How To Delete Images On Chromebook | Fast Clean-Up Tips

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To delete images on a Chromebook, remove them from Files, Google Photos, or app folders and empty Trash to clear storage space.

If you are unsure how to delete images on Chromebook, the steps are short once you know where each picture is stored.

How To Delete Images On Chromebook From Files App

Most pictures you save, download, or grab with a screenshot land in the Files app. This file manager is where you remove local images from Downloads, My files, and connected drives.

Understand Where Chromebook Images Live

When you open Files, you see shortcut views such as Recent, Images, Videos, and Audio in the left sidebar. These views show files from several folders at once. They are handy for browsing, but you cannot delete items directly from these views. Instead, you need to move to the real folder, such as Downloads, Google Drive, or an external drive, before you remove the file.

On many devices, Downloads and other folders under My files hold the bulk of old screenshots, social media downloads, and random pictures. Cleaning these folders frees storage and also makes the Recent and Images views less cluttered.

Delete A Single Image In Files

  1. Open Files — Select the Launcher circle, type “files”, then press Enter to open the Files app.
  2. Go To The Real Folder — In the left sidebar, pick Downloads, a custom folder under My files, Google Drive, or an attached drive instead of Recent or Images.
  3. Select The Image — Click once on the picture you no longer need.
  4. Send It To Trash — At the top right of the Files window, choose the Trash icon, or right-click the file and pick Move to trash.
  5. Confirm Permanent Delete If Asked — On some folders, such as Downloads on older ChromeOS versions, you might see a prompt that warns you the file will be removed permanently. Accept the prompt only when you are sure.
  6. Check Trash — When a Trash folder is available, the image moves there instead of disappearing at once. You can restore it later until you empty the Trash.

Delete Many Chromebook Images At Once

Bulk cleanup is perfect after a big download session or a screenshot spree. The Files app lets you pick several items so you can move them to Trash in one action.

  1. Select A Group Of Images — Hold Ctrl and click each picture, or click the first image, hold Shift, then click the last one in a range.
  2. Review What You Selected — Scroll through the selected files to make sure nothing you still need is included.
  3. Move The Batch To Trash — Press Alt + Backspace, tap the Trash icon, or right-click the selection and choose Move to trash.
  4. Repeat In Other Folders — Switch to other folders such as Downloads, Camera, or custom folders and repeat the same batch delete process.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts To Delete Faster

On a Chromebook keyboard there is no dedicated Delete button labeled Delete, yet you still have quick shortcuts that remove images in Files. The most common one is Alt + Backspace, which performs a forward delete. Inside the Files app, Alt + Backspace on a selected file acts the same as choosing the Trash icon. You can also open Files quickly with Shift + Alt + M on many devices.

Location How Deletion Works Trash Behavior
Downloads Delete from Files or use Alt + Backspace on selected images. Newer Chromebooks send files to Trash, older ones may remove them at once.
My Files (other folders) Delete inside Files like any local folder. Files usually move to Trash until you empty it.
Google Drive Delete from the Drive section in Files or at drive.google.com. Items go to Google Drive trash and stay there until removed.
External USB or SD card Delete from the External storage section when the drive is not read-only. No Chromebook Trash; deletion removes the file from the device.

Delete Images Stored In Google Photos On Chromebook

Google Photos keeps pictures in your Google Account, not just on one Chromebook. When you delete an image here, it disappears from the cloud and from every device that syncs with that account after a short delay.

From your Chromebook browser you can manage cloud photos through the web interface at photos.google.com. The Google Photos delete guide explains in detail what happens when you remove items and how long they stay in Trash.

Delete A Few Google Photos

  1. Open Google Photos — In Chrome, go to photos.google.com and sign in with your Google Account.
  2. Pick The Images — Hover over a picture and click the checkmark that appears. Select every photo you want to remove.
  3. Move Them To Trash — At the top right, click the Trash icon. Google Photos warns you that the items will be moved to Trash across your account.
  4. Review Trash — Open the Trash section in the left sidebar to confirm the images now sit there. They usually remain for around 60 days before permanent removal.

Clear Lots Of Google Photos At Once

For a big cleanout, use the selection tools in Google Photos. You can hold Shift to pick a range in an album or on the main Photos timeline, then send hundreds of images to Trash in a few clicks. This change affects storage for your whole Google account, which helps when you are close to your Drive and Gmail storage limit.

Remove Images From Google Drive And External Storage

Many Chromebook owners store work pictures, graphics, and downloads in Google Drive, either through the web or through the Drive section inside Files. Deleting there has different effects than deleting from local folders.

In Files, Google Drive appears alongside My files. Deleting from this section moves items to Drive trash, which also shows up at drive.google.com. The official Chromebook file help page walks through how Trash works for local storage and cloud storage on ChromeOS.

Delete Images In Google Drive From Files

  1. Open Files And Select Google Drive — In the left pane of Files, choose Google Drive and then My Drive or a shared folder.
  2. Choose The Images To Remove — Click single pictures or hold Ctrl or Shift to select several at once.
  3. Delete To Drive Trash — Use the Trash icon, right-click and select Move to trash, or press Alt + Backspace.
  4. Finish Cleanup In Drive — On another tab, open drive.google.com, open Trash, and delete items forever when you are certain you no not need them.

