• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Tutorials and fixes for smartphone, gadget, and computer problems

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iOS
    • MacOS
    • Office
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About Technipages

Android: Can’t Delete Photos From Gallery App

By Morgan Lange 36 Comments

Normally, you can tap and hold any photo in the Gallery app for Android to access the option to delete. That option may not appear for all of your photos. That’s because the Gallery may not only show images on your device. It also may show items on the Picasa and Google Plus service.

You have a couple of options on how to deal with this issue.

Option 1 – Disable Syncing with Google+/Picasa

If you want to keep your images in your Google Plus profile, but you don’t want them displayed within the Gallery app, you can simply disable photo syncing with these steps:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Accounts” > “Google“. From there, you can select the Google account you are using, then uncheck the “Sync Picasa Web Albums” option.
  2. Now under “Settings” > “Application manager“, swipe over to “All” > “Gallery“, and select “Clear data“.

Google+ and Picasa items will no longer appear in the Gallery app.

Option 2 – Delete Photos from Google+/Picasa

  1. Visit your personal Instant Upload page.
  2. Select the photo(s) you wish to delete.
  3. Select the trash icon, then choose “Move to trash“.

The photo will then be removed from Gallery after the next sync with your Android.

You Might Also Like

  • Android: How to Delete Photos
    Android: How to Delete Photos
  • Can I Delete My Photos After Backing Them up to Google Photos?
    Can I Delete My Photos After Backing Them up to Google…
  • Can I Delete All Instagram Photos at Once?
    Can I Delete All Instagram Photos at Once?
  • How to Delete Photos and Videos From Facebook
    How to Delete Photos and Videos From Facebook
  • Android: How to Recover Deleted Photos
    Android: How to Recover Deleted Photos
  • How To Blur Faces on Android Photos
    How To Blur Faces on Android Photos
  • How to Erase Duplicate Photos on Your Android Device
    How to Erase Duplicate Photos on Your Android Device
  • Android: How to Delete All Contacts
    Android: How to Delete All Contacts
  • How to Save Your Facebook Photos to Google Photos
    How to Save Your Facebook Photos to Google Photos

Filed Under: Android Tagged With: google

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. twathe says

    October 17, 2021 at 6:24 am

    I had the same problem. I would delete my pics from storage, but the Gallery app would still display them. The trick is to stop the Gallery app (which must be actively caching and guarding “its” pictures). I reset the phone afterwards.

    — Goto [Settings.More.Application manager.All.Gallery]
    — Press “Force stop”, “Clear data”, and “Clear cache”
    — Restart your phone (usually by long pressing the on/off button, then selecting “restart”
    — When you re-open the Gallery, your deleted pics will be gone
    — You do not have to explicitly re-start the Gallery app

  2. Jacqueline Fryer says

    September 5, 2021 at 12:07 pm

    I have Samsung Galaxy A5. I can delete a photo I have just taken in the Gallery but can’t delete older photos. I never used to have a problem . What’s wrong?

  3. Laina says

    March 28, 2021 at 10:36 am

    Please, like other photo things, vanished from my two Android ages ago.
    No set up to do what is shown here.

  4. Micah jane tagura says

    March 5, 2021 at 9:07 pm

    Thank u so much❤ it really work on mine💖🤗

  5. J says

    February 28, 2021 at 7:09 pm

    I had a picture that would not delete. It would move to the trash then come right back with a message. Cannot delete. I used the drop down bar, renamed it VIRUS then deleted it and now its gone!

  6. Charles B. says

    October 26, 2020 at 6:43 am

    Exact same issue as Mandy (Jan 27). Moto G7. All of a sudden I get the message “Photos doesn’t have access to delete items on your SD card.” This started a few weeks, maybe more than a month ago? I’ve ignored it but I can no longer do so.

    It continues on telling me to go to Gallery to continue deleting. When I click Launch Gallery from the error message, there is no option to delete!

  7. Kara says

    September 25, 2020 at 11:50 am

    I have pics saved to my sd card and i use samsungs gallery app on my j3 and been trying to delete pics as of 4days ago. itll be deleted and then reappear. I turned off the trash can and still happened So i tried deleting directly from the sd on my computer and putting back into my phone and all the pictures are back my verizon cloud is not set up, i unsyncd google photos so idk wtf to do its still having the same problem. I updated all the apps to be sure it wasnt an old bug but still cant figure this out

  8. Scott brown says

    April 11, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    I just held my finger on a photo until a circle showed up and then touch every photo to ddelete

  9. HANGMASAR BASUMATARY says

    March 3, 2020 at 1:22 am

    I have Samsung A10S phone I want to delete a zero bytes in its gallery but it’s not deleted after I have deleted it

  10. Mandy says

    January 27, 2020 at 11:44 am

    There’s no option to delete pictures at all on my Moto G7. In the gallery. When I click on a picture it only gives the option to open it and make it your wallpaper. There’s no delete button or trash can. It’s really pissing me off.

  11. jeri says

    November 24, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    I’m disgusted. I was looking to see what to get rid of I decided google photos b/c I use the installed Gallery & wanted to see if anything was there (GP) before I uninstall it. OMG!!! There are a few days of mine and I scrolled down there are disgusting porn photos! WTF?!?!

