Brindo › Clean out your camera roll

How to clean out your camera roll fast

Updated 5 November 2026 · By the Brindo team

Short answer: clear screenshots and duplicates in bulk first, then go through the rest one photo at a time, newest month first, in a swipe app such as Brindo: right to keep, left to remove. Delete what you removed in one go, and empty Recently Deleted when you’re sure.

Thousands of photos, storage always full, and you’ve been putting it off for years because you don’t know where to start. This order makes it manageable, and keeps the photos you love safe.

1. Back up first

Copy your library to a computer. iCloud Photos is not enough on its own: a photo deleted on your iPhone is deleted everywhere.

2. Clear screenshots and duplicates in bulk

Screenshots: in Photos, tap Collections, then Media Types → Screenshots. Old receipts, codes and memes can go in one selection.
Duplicates: Collections → Utilities → Duplicates, then Merge. Photos keeps one version of each.
Big videos: in Collections, open Media Types → Videos. A few forgotten videos can weigh more than hundreds of photos.

3. Go through the rest one photo at a time

A crumpled photo beside a crossed circle, and a photo flying to a heart

This is the part that frees the most space: blurry photos, accidental photos, ten photos of the same thing. It is much easier as one decision per photo.

Start with the last month. It is the easiest to judge. Then go back one month at a time.
Swipe instead of tapping. Right ♥ to keep, left ✕ to remove. Brindo shows one photo at a time and picks up where you left off, so you can stop whenever you like.
Decide each group once. Brindo brings similar photos together on one card: keep your favourite and hold ✕ to clear the rest.
When in doubt, keep it. You’re clearing the clutter, not judging your memories.

4. Look over the pile, then delete in one go

Removing a photo in Brindo only puts it in Brindo’s trash. When you’re done, open the trash, look it over once, and tap Delete. iOS asks you to confirm, and the photos go to Recently Deleted.

5. Get the space back

Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days and still use space until then. Once you’re sure, open Photos → Collections → Recently Deleted and delete them for good.

6. Keep it clean

A few minutes after a weekend or a party is easier than a whole afternoon once a year. And the photos you kept, including ones you’d forgotten, are worth looking at again: make an album of them.

Questions people ask

What is the fastest way to clean up my camera roll?

Clear screenshots and exact duplicates in bulk first, then go through the rest one photo at a time with a swipe app, starting with the most recent month. Delete everything you removed in one go at the end.

How do I delete a lot of photos at once on iPhone?

In Photos, tap Select and drag your finger across the photos to select many at once, then tap the trash icon. To delete in bulk safely, collect the photos first, look them over once, then delete them together, which is how swipe apps like Brindo work.

I have 20,000 photos on my phone. Where do I start?

Start with the last month, not 2015. It’s the easiest to judge and you’ll finish it quickly. Then go back one month at a time. Brindo picks up where you left off, so you can stop whenever you like.

Will cleaning my camera roll free up space right away?

Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. The space comes back when you empty Recently Deleted or after 30 days.

What should I do with the photos I keep?

Make albums from them: a birthday, a weekend away, a year with the kids. In Brindo you can turn the photos you kept into an album and share it, or make a shared album friends add their photos to.