HT204655: Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X

Learn about Updating from iPhoto to Photos for OS X
Betsy & Jerry Eadeh

Q: how to delete photos from iPhone after downloading to Photos

How do we delete photos off of our phones after loading into Apple Photos?  iPhoto had a button to click and could delete from the phone after importing, but I can't find that in Photos.

Posted on May 4, 2015 5:04 PM

Close

Q: how to delete photos from iPhone after downloading to Photos

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc May 4, 2015 5:27 PM in response to Betsy & Jerry Eadeh
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2015 5:27 PM in response to Betsy & Jerry Eadeh

    The button is on the left side of the bar at the top before you import the photos. It isn't available after you import. Delete them on the iPhone. In the Photos app on the phone, select the camera roll or album, hit the select button at the top right. Then you can choose all the photos and delete at once.

     

    You can also open image capture before disconnecting the phone. You can select and delete the pictures from there.

  • by Betsy & Jerry Eadeh,

    Betsy & Jerry Eadeh Betsy & Jerry Eadeh May 4, 2015 6:30 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc
    Level 1 (6 points)
    May 4, 2015 6:30 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc

    I don't see the delete from device on the mac.  I did see how to do it on the phone.  When I select import from my iPhone, the only button on the left side of the bar at the top is Open Photos for this device.  Could it be that I have my phone syncing to the cloud and not necessarily to this particular computer.  The computer shows my photo stream and shared activity.  Even when directly plugging in the phone to the computer via lighting and usb, I still cannot delete photos from the Photos app.  I don't understand how Photos is an upgrade from iPhoto. 

  • by Betsy & Jerry Eadeh,

    Betsy & Jerry Eadeh Betsy & Jerry Eadeh May 4, 2015 6:45 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc
    Level 1 (6 points)
    May 4, 2015 6:45 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc

    wow, I am beginning to realize now that none of these programs actually can delete my images, iPhoto, Photos, and Image Capture.  I just tried all three, and although iPhoto has the only popup buttons to remove the photos from the phone, it actually didn't remove any photos.  When I unplugged the phone then back in, it was there again in all it's glory. 

     

    I just erased over 475 photos directly from the phone with your advice.  But the warning came up that I would erase these photos on all devices.  I have them all shared and they are still in my photo stream, but there are some weird issues with all of these photo apps that don't work exactly right. 

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc May 4, 2015 7:39 PM in response to Betsy & Jerry Eadeh
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2015 7:39 PM in response to Betsy & Jerry Eadeh

    Are you using iCloud Photo Library?

  • by ikol_22,

    ikol_22 ikol_22 May 7, 2015 8:36 AM in response to Glenn Leblanc
    Level 1 (5 points)
    May 7, 2015 8:36 AM in response to Glenn Leblanc

    @Glenn Leblanc, me too I have the same problem. I noticed in fact that if I modify or I erase a photo on the iPhone and/or on the iPad, the photo:
    1. doesn't change on all other devices and on Photos

    2. still remain (if erased) on all other devices and on Photos

    Of course if I erase / modify the image on Photos nothing happens on the iPhone and on the iPad.

     

    Do you think that happens because I don't use iCloud Photo Library?

     

    Thank you.

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc May 7, 2015 8:47 AM in response to ikol_22
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 7, 2015 8:47 AM in response to ikol_22

    Yes. If you are not using the iCloud Photo Library, then the only thing that syncs between devices is PhotoStream if you have that enabled. Photos in the libraries of each device are independent of each other.

    Other than that, use iTunes to sync between devices and choose what you want synced.

  • by bauschmann49,

    bauschmann49 bauschmann49 Dec 6, 2015 9:59 AM in response to Glenn Leblanc
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 6, 2015 9:59 AM in response to Glenn Leblanc

    Glen,

     

    Not sure if you can help me but my problem is:

     

    I would take pictures with my iPhone, download them to my MAC in iPhoto via a connection cord.  After downloading the photos in iPhoto I would erase all the downloaaded pict;ures from my iPhone, then unplug it.

     

    With PHOTOS I can not find an option to do this.  Has this option gone away like the EVENTS that were in iPhoto?  Or is there a way for me to continue to erase photos from my iPhone after downloading and saving on PHOTOS on my MAC.

     

    Thank you for your time.

  • by Glenn Leblanc,

    Glenn Leblanc Glenn Leblanc Dec 6, 2015 1:03 PM in response to bauschmann49
    Level 6 (11,016 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 6, 2015 1:03 PM in response to bauschmann49

    My first post here should be what you need to do. The only time you will see the delete setting is before you hit the button to import pictures. Once photos are imported, you can't delete them from the iPhone.

    For new pictures not downloaded yet, plug in the iPhone and select it in Photos. before importing, check the box to delete photos after import.

     

    Image Capture allows you to delete photos anytime from the iPhone. You might look at using it to import photos instead of directly from within Photos.

     

    Deleting photos from the iPhone is not bad either. You can select all photos you wish to delete at one time and delete them all with a single click. Many people don't realize that.