iCloud may not have the best reputation, but it’s a convenient place to store your files and photos online. If you use Apple’s iCloud Photo Library, every image you take on your iPhone and iPad is automatically uploaded to iCloud.

Whether you’re running out of storage space or just want to delete those photos of your ex, there will eventually come a time when you need to delete photos from your iCloud storage. 

Table of Contents
    How to Delete Photos From iCloud

    Delete a Single iCloud Photo Using Your iPad or iPhone

    Using the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad is a quick and easy way to delete a single photo from your iCloud storage. 

    1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
    Photos app
    1. Find the photo you want to delete.
    Photo that you want deleted
    1. To delete a single photo, tap and hold the image until a pop-up menu appears.
    Tap and hold menu on photo
    1. Select Delete.

    This will remove the photo from all your connected iOS devices and the iCloud website.

    Delete Multiple iCloud Photos Using Your iPad or iPhone

    Not only can you delete a single photo, but you also can delete a group of photos from your iPhone in a few simple steps. 

    1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
    Photos app
    1. Find the photos you want to delete.
    Three photos you want deleted
    1. Tap Select at the top right of the screen.
    Select button
    1. Tap each photo you want to delete.
    Photos you want deleted now have blue checkmark
    1. Tap the trash icon at the bottom right to delete all the selected files.
    Trash icon

     This process will remove all the selected photos from your connected iOS devices and the iCloud website

    Delete Photos & Videos On iCloud.com

    Going directly to Apple’s iCloud website to get rid of photos is a bit more complicated than deleting them from your iPhone or iPad. It’s worth the effort since it only removes photos from your iCloud storage without removing them from your iOS device. This frees up space on iCloud while allowing you to keep photos on your iPhone or iPad. 

    1. Open the Safari web browser. 
    Safari browser
    1. Type icloud.com into the address bar.
    icloud.com in address bar
    1. Enter your Apple ID credentials. 
    Apple ID and Password fields in iCloud
    1. Select the icon for Photos
    Photos icon
    1. Select the photo or video you want to delete by clicking on the thumbnail image. You also can select multiple photos or videos by holding down the Command key and selecting the thumbnails of the media you want to remove. 
    Photos you want deleted selected
    1. Select the Delete button in the upper right corner.
    Delete button in upper right corner
    1. Select Delete.
    Delete confirmation window

    Deleted photos and videos are sent to the Recently Deleted album, where they will stay for 30 days before they are permanently removed. To delete photos or videos right away, go to the Recently Deleted album, select the items you want to delete, and then click Delete. This will remove the photos immediately and permanently. 

    Why You Should Delete Photos From iCloud

    Apple’s iCloud storage is useful for backing up your photos or videos in case your phone is damaged or broken. Each Apple user is allotted 2GB of iCloud storage, but Apple offers additional storage for a small monthly fee.  If you take a lot of photos on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll eventually run out of space, forcing you to remove those silly selfies and blurry captures you no longer want. 

    Being able to delete photos from iCloud is critical to managing this limited resource. It’s not too complicated to do. And once you do it a few times, you’ll be able to easily manage your iCloud storage and never worry about running out of space again.