediately.
Why doesn't iPhone have a select all option?
Apple deliberately omits a global Select All in the main photo library to prevent accidental mass deletion — a potentially catastrophic and irreversible action for most users. The Select All button does exist within scoped albums, where the consequences of mass deletion are more predictable. Apple's design prioritizes protecting photos over convenience when it comes to permanent deletion.
Does deleting photos free up storage immediately?
No — not until you empty Recently Deleted. When you delete photos, iOS holds them in Albums > Recently Deleted for 30 days as a safety net. The storage they occupy is not released until you permanently delete them from Recently Deleted. Always finish a cleanup session by going to Recently Deleted and tapping Delete All to actually recover the space on your device.