To delete photos from Google Drive on your phone, open the Google Drive app, tap More (the three dots) next to the photo, and tap Remove. That moves it to Drive’s Trash. To delete it for good right away, open Menu > Trash, tap More next to the photo, and choose Delete forever. If you skip that step, Google Drive deletes items in the Trash permanently after 30 days.
One thing to know before you start: Google Drive and Google Photos are separate. Deleting a photo in Drive doesn’t delete it from Google Photos, and deleting it in Google Photos doesn’t remove a copy stored in Drive. This guide covers the Drive app on Android and iPhone, restoring photos you deleted by mistake, and how deleting affects your storage.
Quick Answer
- Open the Google Drive app and find the photo (on Android, tap Files at the bottom).
- Tap More (three dots) next to the photo, then tap Remove. The photo moves to Trash.
- To delete it permanently now, tap Menu > Trash, tap More next to the photo, and tap Delete forever.
- To clear everything in Trash at once, tap More at the top right of the Trash screen and choose Empty trash.
- If the photo is also in Google Photos, delete it there separately.
In This Guide
- Before you start
- Google Drive vs. Google Photos: which one holds your photo?
- Delete photos from Google Drive on Android
- Delete photos from Google Drive on iPhone or iPad
- Delete photos permanently and empty the Trash
- Restore a photo you deleted by mistake
- If the photo is in Google Photos instead
- Deleting photos to free up storage
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start
These steps are based on Google’s current Drive Help articles as of September 2026 and cover:
- The Google Drive app on Android phones and tablets.
- The Google Drive app on iPhone and iPad.
- Personal Google Accounts. Work or school accounts managed by an administrator may have extra rules.
What you need:
- The Google Drive app, signed in to the Google Account that holds the photos.
- An internet connection, so the deletion syncs to your account.
- Ownership of the photo. Only the owner of a file can move it to the Trash. If someone shared a photo with you, you can’t delete their original.
Two terms you’ll see:
- Trash: a holding area for deleted files. Items stay there for 30 days so you can restore them, then Drive deletes them forever.
- Delete forever: permanent deletion. Once a photo is deleted forever, you can’t restore it from the Trash.
Warning: if the photo you’re deleting is the only copy you have, save it somewhere else first, such as your phone’s gallery or a computer.
Google Drive vs. Google Photos: Which One Holds Your Photo?
Many people look for their pictures in Drive when they’re actually stored in Google Photos, or the other way around. Since July 10, 2019, the two services no longer sync automatically. Google’s explanation of the Photos and Drive changes says that changes you make in Drive apply only to Drive, and changes in Photos apply only to Photos.
| Google Drive | Google Photos | |
|---|---|---|
| How photos get there | You upload them to Drive, or someone saves them to your Drive | Usually through automatic backup from your phone’s camera |
| Where you delete them | Google Drive app or drive.google.com | Google Photos app or photos.google.com |
| Delete label | Remove (moves to Trash) | Trash icon (moves to Trash) |
| Time in Trash | 30 days | 30 days |
| Deleting affects the other service? | No | No |
Quick check: if the photo shows up in the Google Drive app inside a folder or in your file list, follow the Drive steps below. If it appears in the Google Photos app’s photo timeline, use the Google Photos steps. If it’s in both, you’ll need to delete it in both places.
Delete Photos from Google Drive on Android
These steps follow Google’s Drive Help article on deleting files for Android.
- Open the Google Drive app. Make sure you’re signed in to the right account; tap your profile picture at the top right to switch if needed.
- Go to your files. At the bottom right, tap Files. Open the folder that contains the photo, or use the search bar at the top to find it by name.
- Open the file menu. Next to the photo, tap More (the three vertical dots). Expected result: a menu of actions slides up.
- Move it to the Trash. Tap Remove. Depending on your app version, you may see Move to trash instead. Confirm if asked. Expected result: the photo disappears from the folder and goes to Trash.
To delete several photos at once, try touching and holding one photo until it’s selected, then tapping the others. In most recent app versions this turns on selection mode, and the More menu at the top then applies to every selected item. If all the photos are in one folder, removing the folder with the same More > Remove steps is often quicker; check the Trash afterward to confirm what moved there.
The photo isn’t gone yet. It stays in Trash for 30 days, and it still counts toward your storage until it’s permanently deleted. See Delete photos permanently to finish the job.
Delete Photos from Google Drive on iPhone or iPad
The Drive app on iPhone and iPad works almost the same way.
- Open the Google Drive app and confirm you’re in the right account.
- Find the photo. Browse to its folder, open the files list, or search for it by name using the search bar.
- Tap More (the three dots) next to the photo.
- Tap Remove. Confirm if prompted. Expected result: the photo moves to the Trash.
As on Android, touching and holding a file usually lets you select more than one, so you can remove a batch in one go. The menu layout can change between app updates, so if you don’t see Remove, look for Move to trash or a trash can icon.
Delete Photos Permanently and Empty the Trash
Removing a photo only moves it to Trash. To delete it for good before the 30 days are up, use the Trash screen. The steps are the same on Android and iPhone.
Warning: permanently deleted photos can’t be restored from the Trash. If you shared a photo, anyone you shared it with keeps access until you permanently delete it, and loses access afterward.
Delete one photo forever
- In the Drive app, tap Menu (three lines) at the top left.
- Tap Trash.
- Next to the photo, tap More.
