How I Accidentally Uploaded 50,000 Photos to Google Photos — and How I Fixed It

We’ve all had those moments where technology seems to conspire against us. Recently, I found myself in an incredibly bizarre predicament: I unwittingly uploaded a staggering 50,000 explicit photos to my Google Photos account. Panic set in as I desperately searched for a way to resolve this dilemma quickly.

Initially, I was frustrated to discover that there wasn’t a straightforward option to undo or delete photos based on their upload date. The standard interface of Google Photos became sluggish and unresponsive when I attempted to remove even a small selection of around 5,000 images. To make matters worse, these images were scattered among my personal photos, making it even harder to filter out the unwanted content.

The Solution

After some trial and error, I eventually discovered a way to reclaim my account without the need for drastic measures like deleting my entire account. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Access the Right View: I navigated to the “View uploaded photos” option within the Google Photos desktop application. This feature offers a more manageable way to see photos by their upload date.

2. Delete in Batches: To avoid overwhelming the system, I carefully selected and deleted 1,499 photos at a time. It seemed that the platform had a threshold, as attempting to delete 1,500 or more at once resulted in the site crashing.

3. Be Patient: The process took time, but I found it was the most effective method for cleaning up my gallery without resorting to more drastic actions.

Conclusion

With persistence and a strategic approach, I was able to restore order to my Google Photos account. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, remember that there is often a way out. Don’t give up — with a bit of patience and careful planning, you can tackle this challenge head-on. The nightmare is finally over, and I can return to enjoying my photo library without those 50,000 rogue images looming over me.