I would like to provide some feedback regarding the current method of deleting photos and videos on Google Maps. As it stands, the process — which requires going to “My Contributions” and selecting each photo or video individually to delete — is quite cumbersome and time-consuming, especially for us Local Guides who have uploaded thousands of media files.
Suggestions for Improvement:
It would be extremely helpful if you could implement a feature that allows us to select and delete multiple photos or videos at once. A checkbox function for bulk actions would be ideal.
An advanced search or filter option within the “Photos” tab would be beneficial to quickly find specific uploads based on date, location, or category.
These improvements would save us a lot of time and significantly enhance the user-friendliness of Google Maps.
Thank you for considering this feedback. I look forward to seeing potential enhancements in the future.
Hi @AlKiefah , welcome back to Connect, and thanks for your suggestions.
I fully agree with you about the difficulty steps we actually have to take to delete a photo, and I really appreciate your idea.
To make it more visible I am changing your category to Google Maps tips & tricks - Local Guides Connect, where it fits better.
As you mentioned the need to delete photos I also wanted to check your contributions.
Your last contributions seem to be related to a real estate business.
According to the rules this kind of location must not be in Google Maps.
If a real estate business wants to display an apartment on sale they can use their own website, not add them in Google Maps. Please check Places you can't add to the map - Google Maps Help
Hello @AlKiefah I read your suggestion and agree the current process is tedious. But I’m curious as to what type of scenario would lead to a need for deleting massive numbers of photos or videos. How do you see this enhanced feature being useful? I only ever need to delete one or two photos on very rare occasions.
@tony_b it seems @ErmesT already gave a hint: “Your last contributions seem to be related to a real estate business. According to the rules this kind of location must not be in Google Maps.” Either he realized having posted many photos not obeying the rules and wants to correct it or continues (while obeying the rules) using Maps for temporarily showing photos for commercial purposes and needs to delete them after the object was sold or the photo is outdated for other reasons.
But I agree with you, normally we wouldn’t need a bulk delete, but an “advanced search or filter” would be really helpful in many situations.
thank you a lot for your response and for moving my suggestion to a more appropriate category. I appreciate your feedback and your agreement regarding the complexity of deleting photos on Google Maps.
Regarding the issue you mentioned about my contributions being related to a real estate business, I would like to clarify a few things:
Compliance with Guidelines: I was not aware that listings related to real estate are not permitted on Google Maps. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention and will review the guidelines more thoroughly.
Intent of My Contributions: My intention was not to advertise properties but to provide genuine and helpful information to other users based on my experiences. If any of my contributions were against the rules, I apologize and am willing to correct or remove them if necessary.
Request for Clarification: Could you please specify which contributions are problematic or which parts of the guidelines they might have violated? This information would help me ensure that all my future contributions comply with Google Maps’ policies.
Thank you again for your guidance and support. I look forward to your response.
Thank you for your response and for agreeing that the current process can be tedious. I appreciate your interest in understanding the need for an enhanced feature to delete multiple photos or videos at once.
Regarding your question:
As a Local Guide, I often upload a large number of photos and videos to help other users make informed decisions. However, there are several scenarios that create a need for deleting multiple photos or videos at once:
Content Updates: Businesses and locations frequently change — renovations, new management, or updated services. In such cases, older photos can become outdated or misleading, making it necessary to delete them in bulk.
Quality Control: Sometimes, after reviewing my contributions, I notice that some photos may not meet the quality standards I aim for (e.g., lighting, focus, or relevance). Deleting them one by one becomes very time-consuming.
Policy Compliance: If certain contributions are flagged as potentially violating guidelines, it would be much more efficient to manage them in bulk instead of reviewing and deleting them individually.
Accidental Uploads: In some cases, multiple photos may be mistakenly uploaded to the wrong location. A bulk deletion option would help quickly rectify such errors.
How the Enhanced Feature Would Be Useful:
A feature that allows users to select and delete multiple photos or videos simultaneously — possibly with a checkbox function — would save significant time and effort. Additionally, a search or filter option within the “Photos” tab to sort by date, location, or other criteria would help manage contributions more effectively.
I hope this clarifies the scenarios where a bulk deletion feature would be beneficial. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
Ich habe Feedback über die App an Google gesendet — mal sehen, was dabei herauskommt. Ich halte Dich auf dem Laufenden, falls ich eine Rückmeldung erhalte!
Thank you for your message and for sharing your perspective. I would like to clarify that the properties I contributed photos of are not for sale, and I am not using Google Maps for any illegal or commercial purposes. My intention has always been to provide helpful and genuine information for the community based on my experiences.
