Apple - Is it possible to wipe an entire iCloud Photo Library?

Photos on the Mac makes this trivial to accomplish. Similarly with the improved web interface, this is a two step process.

  • Command A - select all
  • Delete
  • Select All Photos album
  • File - Show Recently Deleted
  • click the Delete All button in the top right
  • be patient and wait for the deletion to happen everywhere and filter down to all devices that are syncing from the cloud

Photos for OS X released with 10.10.3 has the changes needed for easy cleaning:

  • Open your Photos library that is the system library
  • File -> Show Recently Deleted
  • Select Delete All in the top right
  • Repeat as often as needed if the app is still downloading new photos from the cloud

You can also delete 1,000 photos a time using the web interface in 2019 at https://icloud.com/#photos


There IS in fact a way to mass delete photos up to 1,000 at a time in the iCloud Photo Library web interface.

  1. Click 'Select Photos' at the top
  2. Select the very first photo
  3. Scroll all the way to the bottom
  4. Hold the SHIFT key and click the last photo (this will select everything in between)
  5. Click 'Delete' at the top