Sooner or later, every Mac user faces a library bursting at the seams with photos and videos. You want to delete old pictures, clear out unwanted photos, and finally organize your photo library, but the process can feel confusing, especially with iCloud in the mix.
Many just want to free up space on their MacBook, but worry about accidentally deleting precious memories from their iPhone.
This guide is your complete answer. We’ll walk you through exactly how to delete photos using the built-in Photos app, what the deal is with the Recently Deleted album, and how to permanently delete files to reclaim your valuable disk space.
Critically, we’ll solve the common headache of how to delete photos from your Mac but not from iCloud. By the end, you’ll be an expert at clearing out clutter, ready to remove photos with confidence and even hunt down every last one of those pesky duplicate photos.
01
of 12Quick Guide: Comparing Photo Deletion Methods
| Deletion Method | Best For | Effect on iCloud | How It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Photos App | Most users and general cleanup | Deletes from all synced devices by default | Move selected photos to the Recently Deleted album, then empty it. |
| Disable iCloud Sync | Deleting locally from Mac only | No change to your cloud photos from iCloud | Temporarily pause syncing, delete files on your Mac, then re-enable. |
| Duplicate Finder Tool | Reclaiming maximum storage space | Follows your main Photos app settings | Scans your library for exact and similar duplicates to delete duplicate photos on Mac. |
02
of 12Why You Absolutely Need to Delete Photos on Your Macbook
Let’s be honest, the main reason you’re here is to free up storage space on your Mac. High-resolution photos and videos are huge files.
A library with thousands of images can easily consume a massive chunk of your hard drive, slowing your MacBook down to a crawl. A clean library isn’t just about space, though; it’s about sanity.
Finding the picture you’re looking for becomes a breeze when you don’t have to scroll through endless unwanted photos, screenshots, and duplicate photos.
Regularly cleaning up your photo library is one of the best maintenance habits you can adopt. When you delete photos you want to delete, you’re not just clearing clutter; you’re improving your Mac’s performance and making your digital life more organized.
It’s a simple action with a huge payoff, giving you more space on your mac for the things that matter.
03
of 12The Standard Way: How to Delete Photos on Mac Using the Photos App
For most day-to-day cleaning, the Photos app is your command center. Apple designed it to be the primary tool for managing your photos on your Mac, and it’s the safest and most reliable method.
Don’t go digging around in the Finder to delete files manually, as this can corrupt your entire photo library. Stick to the app.
The process is simple. First, you need to open Photos. Once you’re in your library, you can start selecting the images you want to delete.
04
of 12Selecting a Single Photo or Multiple Photos
To delete a photo, you first have to select it.
- For a single photo: Just click on it.
- For multiple photos in a row: Click the first photo, hold down the
Shiftkey, and then click the last photo. Everything in between will be selected. - For multiple photos scattered around: Click the first photo, then hold down the
Commandkey and click on each additional photo you want to delete. This lets you cherry-pick the selected photos from anywhere in your library.
05
of 12Moving Photos to the Recently Deleted Album
Once you have your photos you want to delete selected, you have two simple ways to get rid of them. You can either right-click on any of the selected photos and choose delete from the context menu, or you can use the keyboard shortcut: Command + Delete.
When you do this, the photos will be moved to the Recently Deleted album. They aren’t gone for good just yet, which is a helpful safety net in case you make a mistake.
06
of 12The Crucial Next Step: Emptying the “Recently Deleted” Album
This is the step everyone forgets. When you delete photos from your main library, they are not immediately removed from your MacBook.
Instead, they sit in the Recently Deleted album for about 30 days before being automatically erased. If your goal is to immediately free up space, you need to take manual action.
Think of it like a trash can on your Mac—the files are out of sight, but they’re still taking up disk space. Leaving them there means you won’t see any of the storage benefits you were hoping for.
07
of 12How to Permanently Delete Photos
To finish the job and reclaim your storage, navigate to the Recently Deleted album in the sidebar of the Photos app. You’ll see all the images you just marked for deletion.
From here, you can either select specific photos from your mac to permanently delete or, more likely, click the “Delete All” button in the top-right corner.
The app will ask for confirmation because this action is final. Once you confirm, the photos are permanently deleted, and you’ll see your available storage space on your Mac increase.
08
of 12The Big Question: How to Delete Photos from Mac But Not iCloud
This is one of the most common frustrations for Apple users. You want to delete photos from your macbook to save local space, but you want to keep them in iCloud as a master backup accessible from your iPhone and other devices.
Because of iCloud Photos syncing, when you delete a photo on your Mac, it also gets deleted from iCloud and every other device connected to your iCloud account. So, how do you do it?