- Tap Delete forever and confirm. Expected result: the photo disappears from Trash.
Empty the whole Trash
- Tap Menu > Trash.
- At the top right, tap More.
- Tap Empty trash and confirm. Expected result: everything in Drive’s Trash is permanently deleted, not just photos.
Before you empty the Trash, scroll through it to make sure there’s nothing else you want to keep. For more on clearing out your account, see our guide on how to empty Google Drive.
Restore a Photo You Deleted by Mistake
If the photo is still in Trash (within 30 days, and you haven’t deleted it forever), you can bring it back. These are Google’s Android steps; the iPhone app uses the same Trash screen, though labels can differ slightly. Google’s file recovery article covers this.
- In the Drive app, tap Menu > Trash.
- Find the photo and tap More next to it.
- Tap Restore. Expected result: the photo returns to its original location in Drive.
If the photo has already been deleted forever or the 30 days have passed, it won’t be in Trash. The recovery article linked above explains what options, if any, remain for your account type.
If the Photo Is in Google Photos Instead
If your pictures are backed up in Google Photos rather than stored in Drive, delete them in the Google Photos app. According to Google Photos Help:
- Open the Google Photos app and sign in.
- Touch and hold a photo to select it. Tap more photos to select several.
- Tap the trash icon at the bottom and confirm. Expected result: the photos move to the Photos Trash, where they stay for 30 days.
To delete them permanently, go to Collections > Trash in Google Photos, select the items, tap delete, and confirm Delete permanently. Labels can vary slightly by app version and device.
Two points worth knowing:
- Deleting in Google Photos doesn’t remove copies stored in Google Drive, Gmail, or other Google services.
- On Android, if you only want to free up space on the phone and keep the backup, Google Photos has a Delete from device option in the More menu instead.
Deleting Photos to Free Up Storage
Every Google Account includes up to 15 GB of storage, shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, as explained in Google’s guide to how Google storage works. That means large photo files in Drive can stop you from sending email or backing up new pictures once you’re full.
Keep these rules in mind when deleting to save space:
- Trash still counts. Files in Drive’s Trash use storage until they’re permanently deleted, so empty the Trash (or use Delete forever) to get the space back right away.
- Deleting in one service only frees space there. Removing a Drive copy doesn’t touch a copy in Google Photos, and the reverse is also true.
- Check your usage. You can see a breakdown of what’s using your space at one.google.com/storage.
Google also notes that if an account stays over its storage limit for 2 years, content may be deleted, with at least 3 months’ notice first. For a wider plan to reclaim space, see our tips on managing your Google storage.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see a Remove option
You probably don’t own the photo. Google Drive only lets the owner move a file to the Trash. Ask the owner to delete it, or ask them to make you the owner if that’s appropriate. Also check whether your app shows Move to trash instead of Remove.
I deleted the photo but it’s still in my phone’s gallery
Drive and your phone’s gallery are separate. A photo you uploaded to Drive still exists on the phone until you delete it there too. If the gallery is the Google Photos app, see the Google Photos steps above.
The photo came back or is still in Google Photos
Since 2019, Drive and Google Photos don’t sync, so deleting in one doesn’t remove the other. Delete the copy in each service separately.
My storage didn’t go down after deleting
Items in Trash still count toward your storage. Open Menu > Trash and choose Empty trash, then give your account a little time to update the total.
I can’t find the photo I want to delete
Use the search bar in the Drive app and type part of the file name. If it’s not in Drive at all, it’s likely in Google Photos or only on your phone.
I emptied the Trash by mistake
Permanently deleted files can’t be restored from the Trash. Check Google’s file recovery article linked above for any options available to your account, and check other places the photo might exist, such as your phone, email, or a computer backup.
Related: move photos from Google Drive to Google Photos.
Related: access a shared Google Drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do deleted photos stay in Google Drive’s Trash?
30 days. After that, Google Drive deletes them forever automatically. You can permanently delete them sooner with Delete forever or Empty trash.
Does deleting a photo from Google Drive delete it from Google Photos?
No. Since July 10, 2019, the two services don’t sync automatically, so changes in Drive only apply to Drive.
Does deleting from Google Drive delete the photo from my phone?
No. The Drive copy and the copy in your phone’s storage are separate files. Delete the phone copy in your gallery app if you want it gone too.
Can I delete a photo someone shared with me?
You can’t delete the owner’s file. Only the owner can move it to the Trash.
Do photos in the Trash use my storage?
Yes. Files in Drive’s Trash count toward your storage until they’re permanently deleted.
Can I get back a photo after emptying the Trash?
Not from the Trash. Once a photo is deleted forever, restoring it from Trash is no longer possible, so double-check before you empty it.
Can I delete photos from Google Drive on a computer instead?
Yes. At drive.google.com, right-click the photo and choose Move to trash, then use Trash > Empty trash to delete permanently. A computer can be easier when you’re clearing out many files. For backups stored in Drive, see how to delete a backup from Google Drive.
Summary
- Open the Google Drive app, tap More next to the photo, and tap Remove to move it to Trash.
- Go to Menu > Trash and tap Delete forever (or Empty trash) to delete it permanently.
- Restore mistakes from Trash within 30 days with Restore.
- Delete Google Photos copies separately, because Drive and Photos don’t sync.
- Empty the Trash to free up storage, since trashed files still count.
Next step: open Drive’s Trash now, check that nothing important is there, and empty it to reclaim the space from the photos you just removed.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.