You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Bob Cozzi Author

Level 1

120 points

How do I delete photos from iPhone while on the Mac?

Is there a way to delete/manage the iPhone photo library from the Mac (either, iTunes, iPhoto, or Aperture)?

I want to get rid of hundreds of old/misc photos on the phone but don't want to delete them all.

My idea app would allow me to sync them with an Aperture folder or similar and just delete them within Aperture and on the next sync, whip them off the iPhone.

I know Apple tends to have a history of not making deleting photos easy (see early versions of iPhoto) but I'm hoping it'll be a matter of one of their "simple 25-step procedures" to do it, vs not being able to do it other than one-by-one.

Thanks.

Posted on May 23, 2011 1:37 PM

Top-ranking reply

Bob Cozzi Author

Level 1

120 points

Posted on May 23, 2011 2:00 PM

I'm talking about from the iPhone using the Mac vs doing it one by one on the phone itself.

I think I found the answer in the Archives though... Although it didn't show up when I did a search before posted, it did show up once I wrote out the question.

The solution that works for me is:

Connect the iPhone
Open Spotlight and type in "Image Capture"
Launch Image Capture
Click on the iPhone icon in the left hand column.
The iPhone's camera roll appears.
Click each photo you want to delete
CMD Click on each subsequent photo
Click the Delete Icon at the bottom on the Window
Bam! The photos are deleted from your iPhone

View in context

30 replies

prixxx

Level 1

8 points

May 30, 2016 1:44 AM in response to Bob Cozzi

So crazy:

- second app needed to delete photos on iPhone

- drag and drop in iPhoto just after three years constant complaining from the community

iCloud features seems to overwhelmed the developer teams in Cupertino.

Mar 16, 2012 9:22 PM in response to William Donelson

Yes iPhoto can as provided and the same with the Image Capture app.

Mar 17, 2012 2:24 PM in response to outandproud

You're welcome.

That is the only way photos can be in your iPhone's Photo Library. The photos can't get there any other way.

Dec 4, 2015 12:36 PM in response to stanward

some @#$%!#$% removed this button!!!

great move!

Yer_Man

Level 10

163,860 points

May 30, 2016 1:50 AM in response to prixxx

You don't need a second app to delete from the Phone can do it from the phone. You might just find it convenient to use the other app.

Your second point makes no sense, sorry.

prixxx

Level 1

8 points

May 30, 2016 2:20 AM in response to Yer_Man

Sry i meant Photo on the MAC OS of course.

I want to delete photos from my iPhone via Photo. This doesnt work.

Drag and drop also in Photo on OS of course.

Yer_Man

Level 10

163,860 points

May 30, 2016 9:36 AM in response to prixxx

It does if you delete them at time of importing, exactly as designed.

Of course what?

gbshukla

Level 1

8 points

Jul 5, 2017 6:25 PM in response to Bob Cozzi

There is no delete button in my case. Even the menus are disabled for 'Delete' in menubar as well as when I Right Clicks the photos.

Yer_Man

Level 10

163,860 points

Jul 5, 2017 11:02 PM in response to gbshukla

In what app? On what OS?

imatjen

Level 1

8 points

Aug 18, 2017 8:07 PM in response to gbshukla

Same for me. I am unable to delete iPhone photos from my Mac. I want to delete specific photos and there is not a delete icon as the solution describes. Can someone help?