Have you ever tried to clean up your iPhone photo library, only to find that some pictures simply refuse to go away? You open a photo, look for the trash icon, and it's nowhere to be found. In many cases, those "undeletable" pictures are sitting inside an album called "From My Mac" or "From My Computer." That's usually a sign that the photos were synced to your iPhone from a Mac or PC, rather than saved directly on the device.
Because these photos are managed as synced content, iOS treats them differently from photos taken with the iPhone camera or saved from apps. That's why you normally can't delete them one by one in the Photos app. The good news is that they are not permanently stuck on your iPhone. You can still remove them. In this guide, we'll walk through three practical ways to delete "From My Mac" photos on iPhone, explain the differences between them, and help you choose the method that fits what you actually want to remove.
Why You Can't Delete "From My Mac" Photos Directly
To delete "From My Mac" Album on iPhone or delete photos from "My Computer Folder" on iPhone, you should understand that photos saved in these albums are imported or synced from your Mac or PC via iTunes library or other photo transfer software. It's impossible to delete these synced photos using iPhone directly.
Why? This is a defect of iTunes syncing utility as it always tends to create a mirrored version of photo library on your iPhone without mixing it up with iCloud photos, and in prevention of users deleting photos by mistake, they decide to only allow you to delete those imported photos from their original place - Mac/Computer. Trash bin icon missing on photos? It is intended so.
Luckily, there are 3 easy ways to delete photos from "My Mac Album" on iPhone!
Method 1. Delete From My Mac Photos on iPhone Effortlessly
With DearMob iPhone Manager is a iPhone management software that allows users to backup/transfer iOS devices and transfer over 15 types of files between an iOS devices and computers. sort out and remove From My Mac photos on iPhone (15,14,13,etc.).
- Select and delete synced/imported iPhone photos
- Select and delete photos 'from My Mac' album
- Select and delete photos 'from My Computer' album
- Batch select and delete iPhone photos and albums
To get started, download and install DearMob iPhone Manager for Windows or for Mac computers.
Step 1. After launching DearMob iPhone Manager and connect your iPhone with the computer, click on 'Photo' icon.
Step 2. Browse your iPhone photo albums. Synchronized photos are stored in user generated albums.
Step 3. Select the photos you want to remove from the 'from my Mac' album, and click the Delete icon.
Step 4. Click 'Sync' button on the right corner, then all those undeletable Mac photos on your iPhone will be deleted right away easily.
Method 2. Delete From My Mac Folder on iPhone with iCloud
By using iCloud, you can delete photos from My Mac Photos album entirely on iPhone without computers.
Note:
You're not allowed to choose which photo you would like to delete. This method will erase all the photos synced from a computer.
Step 1. Go to Settings and tap your profile photo at the top to manage iCloud settings. If you are on old versions of iOS, you can find iCloud settings by scrolling down in settings.
Step 2. An alert will pop up saying that photos synced from iTunes (or Finder) will be removed.
Step 3. The operation cannot be un-done. Once you tap it, all those synced photos will be erased. If you don't have a copy of those photos on a computer, you will lose access to these photos forever.
Method 3. Delete From My Mac Photos on iPhone with iTunes
To remove photos marked 'from My Mac' or from 'My Computer' on iPhone using iTunes, there are basically two ways.
Note: Before removing synced photos, make sure the originals are still available on your Mac, PC, or another backup. Once the synced copies are removed from the iPhone, you may need the original source to restore them.
If you want to delete only the selected photos, use DearMob iPhone Manager instead！
way 1. Stop syncing all iTunes photos/albums: Connect the iPhone to to the computer, select the iPhone as you would to sync any other content. Go to the photos tab, unselect any photo folders that you do not wish to have on the phone, click on Apply or Sync. That will remove them.
Way 2. Sync with an empty photo album: Create a new empty folder on your computer, and select that empty folder to sync photos from and it should clear it out.
Which Is the Best Method to Delete Photos from My Mac on iPhone
The right method depends on whether you want to delete only a few synced photos or remove the entire "From My Mac" album.
Use DearMob iPhone Manager if you want to delete selected photos. This is the better choice if you only want to remove certain synced photos while keeping the rest. You can browse the album, select the unwanted photos, and delete them without clearing the entire collection.
Use iPhone/iCloud settings if you want to remove all synced photos. This method is more suitable when you no longer need any of the synced photos. It is simpler, but you usually cannot choose individual photos to remove.
Use Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes if you want to stop photo syncing. If the "From My Mac" album was created through computer syncing, you can remove or change the original sync source from your Mac or PC. This works well when you want to remove an entire synced album or prevent it from appearing again. If you only want to delete a few photos, start with Method 1. If you want to remove everything that was synced from your computer, Method 2 or Method 3 will usually be more appropriate.
FAQs
1. Why is there no trash icon on some photos on my iPhone?
Photos in a "From My Mac" or "From My Computer" album were usually synced from a Mac or PC. Because iOS treats them as synced content rather than photos created or saved directly on the iPhone, the Photos app may not show the usual trash icon for those items.
2. Can I delete only one photo from the "From My Mac" album?
Not normally from the iPhone Photos app. If the photos were synced from a computer, they are usually managed through the original sync source. If you only want to remove selected photos instead of the entire album, you can use a compatible iPhone photo management tool such as DearMob iPhone Manager.
3. Will deleting "From My Mac" photos also delete them from my Mac?
Removing the synced copies from your iPhone should not automatically delete the original photo files stored on your Mac or PC. Still, it is a good idea to make sure the original photos are safely backed up before changing or removing synced content.
4. Why does the "From My Mac" album keep coming back?
If your iPhone is still set to sync photos from the same folder or photo library on your computer, the album may appear again the next time you sync the device. To prevent this, check the photo sync settings on your Mac or PC and stop syncing the album or folder you no longer want.
5. Can I remove the entire "From My Mac" album at once?
Yes. If you no longer need any of the synced photos, you can remove or disable the original photo sync using the appropriate Apple device management option on your computer. This is usually easier than deleting photos individually.
6. What is the easiest way to delete only selected synced photos?
If you want to keep most of the album and remove only a few unwanted pictures, a tool that supports selective deletion is the more convenient option. DearMob iPhone Manager lets you browse synced albums, choose the photos you want to remove, and leave the rest untouched.