  12. B says

    November 13, 2019 at 8:17 am

    Everytime i press delete on a picture nothing happens. First i thought it was just with screenshots because with camera they got deleted, then it stopt working with camera too. I have a huawei p20 light.

  13. vansh jain says

    August 25, 2019 at 2:28 am

    Thank you so much. i will appreciate this technique

  14. Everett Markus says

    August 20, 2019 at 4:21 am

    Did not help. I want to recover videos that were accidently deleted in gallery.

  15. A dude says

    June 11, 2019 at 4:01 pm

    This worked for me.

    Go to the photo and click the drop-down menu and select download. Then delete as normal.

  16. Elona says

    June 5, 2019 at 9:40 am

    When i want to delete a photo i delete then move to the next photo but when i go back it’s still there can someone help me please?

  17. Michael Veis says

    June 4, 2019 at 9:42 pm

    It could be a software bug causing the problem.

  18. Jj says

    April 30, 2019 at 6:04 pm

    My screenshots don’t go away anymore I tried deleting it but a couple seconds later they come back the first option I can’t find on my phone, I cleared the galley cashe and the final link plus Google issnt available for me , so what do I do ??

  19. Vishal says

    December 22, 2018 at 11:12 am

    i am unable to delete image form my galaxing even afey. i have samsung J2. It is reappearing even after deleting.

  20. angela zgheib says

    November 5, 2018 at 4:28 am

    i am trying to delete photos from the gallery. whenever i press the delete , nothing happens and its not deleted . i have Samsung s8 plus

  21. George Lowsley says

    September 4, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    I have a Gallaxy GT-P5 110 tablet tab 2 10.1 and I am unable to delete photos and a document from the Gallery app as when I try I do not get a Trash icon up I can highlight by ticking the boxes but can go no further can you help?.

  22. Anjali Phatak says

    August 1, 2018 at 8:44 am

    I try to delete unwanted pictures from the gallery but cannot.These pictures are unnecessarily cluttering and slowing the tab.

  23. FrilledSharkFry975 says

    June 30, 2018 at 9:46 am

    I’m trying to delete photos from my android phone’s gallery app, but whenever I tap the trash icon, a blue text box appears saying, “Failed to delete photo.” I’ve tried everything, but nothing’s working, please help me.

  24. Damien says

    April 7, 2018 at 1:49 pm

    Whenever I delete a screenshot from the gallery it doesn’t work. I’ll hit delete, then when it asks if I’m sure I say yes. The screen moves to the next picture but then I look and the picture I just “deleted” is still there. I don’t understand why it won’t delete

  25. Linda says

    April 6, 2018 at 6:05 am

    It shows the delete icon, but it doesn’t delete

  26. Johan says

    November 24, 2017 at 1:08 am

    Hi,
    I Select and deleted photos from my Samsung J1 Ace Neo, but the unwanted and deleted photos return again within a second and it doubles up. What is wrong? Can you tell me how to delete unwanted photos permanently from the phone or SD Card? Thank you.

  27. AVR says

    April 18, 2017 at 10:05 pm

    Oh my god. Thank you so much.

  28. BEESHAM JUDDOO says

    March 18, 2017 at 3:36 am

    THANKS SO MUCH I COULD SOLVE MY PROBLEM YOU ARE JUST GREAT

  29. J says

    January 12, 2017 at 10:46 am

    This doesn’t work anymore. There is no option to uncheck anything.

  30. Cory says

    August 29, 2016 at 6:45 pm

    Thank you so much!!! Thats been annoying me for weeks.

  31. Thankful says

    July 6, 2016 at 5:26 am

    Thanks a lot. It helped. Cheers!

  32. Satpati says

    May 21, 2016 at 7:05 am

    Thanks a lot. I have been able to remove the pictures.

  33. John says

    February 21, 2016 at 5:52 am

    I opened my files (Samsung My Files) then opened images. A thumbnail of the picture with the filename should appear hold your finger on the image briefly. Several options should appear in the top right corner of the screen. Delete is one of those options

  34. Cyndy says

    January 3, 2016 at 10:46 am

    Thanx a lot. It helps.

  35. Gaara says

    January 1, 2016 at 6:32 pm

    Thank you so much! Those pictures were really bothering me! ?

  36. Dandy says

    November 29, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    This was very useful and I thank you, baby

Did this help? Let us know!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Windows 11: How to Add Clocks with Different Time Zones
  • Google Assistant: How to Never Miss a Birthday
  • Windows 11: How to Disable Notifications and Ads
  • How to Use Oculus Quest 2 Air Link
  • How to Create an Avatar in the Oculus Quest 2
  • 5 Free and Fun Math Apps for Kids
  • Windows 11: How to Discover What Graphics Card You’re Using
  • How to Change Display Resolution on Windows 10 and 11

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

You May Also Like

  • 9 Best Android TV box
  • Best Budget Android Phones 2021
  • 10 Best Android Phone Cleaner Apps in 2019

© Copyright 2022 Technipages · All Rights Reserved · Privacy