Delete After Import button missing from MacOS Photos

Thanks for the reply, alcheme!

The option to delete after import may not appear for all devices or cameras.

The following support article (section titled "Import photos from a camera, iPhone, or iPad") will clarify more on deleting after import:

Import photos from a camera or phone using Photos on Mac - Apple Support

"4. If you want to delete photos from the camera after importing them, select the “Delete items” checkbox. 

This option does not appear for all cameras."

"7. If a message asks whether you want to delete or keep the photos on your camera after they’re imported, click Delete Items to remove the photos, or click Keep Items to keep them on the camera.

Photos imports your photos. To cancel importing, click Stop Import."

Hope that clears this up for you.

As always, you can submit your feedback to Apple here: Product Feedback - Apple

Have a great day!

Have you upgraded or updated your system recently?

As a test launch Photos with the Option key held down and create a new, test library.  Import some photos and test to see if the same problem persists. Does it? (This tells us if the problem is limited to your current library or is more wide spread)

Next log into another user account and see if the problem persists there in Photos. (This tells us if the problem is limited to your user account or is system wide).

Boot into Safe Mode (Use Safe Mode to isolate issues with your Mac) and try from there. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing. 

Finally, if all else fails download and apply the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 Combo Update and test again

Hey there, alcheme!

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities! I understand you are not seeing the option to delete after import while importing photos to your Mac.

• Do you see this option when your iPad or iPhone are connected to your Mac, or only when you disconnect them?
• Have you tried restarting your Mac?

How to turn your Mac on or off - Apple Support

• Has anything changed since last being able to select "Delete After Import"?
• Are you using iCloud Photos with your Mac?

Feel free to post more details for additional support from the Community.

Take care!

Shane, you told us, if iCloud Photos is enabled on your Mac, but have you checked, if iCloud Photos has been enabled on your iPhone? An update of your iPhone or iPad may have enabled it on the iPhone or iPad, without you being aware of it. "Delete after Import" cannot be available on an iPhone or iPad, if the device is syncing with iCloud Photos, because then the photos are primarily stored in iCloud and only mirrored on the iPhone or iPad.

But "Delete after Import" is a risky feature. You delete the photos from your card or device, before you could check, if the photos have been correctly, without transmission errors. It will be impossible for you to repeat the import, should you discover that photos are missing or corrupted. I am deleting the photos from the card only after I checked the imported photos and made the first backup.

You're welcome, Shane 😊