Delete Images On USB Drives Or SD Cards

  1. Attach The Drive — Plug in the USB stick or insert the SD card. It appears in the Files sidebar under External storage.
  2. Open The Image Folder — Common folders include DCIM, Pictures, or a custom folder created by a camera.
  3. Delete The Pictures — Select the files and press Alt + Backspace or use the Trash icon.
  4. Check For Read-Only Locks — If deletion fails, look for a physical lock switch on the SD card or a message about read-only media. Move the switch away from the lock symbol or change settings on another device, then try again.
  5. Eject The Drive Safely — In Files, click the eject icon beside the drive name before unplugging it to avoid data errors.

Delete Screenshots, Camera Photos, And Android App Images

ChromeOS can save pictures from the built-in camera, the screenshot tool, and Android apps. All of them end up in folders that you can reach through the Files app once you know where to look.

Clean Up Screenshots And Downloads

By default, the screenshot tool sends files to the Downloads folder, often inside a Screenshots subfolder. Over time this folder fills with PNG files that take up storage and clutter your file lists.

  1. Open Downloads In Files — In the left panel, pick Downloads, then open any Screenshots subfolder you see.
  2. Sort Or Search For Screenshot Names — Use the sort menu at the top right to sort by file type or date, or type “Screenshot” into the search box.
  3. Delete Old Screenshots — Use multi-select with Ctrl or Shift, then move unwanted items to Trash.

Delete Pictures Taken With The Camera App

The Camera app on a Chromebook usually stores photos in the Camera folder inside My files or in Downloads. You can remove these images inside the Camera app’s gallery or from Files, whichever feels more natural.

  1. Open The Camera Gallery — Launch the Camera app and select the gallery thumbnail in the bottom corner.
  2. Delete From The Gallery — Click the Trash icon on images you no longer want. This option removes the file from storage.
  3. Or Delete From Files — Close Camera, open Files, go to the Camera or Downloads folder, and delete the pictures there instead.

Remove Images Saved By Android Apps

Apps from the Play Store can save photos in separate Android folders that may not show at first. To reach them, open the three dot menu in Files and enable the option to show all Play folders. After that, Files reveals an Android or Play files section with familiar folders such as DCIM, Pictures, and Movies.

  1. Show Android Folders In Files — In Files, click the three dots at the top right and turn on Show all Play folders.
  2. Open The Android Or Play Files Section — In the sidebar, choose the Android storage entry, then head into DCIM, Pictures, or app folders.
  3. Delete App Images — Select and delete the files you no longer need. Take care with shared folders, since other apps might still rely on those pictures.

Empty Trash And Recover Deleted Images

Trash gives you a safety net, but it still counts toward storage. Once you confirm that you no longer need items that sit in Trash, clear it so the space is free again. You can also restore pictures when you change your mind within the grace period.

Empty Trash In The Files App

  1. Open The Trash Folder — In the Files sidebar, choose Trash. On some Chromebooks, this appears only after you delete at least one item.
  2. Scan The Contents — Look through the list and confirm that no image in the folder still matters to you.
  3. Empty Trash — Click Empty trash at the top of the window and confirm. ChromeOS removes all items from local Trash at once.

Restore Images From Trash

  1. Open Trash In Files Or Google Drive — Choose Trash in the Files app for local items or open the Trash section in Drive on the web.
  2. Right-Click The Image — On the picture you want back, right-click (or tap with two fingers on a touchpad).
  3. Choose Restore — Pick Restore from trash. The image returns to its original folder so you can open it again in Files or apps.

Use Google Photos Trash

Google Photos has its own Trash that holds images for a limited time before final removal. You reach it through the Trash link in the left sidebar at photos.google.com. Items in Google Photos Trash do not appear in the Chromebook Files Trash, so you handle cloud and local cleanup separately.

Fix Problems When Chromebook Images Will Not Delete

Sometimes you press delete and nothing happens, or the option is greyed out. These checks solve the most common obstacles when you try to remove Chromebook images.

  • Check The Actual Folder — If Files shows you in Recent or Images, right-click the picture and choose Show file location. Delete it from the true folder instead.
  • Close Apps Using The File — When an image stays open in an editor, browser tab, or Android app, ChromeOS may block deletion. Close those apps, then try again in Files.
  • Check Google Drive Rights — In shared Drive folders, you might only have view access. In that case, you can remove items from your view but only the owner can delete the file completely.
  • Remove Read-Only Flags On External Media — SD cards and some USB drives have a read-only lock. Move the physical switch away from the lock symbol or change settings on another computer, then reconnect the drive to delete images.
  • Restart The Chromebook — A quick restart clears glitches in the Files app and often restores normal delete options.

Smart Habits To Keep Chromebook Image Storage Tidy

Once you know how picture deletion works across Files, Google Photos, and Drive, you can set up habits that stop clutter before it grows. ChromeOS also includes tools that show where storage is going so you can take action early.

Under Settings > Device > Storage management you can review how much space images, videos, and other files use. The system includes shortcuts to open Downloads, clear browser data, and review Android storage, which lines up with advice in Google’s free up space on Chromebook help article.

  • Make Downloads Temporary — Treat Downloads as a short-term holding area. Move long-term pictures to Google Photos or Google Drive and delete the copies in Downloads.
  • Schedule A Quick Weekly Clean — Once a week, open Files, sort by date in Downloads and Screenshots, and move older images you do not need to Trash.
  • Use Albums For Photos You Keep — In Google Photos, place keepers into albums. That makes bulk deletion of “uncategorized” shots easier later.
  • Watch Storage Warnings — When ChromeOS shows low storage warnings, make Files your first stop and clear out large images, downloads, and videos.

With these steps in place, deleting images on Chromebook becomes quick and predictable. You know which tool handles each type of picture, where Trash lives, and how to recover files when you act in time.