Streamlining Phone Storage with Immich: Auto-Delete After Upload Feature?

[blackangelpr]

Is there an option in the Immich app to automatically delete photos from a device once they've been uploaded? Many users, including families with frequent photo-takers, find it challenging to manage device storage due to the sheer volume of pictures. Having an automatic delete feature would not only free up space but also remove the need for constant manual management. This would allow users to focus more on capturing moments rather than worrying about running out of storage.

Additionally, for frequent travelers, this feature could be particularly beneficial. In certain regions, there might be privacy concerns, and the ability to automatically clear photos from a device after they're safely stored could offer peace of mind.

[mmomjian]

Duplicate of #165 , I don’t think either android or iOS allow fully automatic deletion without user input.

[mkopnsrc]

It does allow it. Nextcloud App for Android seems to have this feature which auto deletes photos from device once the they are uploaded to Nextcloud server (self-hosted).

[Mathew-A-Mickle]

iOS has the ability as well for Nextcloud

[blackangelpr]

seems may be could ask after upload for user permission to delete local photos ? or at least an option to select
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/photokit/phassetchangerequest/1624062-deleteassets

[mmomjian]

This is how we currently handle deletions. It opens a pop up to prompt for permission.

[Hanibachi]

there doesn't seem to be any updates about the intentions of the devs to add this feature or not.
also ... i m a flutter dev and i m not exactly sure how diffrent is the process for native devs but i don't think there would be any issue with coding up an autoddelete function (from a platform prespective) . free up space is the feature that really put google photos on the map for most people, it would really make immich the deffacto media backup/sync choice compared to something like photoprism

[alextran1502]

As noted in #165, this feature will be implemented after the stable release

[rChilLab]

This feature could be highly valuable for many users wanting to use Immich as a full replacement for iCloud Photos or Google Photos, not just as a backup tool.

The idea:
• Automatic upload to Immich.
• Optional automatic deletion of local photos after successful upload (similar to how Nextcloud does it using PhotoKit).

This would allow users to fully offload their photos and free up local device storage without relying on cloud services.

Since the last comments on this topic are now around 10 months old, I wanted to kindly ask if there’s any update on the current status of this feature or if it’s still being considered.
This could make Immich a real self-hosted alternative to commercial cloud solutions for many users.

[alextran1502]

Yes it will be put in after we reach the stable release