How to delete pictures permanently from Photos app in my entire mac?

Some can delete the pictures completely, other can not. Maybe the answer is: hard links.

When you import an iPhoto library into Photos the system creates kind of aliases to the original pictures, instead of disk-space eating duplicates. But not normal aliases as we know, it's done by 'hard links', something from the Unix underpinning of OS X. And when two applications, in this case iPhoto and Photos coexist using folders with hard links for the same pictures, that pictures can not be deleted by only one of them.

Let me try to explain without too much technical details. A hard link is like a second door for one and the same room, where an alias is an arrow that points to the door. All doors are equal in hierarchy, the original door included. A door can be deleted, but the room must be kept for the other doors. Only if one door is left, deleting that door can safely be accompanied by deleting the room.

So the solution should be: delete the picture in both applications to free up the diskspace. Could not test it, so as I said above: maybe.

When you delete a photo in the mac Photos App it is basically transferred to a “smart” Album i.e. Recently Deleted. In theory they remain there for 30 days and then are automatically actually deleted. If in the meantime you open the Recently Deleted Album and select photos there, a tick will appear in the corner and if you then select delete they are immediately deleted.

In many ways I think Photos tries to be too clever. The iPhoto deleted button gave you the option to move a photo to iPhoto’s trash or to the real trash which when emptied in the normal way removed the photo.

One of the big problems with Photos I have found as a new user is the lack of a decent manual and help files. For instance if you type “delete” into the Photos help it gives no information at all on deleting a photo.

Sadly there is no quick way to delete pictures from "Photos Library" or "iPhoto Library". Although you can do it the same way for both. You have to right click or control click on the "Photos Library" or "iPhoto Library" which should be in your "Pictures" folder. Once you right click or control click on it select "Show Package Contents" you are going to have to go through the pictures you want deleted from the following folders: Masters, Previews,Thumbnails. You may also want to take a look at "model resources" folder which is in the "resources" folder.

Once you have done this you will want to delete the pictures from "Photos" or "iPhotos" application if you have not already done it.

And if you have ever used mail to reduce an image size or even email an image you are going to want to get into the "Library" to free up all the space that is being used up by duplicate file that get created there. The first time I did it I ended up freeing 35GB of disk space.

From your desktop click on "Go" in the top menu bar. Hold down the "option" key so that "Library" can appear. Select "Library".

Now before you go into "Library" do not delete anything that you are not sure of. Your first time in here you are going to want to check the size of each main folder to see how large they are. Anything over 1GB should be looked into to make sure you don't have anything you don't need taking up space. "Messages" and "Mail" will most likely be the largest because they keep everything you have ever received or sent through mail or messages and I do mean everything. Even things you deleted the first day you used mail and messages.

Have fun.

I'm trying to add to this conversation, but there's nowhere on the page I can ask my own question, and I'm having to reply to someone's comments instead.

I have no File>Show Recently Deleted. It's just not there!!! Is every iMac different to each other, cause this happens all the time. I'll read about something in Apple Support Communities, they'll even show me a picture of the drop-down menu with the link, but on my computer it's just not there.

I'm surprised that of all the dozens and dozens of threads about deleting pic from Photos, there's not one response from Apple itself. It's like we're all left to our own devices in trying to solve an issue.

Just installed Yosemite. Went to "File" on toolbar to find "recently deleted photos" however the option (recently deleted photos) is not there. I keep on reading that it is there but it is not. Hoping there is a simple answer to this. Thx.

kevinfromkcom

In Yosemite OS X 10.10.x and PHotos 1.0 that is where it is (file menu ==> show recently deleted)

In ElCaptain OS X 10.11.x and Photos 1.2 it is under albums in the sidebar (view menu ==> show sidebar)

LN

Larry, thanks so much. I meant to say that I installed El Capitan (not Yosemite). There it was in Albums and under "view". Greatly appreciated!

k

you are welcome

I suspected that which is why I posted directions for both just in case

LN

These are my two cents. It seems that:

1) If photos are migrated from iPhoto to Photos, they have to be deleted in both programs to disappear from your drive.

2) If photos are imported directly to Photos, then deleting them from Photos would be enough.

This would explain the different experiences reported above. Note that you do NOT have to dive into your hidden folders. Don't do it.

Thanks so much! I love the step-by-step simplified answer!

