Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 2, 2011
2,580
525
The Netherlands
While doing some trial-and-error I managed to flush all photos form the "Recently Deleted" folder iOS 9:

1. Settings > iCoud > Photos > UNCHECK the "iCloud Photo Library";

IMG_1999.jpg


IMG_2001.jpg


2. Check in your Photo ap on iPhone if the number of photos in the "Recently Deleted" folder are decreasing (mine counted over 11k);

IMG_1996%20%281%29.jpg


IMG_2002.jpg


Et Voila! All photos deleted!

IMG_2004.jpg


3. Settings > iCoud > Photos > CHECK the "iCloud Photo Library" back to ON again;

IMG_2007.jpg


4. Turn off your iPhone;

5. Reboot your iPhone and all should be working, problem solved and freed up and reclaimed the 1.5GB with the deletion of the "Recently Deleted" folder!

BEFORE:

IMG_1990.jpg


AFTER!: uploaded some new photos, so the usage is now 931 MB.

IMG_2016.jpg


6. To be sure of the deletion, I deleted the "Recently Deleted" folder also via the browser iCloud ogin!

ScreenCap%202016-08-25%20at%2015.24.58.jpg


ScreenCap%202016-08-25%20at%2015.54.56.jpg


I hope some of you may be helped with this post!

Cheers
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jmarkus

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,459
Why not just go to the recently deleted folder, tap select, and then tap on delete all?
 
  • Like
Reactions: M. Gustave

M. Gustave

macrumors 68000
Jun 6, 2015
1,856
1,712
Grand Budapest Hotel
On iPhone you mean? Never succeeded doing that, Photos app iOS kept on crashing.

Most iCloud Photos actions take quite a bit of downtime to complete and sync. I had a dozen new photos to sync the other day, and it took about an hour of being on wifi for my phone to finally decide to sync them.

Deleting 11k photos is orders of magnitude worse. I'm not sure what you mean by 'crashing', but I would expect it to take a day or more to complete.
 
  • Like
Reactions: m4v3r1ck

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 2, 2011
2,580
525
The Netherlands
Most iCloud Photos actions take quite a bit of downtime to complete and sync. I had a dozen new photos to sync the other day, and it took about an hour of being on wifi for my phone to finally decide to sync them.

Deleting 11k photos is orders of magnitude worse. I'm not sure what you mean by 'crashing', but I would expect it to take a day or more to complete.

With crashing I mean the photos app in iOS 9. With 0 bytes left on my iPhone 6 Plus, it just left me with not useable apps like photos/mail etc.

After the total flush of the 11k photos (1,5GB) my iPhone came back alive again. I'll be managing my available better from now on! This was of course an user error!

Cheers
 
  • Like
Reactions: I7guy

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 2, 2011
2,580
525
The Netherlands
Still 750MB not freed from the iCloud!? This puzzles me.

- iCloud Photos empty (browser)
- Photos app iOS 9 empty
- Photos app MacOS empty

All with 0 photos/albums!

419fa23517ea13675234ff486b807a77.jpg


75b10b77ceec85d115f8f05b684c17e1.jpg



Cheers
 

crashnburn

macrumors 6502
Nov 18, 2009
466
28
What about people who do not use iCloud Photos - I dont? Do you use/ have photos on iCloud or just did this trick without any iCloud photos?
On iPhone you mean? Never succeeded doing that, Photos app iOS kept on crashing.
Cheers
Right, on the iPhone. Sounds like there was some issue with your photos or device.
There were no issues, it is a flaw/ fault on the iPhone - there is a reason and a possible work around.
[doublepost=1472302881][/doublepost]This > https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...photos-with-delete-all.1976794/#post-23289219

Might help..
 
  • Like
Reactions: m4v3r1ck

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 2, 2011
2,580
525
The Netherlands
What about people who do not use iCloud Photos - I dont? Do you use/ have photos on iCloud or just did this trick without any iCloud photos?

All devices and apps are empty and have no Photos and/or albums!

There were no issues, it is a flaw/ fault on the iPhone - there is a reason and a possible work around.

Care to share what the flaw/fault is on my iPhone? What is the work around?

TIA,

Cheers
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.