Delete photos from iPhone after import - Photos

Can't see why this is so complicated.

Yosemite, Photos and iPhone 5s - why I don't get anything to delete photos after import!

In iPhoto it would ask you just after import is done - here in Photos I see my iPhone on sidebar but none File, Edit menu etc does give option to delete these photos.

Select all doesn't seem to do anything... simple is ok but lack of basic functions not so much!

iPhone 5s, Mac OS X (10.0.x), null

Posted on Apr 28, 2015 1:40 PM

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

204,553 points

Posted on Sep 6, 2017 11:25 PM

"Delete after import" is still there on Yosemite and on newer system, provided you do not use iCloud Photo Library on the iPhone. If your iPhone is storing the photos in iCloud, trying to import via a USB connection and trying to delete phots from the iPhone, that are actually stored in iCloud and are only mirrored on the iPhone will just create a mess.

You cannot import the photos using USB, if the iPhone is holding only optimized, smaller previews. Then you will only import random photos, that are currently stored in a full resolution.
And if you import a few photos and try to delete after import from the iPhone, the deletion would sync back to iCloud and the Mac and then delete the just imported photos from the Mac as well.

With iCloud Photo Library enabled on the iPhone, use only iCloud to transfer the photos, and delete only photos from the iPhone, that you want to delete everywhere, on all devices.

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92 replies

Jul 27, 2017 1:16 PM in response to mthq

The answer listed doesn't work. Could someone post the correct solution once found? I check this box each time and have 3 years worth of photos on my phone.

Aug 17, 2017 10:45 AM in response to mthq

I don't get the checkbox to delete photos. It hasn't been there since several updates ago. The only thing Apple could suggest was on how to go into the phone and delete manually.

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Delete photos from iPhone after import - Photos