Is there a Select All button in iPhone Photos?

Only inside albums. Open an album, tap Select, then tap Select All in the top-left corner. The main Library view has no Select All button, so you drag to select instead.

How do I select all photos on my iPhone at once?

Scroll to the bottom of your Library, tap Select, and start dragging from the newest photo. Keep that finger down and tap the top of the screen with a second finger. Photos jumps to the top and selects everything on the way.

How do I select multiple photos on iPhone without tapping each one?

Tap Select, touch a photo, and slide your finger across the row and then down. Photos keeps selecting as the screen scrolls. Lift your finger to stop.

How do I unselect photos on iPhone?

Tap a checked photo to uncheck it, or drag across checked photos to uncheck a whole range. Tap Cancel to clear the whole selection.

If I select all and delete, are my photos gone from iCloud?

If iCloud Photos is on, yes. Deletes sync to iCloud and your other devices. They sit in Recently Deleted for about 30 days, then they are gone. Back up first, and see /blog/delete-photos-from-iphone-not-icloud for safer options.

Photo cleanup guide

How to select all photos on iPhone (no Select All button? Try this)

How to select all photos on iPhone: use Select All inside an album, or the drag and two-finger trick in your Library. Plus what to check before you delete.

By Pikondo team · Updated October 9, 2026

Pikondo review screen where marked photos can be checked before deletion

Short answer: the main Library in the iPhone Photos app has no Select All button. Inside an album, there is one: open the album, tap Select, then tap Select All in the top-left corner. For your whole Library, tap Select, then drag your finger across the photos and down the screen. To grab everything fast, start at the bottom and tap the top of the screen with a second finger while the first finger stays down. Back up first if you plan to delete.

Short answer: 3 ways to select all photos on iPhone

In an album: tap Select, then Select All. This picks every item in that album only.
In your Library: tap Select, then drag across and down. Photos keeps selecting as it scrolls.
Everything at once: drag from the bottom photo, then tap the top of the screen with a second finger. The grid jumps to the top and selects all on the way.

Way 1: Select All inside an album

Open Photos and scroll down to your albums. Open the one you want, like Screenshots or Recently Deleted.
Tap Select in the top-right corner.
Tap Select All in the top-left corner.
Check the count at the bottom of the screen. Then share, add to an album, or delete.

Way 2: Drag to select many photos in your Library

Open Photos and go to your Library with All Photos showing.
Tap Select.
Touch the first photo and slide your finger sideways across the row.
Without lifting, slide down. Photos scrolls and keeps adding rows.
Lift your finger to stop. Drag over checked photos to uncheck them.

Way 3: Select your whole Library with two fingers

Open your Library with All Photos showing and scroll to the very bottom.
Tap Select.
Touch the newest photo in the bottom-right corner and slide left a little to start selecting.
Keep that finger down. With a second finger, tap the top of the screen near the clock.
The grid jumps to the top and selects every photo on the way. Check the count before you do anything else.

Select all photos on a Mac instead

If iCloud Photos is on, your Mac has the same library. Open Photos on the Mac, choose Library, and press Command-A. That selects everything at once. This is often easier for very large libraries.

Before you delete everything you selected

Back up first. If iCloud Photos is on, deleting on your iPhone also deletes from iCloud and your other devices. See /blog/back-up-iphone-photos.
Want to keep them in iCloud? Read /blog/delete-photos-from-iphone-not-icloud before you tap Delete.
Deleted photos go to Recently Deleted for about 30 days and still use space. Empty it to get the space back—see /blog/empty-recently-deleted-photos-iphone.
Deleting your whole library is rarely what you need. Clearing screenshots, duplicates, and blurry shots often frees enough space without losing keepers.

How Pikondo fits (and where it stops)

Pikondo does not select or delete your whole library at once. It helps you review clutter: duplicates and similar shots, screenshots, and blurry photos. Swipe to keep or mark, check the marked list, then confirm. Deletes go through your Photos library and follow the same Recently Deleted and iCloud rules as the Photos app.

Related guides

For more on photos and storage, see deleting photos at /blog/how-to-delete-photos-iphone, clearing screenshots at /blog/delete-iphone-screenshots, deleting duplicates at /blog/delete-duplicate-photos-iphone, emptying Recently Deleted at /blog/empty-recently-deleted-photos-iphone, backing up iPhone photos at /blog/back-up-iphone-photos, and freeing iPhone storage at /blog/free-up-iphone-storage.

The key point

Use Select All inside albums. In your Library, drag to select, or use the two-finger trick to grab everything. Back up and check the count before you delete.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Select All button in iPhone Photos?: Only inside albums. Open an album, tap Select, then tap Select All in the top-left corner. The main Library view has no Select All button, so you drag to select instead.
How do I select all photos on my iPhone at once?: Scroll to the bottom of your Library, tap Select, and start dragging from the newest photo. Keep that finger down and tap the top of the screen with a second finger. Photos jumps to the top and selects everything on the way.
How do I select multiple photos on iPhone without tapping each one?: Tap Select, touch a photo, and slide your finger across the row and then down. Photos keeps selecting as the screen scrolls. Lift your finger to stop.
How do I unselect photos on iPhone?: Tap a checked photo to uncheck it, or drag across checked photos to uncheck a whole range. Tap Cancel to clear the whole selection.
If I select all and delete, are my photos gone from iCloud?: If iCloud Photos is on, yes. Deletes sync to iCloud and your other devices. They sit in Recently Deleted for about 30 days, then they are gone. Back up first, and see /blog/delete-photos-from-iphone-not-icloud for safer options.