After installing a fresh copy of El Capitan (which of course includes Photos) I imported my pictures library (around 40,000 pics) and then started trying to delete unwanted pictures. Process took about 1 hour on a MBP with 500GN SSD and 8GB RAM. By the way, before the import, I unchecked the "Copy items to the Photos library" that can be found under Photos\Preferences\General menu. By doing this, my file system (the set of folders containing my pictures) remained intact, since I did not want Photos to use its own copy in the master folder in its library.

It all went fine, however, after the import I tried to delete some pictures using the Command-delete and delete, and other key combinations, but I'd always get the pictures removed from albums and other places in the library, placed in recently deleted folder. So far seemed ok, BUT when I choose Delete All in the Recently Deleted album, and accepting the warning, and seeing and confirming the pictures were removed from Photos, I went to the ACTUAL FOLDER in the hard drive were the pictures were and confirmed THEY ARE STILL THERE. So navigating and testing back and forth through the Photos library folders I see the thumbnail is deleted but not the actual file residing in the hard drive. So it seems that as iTJMacattack has mentioned the original files are not deleted from the hard drive using Photos. Not sure the scenario when the "Copy items to the Photos library" option is checked though.

I hope this post adds a little to the discussion. In any case I still cannot use Photos as I definitely need the software that I use to REALLY remove pictures I don't want and free the corresponding drive space.

Thank you all for your ideas on this matter.

Not sure the scenario when the "Copy items to the Photos library" option is checked though.

When you uncheck the checkbox to copy the photos into the library during import you take on the responsibility of maintaining the original/master image files outside of the library. That's not the recommended setup for a Photos library. There is too much danger of losing the link between the library and the master files due to moving the master files or library, hard drive crashes or corruption, etc.

I would recommend that you select all of the images in the library and select the File ➙ Consolidate menu option. You'll get this window with a description of what it will do.

Once the library has been consolidated you can delete the master files from outside the library. Now when you delete a photo from the library the full sized master file will be deleted from the library and hard drive at the same time.

Deleting Photos from a Photos 1.3 Library

1 - regardless of where you are in the library, i.e. Moments, Collections, albums, smart albums or projects, select the photo(s) you want to delete and use the key combination of Command+Delete to move the photos to the Recently Deleted smart album.

2 - click on the Recently Deleted smart albums in the sidebar.

NOTE 1: If you're using Photos 1.2 or earlier use the File ➙ Show Recently Deleted menu option.

3 - in the Recently Deleted album you can opt to let the photo automatically delete after the 30 day waiting period is up, delete them immediately or restore them to the library.

NOTE 2: deleting a photo from an album, slideshow, book, etc., with the Delete key only deletes the photo from that item. There is no key combination that will delete a photo from a project and move it directly to the Recently Deleted smart album.

NOTE 3: Deleting a photo from a Moment or Collection (the Photos window) or the All Photos window deletes ALL occurences of that photo in the library.

You want to go swimming and not get wet

If you choose to manage your original photos (a referenced library) then you have to do what you wanted and you have to manage them - Photos will only manage item in its library

If you want Photos to manage then then you have to use a managed library

For what you want it is exactly as you state - you can not use Photos

LN

Thanks everyone for this helpful feedback. I hope that our friends at Apple will start reading these exchanges and do something that provide a real answer and solution to this bugging problem. I would have expected a more user friendly and intuitive solution but it seems that some programmers love to keep a few helpful hint in secrecy. Listen to your customers and user and you will not only retain them but create new ones.

As for this current problem, I had to use the same solution within Photo and delete all the files in the deletion folder since the option of deleting chosen files would not work.

Another suggestion is to provide where these files are stored so we can better understand how this whole concept work while provide us a quick way to manage the files and folder. Keep it simple and everyone will will.

I've been trying to figure this out for several months now. But no combination of commands work. I don't have any iPhoto old library, as I formatted my hard drive and then installed a fresh copy of El Capitan. Then imported all my pics from my hard drive into Photos but instead of allowing the application to move the actual files to the Photos library, I chose to keep them in their original location as I use Lightroom for edition. So I don't want pictures deleted from one application to another, I just want pictures that I delete from Photos to be ACTUALLY deleted from my computer. Of course I'm aware then my LightRoom library is not synced and I would have either to sync it or rebuild it ... and it is fine. So, is there any way to actually delete the file from the hard drive from Photos? Thanks!.