Delete a photo image

[stefanmaine]

iPhone 6s Plus on iMac Ventura 13.3.1

At iPhone>Photos, I have a bunch of photographs. At iPhone>Photos>Library, all the photos appear in rows of three. Touching any one of the photos brings it forward, alone. At the bottom right corner appears a trashcan image, which when touched deletes the displayed image.

EXCEPT there is one, only one, image at iPhone>Photos>Library which, when touched (see attached), does not display the trashcan, so I am unable to delete it. There appears "Edit" and when I click on "Edit" there appears: "This photo is not editable. Do you want to duplicate it and edit a copy?" and "Duplicate and Edit" and "Cancel".

When I connect the iPhone to iMac>Image Capture, all the photos appear in a list, one above the other, except this "undeletable" image. It does not appear on Image Capture and so cannot be deleted by Image Capture.

Is there a way to delete this image?

Thank you.

 

[IWT]

I suspect that this photo was taken on another Device and found its way into your Photos app via "My Photo Stream". That's why it says

This photo is not editable. Do you want to duplicate it and edit a copy?" and "Duplicate and Edit" and "Cancel".

In other words that pic wasn't native to your Photos app.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

Is there a way to delete this image?

It looks like there are all kinds of suggestions here:

Google Search

and here:

this photo is not editable - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

And no, I do not have or use an iPhone but the method to delete such a photo seems to be pretty standard for any Apple iDevice.




- Patrick
=======

 

[IWT]

Nice find, Patrick - the link I mean. That particular link coincides with my view that the photo was synced to the iPhone. I suggested "My Photo Stream" only because that is a common way for pics to appear on the iPhone by syncing with another iDevice.

I'm sure there are other explanations. Perhaps @stefanmaine can tell us if "My Photo Stream" is turned "On" in any of the devices that person owns including, obviously, the iPhone itself.

(On iDevices: Settings > Photos > My Photo Stream)

Ian

 

[stefanmaine]

After a few tries following your welcome advice(s) I eventually ended up at iPhone>Settings>iCloud>Photos. At the prompt to turn that ON, there displayed a message warning me that proceeding would remove one of the existing 25 items.

Figuring (hoping) that one was the one, I copied all the others to Desktop on the iMac (just in case), and touched OK.

It's gone!

Once again, thank you both for your help.

A question: Exactly where are the remaining 24 photos now?

If I touch iPhone>Desktop>Photos as before, they appear instantly, just as before. The layout is a little different but otherwise the same (less one photo!).

So, are they on the iPhone or on the iCloud (wherever that is) ... or both?

 

[IWT]

I suspect that the pictures are both on your iPhone AND in iCloud - since you turned ON the option to sync your iPhone's pictures with iCloud.

You tell us that you have a backup of these pics in your Desktop (folder) on your Mac. There they will remain unless you decide differently.

I need you to help me here with your statement:

If I touch iPhone>Desktop>Photos

iDevices don't have a Desktop.

They do have screens starting with a Home Screen & each screen holds your apps.

I can only guess, but do you mean that you Tap on Settings, then Tap on the Photos? That would take you into the settings for the Photos app.

Or do you mean you open the iPhone and then Tap on the Photos app? That would certainly open that app and bring up all your pics/videos.

I'm only asking for reasons of clarity; I'm in no way trying to insult you

Ian

 

[stefanmaine]

When I set out to delete the "undeletable" photo, before doing anything, I copied all 25 images at iPhone>Photos onto iMac>Desktop. I did that just in case whatever I did next on the iPhone inadvertently deleted EVERYTHING. Thus, when the iCloud event deleted the undeletable, and it was clear the other 24 images remained at iPhone>Photos where they belonged, I deleted the copies on the iMac's Desktop. Again, they had been put there "just in case."

"iDevices don't have a Desktop."
This conversation is the first time I have encountered the term iDevices. Googling it suggests it's an app. LaunchPad on my iMac did not find it. Searching "iDevices" on Spotlight Search on the iMac revealed two: Keyboard and Mouse, and, of course, as you say, neither has a Desktop.

"I can only guess, but do you mean that you Tap on Settings, then Tap on the Photos? Or do you mean you open the iPhone and then Tap on the Photos app?"
I mean the latter. I open the iPhone and then Tap (thanks for the correct term — I've been using "touch") the Photos app. Originally, among the photos that displayed there was the "undeletable" photo to which I could do nothing because "This photo is not editable ...". Those words are what brought me here.

"I'm in no way trying to insult you"
I migrated from Microsoft, my computer home since the birth of DOS, to Apple (a MacBook Pro) in 2011. Transitioning, I visited various Mac-related forums. When I discovered this one, I stayed. No one here has ever insulted me. Au contraire! This is by far the most polite — and helpful, and clear, and informative, and teaching — Mac forum I have ever been to. Indeed, your thinking to write "I'm in no way trying to insult you" is evidence of the mature, sensible sensitivity that resides here. Which reminds me, not long ago, it seemed like this forum was disappearing ... or moving. Happily it remains.

 

[pm-r]

This conversation is the first time I have encountered the term iDevices. Googling it suggests it's an app.

In the future, when using a Google search for information about an unknown, try using this format:
what is iDevice

The result should provide you with a list of hits and definitions which you could investigate further if needed.

ie:

Google Search

That is an official suggested Google method by the way.



- Patrick
=======

 

[IWT]

A very lovely response @stefanmaine. Thank you.

In common parlance an iDevice means any Apple Device that uses the operating system called iOS. In reality, this applies to all iPhones & iPads. It's a term we use to cover any such device that the Original Poster has in their possession. Hence no Desktop

For Macintosh computers, the operating system is macOS "something" eg Monterey, Ventura or earlier.

It looks like your problem is solved??

If so, - hurrah. If problems persist, please carry on and ask.

Ian

 

[stefanmaine]

"try using this format: what is iDevice"
Will do.

"the operating system is macOS 'something'"
OK. I have added that to the list at the left.

"It looks like your problem is solved?"
Yup. Thanks to you two.

 

[IWT]

Yup. Thanks to you two.

There you are, Patrick. Mentioned in despatches

Ian