How to delete burst photos on iPhone and keep the best one

Open Photos › Albums › Media Types › Bursts, open a burst, tap Select, pick the best frame (or frames), tap Done and choose to keep only your favorites: iOS deletes the rest. Repeat for each burst, then empty “Recently Deleted.”

What a burst is and why it takes up space

Holding the shutter button (or sliding it, on newer models) makes your iPhone shoot a rapid sequence. In your library it shows up as one thumbnail, but every frame is a full photo and takes up its own space.

Step by step

1. Open Photos and go to Albums › Media Types › Bursts. If the album isn't there, you have no saved bursts.
2. Open a burst: the top shows how many frames it contains.
3. Tap Select: all the frames appear in a row.
4. Scroll and tap the best one (sharp subject, eyes open, right moment). You can pick more than one.
5. Tap Done and choose the option to keep only your favorites.
6. Once you've gone through every burst, empty Recently Deleted.

Pick the frame right after shooting, while you remember which moment you wanted: it's much faster than doing it months later.

What if you already picked a favorite?

Even if you chose a favorite in the past, the burst may still sit in your library with all its frames. Check the Bursts album — it's often a source of “hidden” storage.

How to do it with SwipeDelete

1. Open SwipeDelete with Smart Suggestions on: unselected burst shots are brought to the top of the deck along with near-duplicates and screenshots.
2. Swipe right on the best shot and left on the frames to delete.
3. Undo your last decision whenever you want.
4. Review the Trash and confirm — you see right away how much space you reclaim.

Coming soon on theApp Store

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