How to Bulk Delete Old Screenshots on iPhone
Screenshots are the digital equivalent of sticky notes. We take them to remember a confirmation number, capture a funny text, save a recipe, or share a meme. Like sticky notes, they are meant to be temporary.
But on iPhone, they live in your Camera Roll forever.
Most users have hundreds, if not thousands, of old screenshots dating back years. Maps to places they visited in 2019, flight boarding passes for trips long over, and accidental pocket captures. These clutter your library and take up valuable space.
The Problem with Screenshots
While a single screenshot is small (usually a PNG file ranging from 1MB to 5MB), they pile up.
- Visual Clutter: They ruin the "Memories" and "For You" automated slideshows. Nothing kills a nostalgic montage like a screenshot of an error message popping up between photos of your wedding.
- PNG Format: Unlike photos (HEIC/JPG), screenshots are often PNGs, which are lossless and can be surprisingly large files, especially on high-resolution Retina displays.
Finding Screenshots in iOS
Apple makes it easy to view them, but harder to curate them.
- Open Photos.
- Tap Albums.
- Scroll down to Media Types.
- Tap Screenshots.
Here you will see every screenshot on your device. You can tap "Select", drag your finger to highlight hundreds of them, and hit delete. But this is risky—you might delete a screenshot of a password or recipe you actually still need.
Smart Cleaning Strategies
Instead of a blind "Select All + Delete," use a smarter approach with HEVCut's Smart Cleaner.
1. Filter by Date
Screenshots usually have a short shelf life. A screenshot from last week might still be relevant. A screenshot from 3 years ago? Almost certainly trash. HEVCut allows you to target "Screenshots older than 1 year" or "older than 6 months" for safe bulk deletion.
2. Identify Text-Heavy Images
Many unnecessary screenshots are just blocks of text (articles, tweets). While iOS OCR (Live Text) lets you search them, you rarely need to keep the image file once you've read it.
3. Screen Recordings
Don't forget video screenshots! Screen Recordings are separate from standard screenshots and are massive storage hogs.
- Go to Albums > Screen Recordings.
- Check for accidental long recordings. Sometimes users start recording and forget to stop, resulting in 20-minute videos of their home screen doing nothing. Delete these immediately.
Prevention Tips
To stop the pile-up in the future:
- "Copy and Delete": When you take a screenshot in iOS, tap the thumbnail in the corner immediately. Tap "Done", then choose "Copy and Delete". This lets you paste the image into a Message or Note without saving the file to your library permanently.
- Review Weekly: Make a habit of opening the "Screenshots" album on Sunday and clearing out the week's temporary captures.
Screenshots are tools, not memories. Treat them that way, and your photo library will feel much more personal and organized.