What to Do: iPhone Storage Full Can’t Delete Photos

“Apparently, I can’t delete photos on my iPhone because it shows the storage is full. I know I have stored a lot of data, but I swear my phone still has enough space. But even if it’s really full, deleting photos should help free some space, right? What should I do?”

Many iPhone users have been complaining about not being able to delete photos due to full storage. Well, that’s actually just the tip of the iceberg. There are three possible reasons why you can’t delete photos from iPhone:

• There’s a full storage glitch (occurs on iOS16).
• The recent iOS version is buggy.
• Photos are synced/protected (no delete option).

So, if you’ve been wondering “Why won’t my photos delete on iPhone?”, the cause is probably one of those three. Fortunately, we happen to have curated some solutions for you. Read on and check them out!

Solution 1: Restart Device to Fix iPhone Storage Full Can’t Delete Photos

Even though your iPhone has reached full storage capacity, it should still allow you to delete photos. If it doesn’t, it could mean there’s a glitch that’s causing it. Luckily, you can always restart or reboot your iPhone whenever something goes wrong with its apps and features. Doing so will refresh its system, which may remove glitches.

If you don’t know how to do a restart, here’s how to do it:

Step 1

Hold down both the Volume Down and the Side/Power keys for a few seconds. Release them when you see options on the screen. There, follow the one on top that says “Slide To Power Off”.

Step 2

Wait for at least 30 seconds and then long-press on the Power button again to turn on the device. After that, the system should be fully restarted and you can try deleting photos again.

Solution 2: Update iOS Version to Fix iPhone Won’t Delete Photos

If you still can’t delete photos on your iPhone after having restarted it, the issue is perhaps caused by bugs in the last iOS version update. Sometimes, bugs just occur and more often than not, Apple makes sure to deliver the latest iOS bug fixes. So, you just need to update your iPhone to the latest one and it should fix the issue.

Step 1

Connect your iPhone to a WIFI Network. Then. open Settings and proceed to General. There, tap on Software Update. Choose the latest update option and download it. Enter your passcode when asked.

Step 2

When the download is complete, tap the Install Now button to start the update. Wait until it’s over and don’t turn off your phone while the process is ongoing. After that, your phone will boot up and you can start deleting photos again.

Solution 3: Factory Reset iPhone to Fix Can’t Delete Photos

If there’s no available iOS bug fix, performing a factory reset could fix the issue, especially if the problem didn’t occur before. A reset can not only refresh system settings but also restore your iPhone to factory settings like it was new. So, all the issues you’ve encountered at present will be gone for good.

However, you need to back up your important data first as the process includes erasing all content and data from the phone.

Step 1

Open Settings and go to the General section. Then, tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone. Hit Erase All Content and Settings afterward.

Step 2

If required, enter your Apple ID password or your iPhone’s preset passcode for authentication. Finally, confirm that you are sure to erase your device. After that, you just have to wait for a few minutes until the phone boots up.

Solution 4: Use iCareFone to Delete Photos on iPhone

If you can’t delete photos on your iPhone simply because there’s no Delete/Trash button, they’re probably synced or protected. You can un-sync them if you can access your iTunes, iCloud, or from where they’re synced. But if you can’t, there’s an easier way to delete them regardless of whether they’re synced or not. And that’s with the use of iCareFone. An app designed to manage data on iPhones, which means you can use it to delete any file, including photos, it can scan.

All you need to do is install iCareFone to a Mac or Windows PC and connect your iPhone using a compatible USB cable. Then, you can use the app to scan all the photos stored and synced on the iPhone. After that, you can delete them selectively or in bulk with just one click. You can even delete them by album. What a convenient way to delete photos, right?

Not to mention, iCareFone provides you with a preview and thumbnails of the photos, making sure that you can see the image you’re about to delete. This helps in making sure you won’t delete important photos.

As for compatibility, you can use this on a computer running on Windows 11 to 7 or macOS 13 Ventura or earlier iterations. That’s a wide support so you can surely use this app on almost any computer.

Steps to Delete Photos with iCareFone

Step 1

Set up iCareFone on your computer. You can get the installer above. Then, launch it and connect your phone. The iPhone should be awake so the computer can recognize it.

Step 2

On the main interface, click on the Manage tab on the left side. Then, select the Photos icon. There, you will see the sources of the photos. Choose the one where the synced/protected photos are located.

Step 3

Select the photos you wish to delete. Then, click the Delete button and confirm the action right after. Wait until the deletion process is complete before disconnecting your iPhone.

Tip: Back Up Photos You Want to Delete

Some of the photos you may need to delete from your iPhone may be important to you or for future reference. You may need to back them up to your computer before deleting them. You can use iCareFone’s transfer feature to easily copy them selectively or in bulk. Besides deleting photos iCareFone can transfer contacts, music, photos, videos, and other iPhone data.

Conclusion

If you can’t delete photos when iPhone storage is full or whatnot, just know there are solutions you can take. There are four solutions above. Check them out and see which one can really help your case. Nevertheless, if you really can’t delete the photos, there are apps like iCareFone that can help you get rid of them once and for all.