The reason I suggested a bulk delete feature is to manage my contributions more efficiently, especially when it comes to updating or removing outdated or less relevant photos. An advanced search or filter option, as you mentioned, would indeed be a fantastic improvement and very useful in many situations.
I appreciate your understanding and am happy to answer any further questions to clarify the situation.
When we registered to the Local Guides program we confirmed that we read the guidelines and we accepted them.
I already shared with you the specific rule related to real estate businesses: it is forbidden to add in Google Maps “Places for rent or sale”.in this case there is a double (or triple) violation:
the business must not add place of that type on Google Maps. As the place is claimed and it’s a real estate agency, it is very possible that they do this as a standard procedure. I will alert the team for removing all the locations added in Maps by them.
as the place is not open to the public and you have to enter in there with a representative of the business, you should not take photos in there and add them in Google Maps.
Considering what I wrote above, most probably yours was not a “volunteer activity”, but a paid one. If so, it must not be done with your Local Guide account, because the program is only for volunteers, and paid contributions must not be provided with that account.
Thank you for your response. I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I would like to clarify a few things:
No Commercial Intent: I have not received any payment for the photos I uploaded. All my contributions were made voluntarily with the intention of helping the community by providing accurate information, not for advertising or commercial purposes.
Not for Sale or Rent: The property in question is not for sale or rent. It is fully rented out, and my photos were meant to give a clear and helpful view of the area for those searching on Google Maps.
Original Intention: My initial post was meant to address a usability issue that affects all Local Guides — the cumbersome process of managing and deleting multiple photos. I didn’t expect this to turn into a discussion about potential violations, which I assure you were never my intention.
I find it a bit disappointing that this has escalated into accusations of policy violations. I have always aimed to follow the guidelines and contribute positively to the platform.
I hope this clears things up. I would appreciate it if we could focus on the original topic of improving the photo management process for all users.
Thank you for understanding and looking into this matter.
Sure, @AlKiefah , this is clear.
However the question raised by others is interesting: while having an easier tool for deleting photos is indeed interesting, who really needs to delete photos in batches?
If a photo is outdated a business has the tools for flagging it, and the photos will made not visible in the listing.
That’s why I ended in a couple of series of not legitimate listings, both managed by a real estate, and you contributed in both.
If you said that you did it for free I trust you. A professional would have created a Virtual Tour. However the places are not opened to the public, so someone had to admit you inside, or to give you the keys.
It doesn’t really matter if the place is “for rent” or “rented”, because that place shouldn’t be in maps in any case.
Of course this is not your fault, it’s a fault of the business, but please be aware that trying to help them can put you in trouble, for the reasons mentioned above.
Regarding the subject of your topic, it was the first thing I said:
However I disagree with some of the motivations. As I said already, a business has already the tools to downgrade a photo. In addition all our contributions are “dated” and an old photo may help the users to understand the improvements of the place.
IMHO a batch removal can be useful only in one case, also mentioned by you
Many users are uploading a lot of photos that are against the policies, and a tool for a quick removal will help them a lot before to appeal for being reinstated
I appreciate your detailed response and understand your perspective. However, when you mention, “I will alert the team for removing all the locations added in Maps by them,” it does concern me, as I value my long-standing account and would not want to face any sanctions due to a misunderstanding.
To clarify, I have already deleted all 360-degree photos related to the property in question over the past few days. My contributions were always intended to be helpful, and I now understand the policies better.
Beyond the issue of deleting photos, my concern also relates to searching for specific images. While I can view my uploaded photos under each Google Maps listing, I cannot delete them from there. The only way to remove them is through My Contributions, which can be tedious when dealing with older images.
Additionally, many businesses that are unfamiliar with Google Maps contact me requesting the removal of certain photos. If a photo is several years old, I have to scroll extensively to locate it, and sometimes I may even overlook it. This process can take a significant amount of time.
I hope this provides a clearer picture of the challenges involved and why an advanced search and filter option would be extremely useful.
Thank you again for the discussion and for considering these points.
Hi @AlKiefah , you should not be worried.
As I said already
Deleting that photos was the right thing to do. Sometimes we want to help, and without knowing the rules, we can make a mistake.
Fully agree. Years ago a Local Guide suggested to add a “temporary” review to the place. In this way the photos will be grouped under the review (even if not attached to the review) and you will be able to delete them from there. I never tested it but several people said that it worked. After deleting the photos they also remove the “temporary” review