The solution is to temporarily break the connection. You can delete photos from my Mac without deleting them from iCloud by turning off the syncing feature before you start your cleanup.
09
of 12The Solution: Temporarily Disable iCloud Photos Syncing
This is the secret. By turning off iCloud Photos, you tell your Mac to stop communicating with your cloud library. This allows you to manage the files on your mac independently.
Open the Photos app on your Mac.
In the menu bar at the top of the screen, go to
Photos>Settings(orPreferences).Click on the
iCloudtab.Uncheck the box next to
iCloud Photos.
Now, your Mac’s photo library is isolated. You can go through and delete all photos and videos you no longer need on your computer.
They will be removed from your MacBook, but they will remain safely uploaded to your iCloud. Once you’re done cleaning up, you can go back to the same settings menu and re-check the iCloud Photos box if you want to resume syncing going forward.
When I first had to tackle this, I was terrified of losing precious vacation photos on your iphone. The key I found was to turn off iCloud Photos before I started my big cleanup.
After I deleted several gigabytes of old project images in the photos app from my MacBook, I simply turned the sync back on. My Mac started fresh, but all the photos and videos I wanted to keep were still safe in iCloud and on my phone.
It’s a simple switch, but it gives you complete control over your Mac or iCloud libraries.
10
of 12Tackling the Hidden Space Hog: How to Find and Delete Duplicate Photos
Over the years, your photo library inevitably gets filled with duplicates. They come from importing photos from your iPhone multiple times, editing variations, or accidental downloads.
These duplicates are pure wasted space, but finding them manually is nearly impossible.
11
of 12The Manual (and Painful) Method
You could try to delete duplicate files by hand, sorting by date and looking for similar file names. But it’s a slow, tedious, and error-prone process.
You might miss subtle duplicates or accidentally delete files that were only similar, not identical. Frankly, it’s not a practical way to handle a large library.
12
of 12The Smart & Easy Method: Using a Dedicated Tool
This is where you can reclaim hours of your life and gigabytes of space. A dedicated tool to delete duplicate photos on mac is designed for one job: to scan your entire photo library and identify all exact and even visually similar duplicates.
When I was cleaning up your mac, I used a tool like this and was shocked. It found over 2,000 duplicates, freeing up nearly 10GB of storage I didn’t even know I had lost.
The process was automatic; I just reviewed the selected photos it found and clicked a button to remove the photos. It’s the single most effective way to free up space if you have a library that’s several years old.
It makes the task of finding unwanted photos feel effortless.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to delete all photos from MacBook?
To delete all photos from your MacBook, open the Photos app, go to the “Photos” tab, and then select all photos by pressing Command + A. After selecting, right-click to choose delete or press the Delete key to remove them. Remember that this action will move the photos to the Recently Deleted album, where they will remain for 30 days before permanent deletion.
What are the ways to delete photos on your Mac?
You can delete photos on your Mac in several ways: by selecting individual photos and pressing Delete, selecting an entire album in the Photos app and choosing delete, or using the Command + A shortcut to select all photos and then deleting them. Additionally, you can delete unwanted photos from iCloud, which will also remove them from your Mac.
How do I delete photos and videos from my Mac?
To delete photos and videos from your Mac, open the Photos app, navigate to the “Photos” or “Albums” tab, and select the photos or videos you wish to delete. You can hold down the Command key to select multiple items. Once selected, right-click and choose delete, or press the Delete key to remove them.
How can I delete photos from my iPhone and sync with iCloud?
To delete photos from your iPhone while ensuring they are also removed from iCloud, first go to your Photos app on the iPhone, select the photos you want to delete, and tap the trash icon. Make sure that iCloud Photos is turned on in settings, as this will sync your deletions across devices.
What should I do if my Mac won’t delete some photos?
If your Mac won’t delete certain photos, it might be due to restrictions or syncing issues with iCloud. Check if the photos are part of an iCloud album, or try restarting your Mac. If they still won’t delete, consider checking for system updates or accessing the Photos app directly to manage your albums.
How to delete an album in the Photos app?
To delete an album in the Photos app on your Mac, go to the “Albums” section, right-click the album you want to delete, and select “Delete Album.” This will remove the album, but the photos within it will remain in your main photo library unless you choose to delete them separately.
Can I delete photos from my Mac that are synced with iCloud?
Yes, you can delete photos from your Mac that are synced with iCloud. When you delete these photos, they will also be removed from iCloud and any other devices synced to your iCloud account. Ensure that you want to delete them across all devices before proceeding.
How to back up your photos before deletion?
Before deleting photos from your Mac, it is advisable to back them up. You can do this by exporting them to an external hard drive or using cloud storage services like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox. In the Photos app, select the photos you wish to back up, then go to File > Export to save them securely before deletion.
