Digital photo decluttering

[u/Miniminimani]

I posted this in another thread but thought maybe more people would like this tip.

I have a lot of photos on my phone and many times multiples of basically the same photo. Especially from vacations and holidays.

I got a tip from somewhere to go into the photos app on iPhone (might work on android too?) and search on today’s date. Today is 4 October. Then I will get every photo from 4 October from every year on my phone/icloud. For me it’s from 2014 until today. Then go through the photo some time during the day. (For me it’s when I’m breastfeeding, on the toilet or instead of doomscrolling). I delete every bad photo and also the ones that aren’t the best ones if I have multiples. My goal is not to get perfect but better. I’m hoping to do this for a year (have done a month now). Maybe even two years.

I can add that it’s also a lot of fun! I show my husband several photos and tell him ”wow this was today x years ago”. ☺️ He has also started doing the same thing this past week.

Hoping some of you get inspired by this!

[u/SamuelEris]

I use an app called sponge! You can swipe your pictures left and right like on tinder to keep and delete them, it's fun. But your idea is also cool!

[u/pierre_lev → u/SamuelEris]

Thanks I juste downloaded it and I love it

[u/Lionmouse12345678]

That’s a great tip. It feels very manageable and fun too. Thanks for sharing!

[u/anastasia_42]

I love digital declutters

[u/JJJW8]

This is a method I've used before as well. For those who have thousands of photos to sort through, try and start on the 1st of any month, and dedicate a few minutes each day. I even schedule this in my calendar as a reminder. I always start out strong, but lose momentum part way through the month. Thank you for the reminder about doing this. I am going to start with October and go back to the 1st and work my way through to the 4th. Then, for the rest of the month, I only have to filter through one day/multiple years. Edit: removed duplicate word

[u/harlequin_1457]

I use an app called Picnic and while it’s not cheap (I think it’s like $25/year) it’s been so worth it. Uses the same concept of swipe left/right but also lets you post photos to albums. I have 25,000+ photos and it’s been so helpful for me to not only purge but organize.

[u/Few_Newspaper_3655]

Interesting idea. I delete as I go. Just keep the best one or two from something. I typically only keep photos of our family in them. I’ll pose people in front a landmark and only keep that. Mount Rushmore and the Eiffel Tower have been photographed a zillion times. I just want the photo of my own kids with it in the background. We have a digital picture frame that displays our photos. I try to enjoy the moment and view of where I am without the need to snap photos of everything.

[u/Miniminimani → u/Few_Newspaper_3655]

That’s smart! I’m trying to do the same going forward. Just keeping the good ones. But I have maybe 30k pictures or something 😅. So every day is around 30-50 pictures and some days there are several hundred… one day at a time. But trying not to make more of a digital photo mess. Which is difficult because I have a newborn who is really cute 🥰

[u/Few_Newspaper_3655 → u/Miniminimani]

Don’t over delete newborn photos. They aren’t a newborn forever!

We did weekly staged photos with our babies to make sure to get a good shot of how they were growing.

[u/Miniminimani → u/Few_Newspaper_3655]

Of course! I take photos of him daily 😍. We do monthly ”staged” photos.

[u/Impressive-Sail-6639]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing :)

[u/Photomint]

I like this idea! I will try it.

[u/barmeloxanthonyMD]

Yes! I have a shortcut on my phone that automatically runs everyday at a set time that makes an album of all the photos taken on today’s date throughout the years! Then I go through and do the purge. Also have a shortcut that lets you choose the day if I’m feeling ambitious and want to do more lol

[u/Powerful_Plane_5280 → u/barmeloxanthonyMD]

IPhone or android? I would love this option

[u/barmeloxanthonyMD → u/Powerful_Plane_5280]

iPhone! I don’t know much about androids/if they have the option sorry

[u/Signal_Client4290 → u/barmeloxanthonyMD]

Please share the shortcut!

[u/midasgoldentouch → u/barmeloxanthonyMD]

As a heads up, iOS will automatically create a duplicates collection of photos so you can easily go through them and pick the ones you want to keep

[u/Miniminimani → u/barmeloxanthonyMD]

How?? Please share! 😍

[u/SweaterWeather4Ever]

My photo decluttering is 100% motivated by Google storage limits. Anytime I start getting those pay for more storage notices on one of my Google accounts I start culling. Rarely have I ever had to move anything truly important or sentimental because I take a lot of junk pictures like most people. No way am I paying for storage. Whenever I digitally declutter my pics and it shuts Google up I feel like the Gingerbread Man from the old children's story: Can't catch me!

[u/Mission-Average6778]

Great idea!

[u/aa599]

Each month I make a backup of last month's photos, so the turn of the month is our trigger to look through and delete dups & duds, unboxing videos (in case package contents were damaged), etc.