How to Permanently Delete Photos on Mac?

Quick Navigation:

• Why You Might Want to Delete Mac Photos Permanently?
• Methods to Securely and Permanently Delete Photos on Mac
• Conclusion
• FAQs About Deleting Photos on Mac

Taking care of your Mac photo library can be hard, especially when you want to keep it clean and organized. Over time, we take many photos, from precious moments to random snapshots. That's why it's important to know how to remove photos you don't want.

However, deleting isn't just a way to free up space on your hard drive; it's also a way to protect your privacy and keep your digital life under control. This guide will show you several ways to permanently remove photos on your Mac, giving you control over your photo library.

If you want to remove old photos, organize your files, or regain valuable storage space, you must know how to delete images permanently. Come along with us as we review some easy but effective ways to clean up your photo files and make your Mac run more smoothly.

Why You Might Want to Delete Mac Photos Permanently?

Getting rid of photos from your Mac permanently can help you with some important things, such as:

• Freeing Up Storage Space: High-quality Images can take up a lot of disk space. By removing unnecessary photos, you can make room for new files and apps.
• Enhancing Privacy: Some photos may contain private or sensitive information you'd rather not keep. Permanently removing these photos helps protect your privacy and prevent other people from seeing them.
• Improving Organization: Your photo library can get crowded with copies or photos you don't need over time. Removing photos you don't want can help you keep your collection more organized and easily handled.
• Reducing Backup Size: If you use cloud services for backups, having a lot of photos in your library can increase storage costs. Getting rid of photos you don't need reduces the size of your backups, which saves you money.
• Streamlining Search and Retrieval: It can be hard to find specific photos in a photo library that is too full of them. You can look for and find important files more quickly and easily if you delete unwanted photos permanently.

Methods to Securely and Permanently Delete Photos on Mac

Method 1: Using Finder to Delete Photos

You can use Finder to delete photo files directly from your Mac's storage if you'd rather not use Finder. Here is how to do it:

• Open Finder: To open a new Finder window, click the Finder icon in the Dock.
• Find Your Photos Folder: Your Photos Library is usually in the "photos" folder. Open the Photos Library file and click "Show Package Contents" to access the photos.
• Delete the Desired Photos: Your photos are stored in files inside the library. You can find the photos you want to delete there. Right-click on the item you want to move and select "Move to Trash."
• Empty the Trash: Once you've put the photos in the trash, you must empty them to ensure they're gone permanently. Right-click on the Dock's Trash icon and select "Empty Trash."

Method 2: Permanently Deleting Photos Using Terminal

For more experienced users, the Terminal can be a powerful way to delete files permanently. This method deletes things right away without going through the Trash. But be careful, because this move can't be taken back. To do this task, do the following things:

• Open Terminal: Find Applications > Utilities > Terminal and click on it to open Terminal.
• Locate Your Photos: Use the cd command to get to the folder with the photos you want to delete. For instance, type: if your photos are in the photos folder
  cd ~/photos
• Delete Photos: Type rm followed by the filename to remove a particular photo. As an example:
  rm filename.jpg
  To remove several photos, list their names with spaces between them or use a wildcard. As an example:
  rm *.jpg
• Verify Deletion: If you go back to the Finder and look in the folder, you can see that the photos have been deleted.

Please note that the deleted photos are not lost for good and they can be recovered by data recovery software.

Method 3: Permanently Deleting Photos Using Data Erasure Software

To permanently delete or shred photos from your Mac, you can try Mac data erasure program - such as DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac. This Mac data erasure program will permanently erase the selected photos, overwrite the disk space of the erased photos, making data recovery be impossible.

Step 1: Download and Install DoYourData Super Eraser: Click Download button, download DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac on Mac and then install it.

Step 2: Launch the Application: After installing DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, open it. Its simple design makes it easy to navigate and use all of its features.

Step 3: Select the Deletion Mode: DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac has different file deletion methods. To permanently delete photos, select the "Eraser Files/Folders" option. You can now select which files to delete.

Step 4: Add Photos for Deletion: To add photos to delete, click the "Add" button and look through your Mac's folders. Find the photos you want to remove and add them to the software's screen. You can choose several photos at once and delete them all at once.

Step 5: Choose the Security Level: When you delete a file with DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, you can pick a level of security. Higher security settings ensure that the files are overwritten more than once, making it hard to get them back. Choose the amount you want based on your needs.

Step 6: Start the Deletion Process: Deleting starts when you hit the "Erase Now" button after adding your photos and setting the level of security. There will be a confirmation text box to make sure you want to delete the file permanently. Make your choice official.

Step 7: Complete the Process: When the deletion is complete, Super Eraser will show a list of the deleted files. You can now be sure your chosen photos have been deleted from your Mac forever and can't be recovered.

Other Data Erasure Modes:

• Wipe Hard Drive: Permanently erase all data including photos from a hard drive.
• Wipe Free Space: Wipe free disk space of a hard drive to permanently erase all already deleted/formatted/lost data from the hard drive.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, managing your photo library well on a Mac is important for staying organized and protecting your privacy. If you know the different ways to delete photos permanently, you can free up room on your computer and make your digital life easier.

There is a safe way to permanently remove unwanted images, whether you use Finder, Terminal, or a specific tool like DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac. Regularly going through your digital photos and getting rid of ones you don't need speeds up your Mac and makes you more aware of how you use it. Take back control of your photo files to make your Mac run better and cleaner.

FAQs About Deleting Photos on Mac

1. I delete the photos, empty Recently Deleted folder and trash bin, are the photos recoverable?

Yes, the deleted photos are still stored on your Mac and can be easily recovered by data recovery software. If you want to permanently remove them from your Mac, you should use special method to erase them.

2. How to permanently delete photos on Mac?

Mac data erasure program - such as DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac can help you securely and permanently erase photos on Mac:

• Download and install DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac.
• Open DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac.
• Choose Erase Files/Folders mode.
• Click Add to add photos.
• Click on Erase Now button to permanently erase them.

3. What is the best photo shredder for Mac?

Here is the list of top 5 Mac file shredder software:

• DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac
• AweEraser for Mac
• Donemax Data Eraser for Mac
• File Shredder
• File Eraser

4. Should I erase the photos from my Mac?

If you will sell, donate or dispose of your old Mac computer, you should permanently erase all your private files including the photos from your Mac.

DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac is a powerful Mac file shredder. It can help you shred, destroy and erase photos from your Mac's hard drive. Why should use this software to permanently erase Mac photos? The reason is simple: it is powerful and easy-to-use. With certified data erasure methods, DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac will completely erase your Mac photos and overwrite the disk space to prevent the erased photos from being recovered. It means your Mac photos will be lost forever, can't be recovered by any data recovery method.