How to Empty Google Photos Trash: A Step-by-Step Guide

Google Photos is a fantastic service for storing and managing your precious memories. However, over time, deleted photos and videos can accumulate in your trash, taking up valuable storage space. While items in the trash are automatically deleted after 60 days, you might want to clear it sooner to free up space or ensure complete removal. This guide will walk you through the process of emptying your Google Photos trash on different devices.

Why Empty Your Google Photos Trash?

Before diving into the steps, let’s quickly understand why emptying your trash is essential:

• Free up storage: Deleted items still consume storage space until permanently removed.
• Privacy: If you want to ensure sensitive photos and videos are completely gone.
• Organization: Keeping your trash empty keeps your Google Photos organized.

Emptying Google Photos Trash on a Computer

Here’s how to empty your Google Photos trash using a web browser on your computer:

1. Open Google Photos: Go to photos.google.com in your web browser.
2. Sign In: Log in with the Google account associated with your Google Photos.
3. Access the Trash: In the left-hand menu, click on the “Trash” option. It might be labeled as “Bin” on some interfaces.
4. Select Items (Optional): If you don’t want to empty the entire trash, hover over the items you want to permanently delete and click the checkmark that appears in the upper-left corner of each thumbnail. Then, click the “Delete” or “Remove Forever” button (usually a trash can icon) that appears at the top of the page.
5. Empty the Entire Trash: To empty all the trash, click the “Empty trash” button located in the upper right corner.
6. Confirm Deletion: A confirmation dialog box will appear, stating that the photos and videos will be permanently deleted. Click “Delete” or “Empty Trash” to confirm.

Important Note: Once you empty the trash, the deleted photos and videos are permanently gone, and you cannot recover them through the Google Photos app.

Emptying Google Photos Trash on Mobile (Android/iOS)

The process is similar on both Android and iOS devices:

1. Open the Google Photos App: Launch the Google Photos app on your mobile device.
2. Sign In: Make sure you are signed in with the Google account linked to your Google Photos.
3. Access the Trash/Bin: Tap on the “Library” tab at the bottom of the screen, then tap “Trash” or “Bin”.
4. Select Items (Optional): If you only want to remove certain photos or videos, tap and hold each item you want to delete to select it (the item will highlight), and tap the “Delete” button (trash can icon) on the bottom of the screen or in the top right corner. Then, choose “Delete permanently” or confirm deleting from a dialog.
5. Empty the Entire Trash: To empty the entire trash, tap the three vertical dots (more menu icon) in the top-right corner and select “Empty trash” or “Empty bin”.
6. Confirm Deletion: A confirmation message will pop up. Tap on “Delete permanently” to confirm.

Important Note: Similar to emptying the trash on a computer, permanently deleted items cannot be recovered from the mobile app.

Tips for Managing Your Google Photos Trash

• Review Before Deleting: Before emptying the trash, take a moment to quickly review the items to ensure there are no photos or videos you want to keep.
• Regular Maintenance: Make it a habit to periodically check your trash and empty it, especially if you are running low on storage space.
• Google One: If you need additional storage, consider subscribing to a Google One plan, which provides extra cloud storage shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Conclusion

Emptying your Google Photos trash is a simple but crucial task to manage your storage and ensure your photos are organized. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily free up space and keep your Google Photos clean. Remember that deleting from the trash is permanent, so double-check your selections before proceeding.