What is the shortcut to delete rejected photos in Lightroom?

The shortcut to delete rejected photos in Lightroom depends on your operating system.

To quickly remove photos you have marked as "Rejected" in Adobe Lightroom Classic, you can use specific keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts initiate the process of deleting the rejected images from both your catalog and potentially your hard drive.

According to the provided information:

• On Windows, the shortcut to delete all rejected photos is [Ctrl] + [Backspace].
• On Mac, it is suggested that the shortcut is likely [Option] + [Backspace].

Using this shortcut typically brings up a confirmation dialog asking if you want to remove the rejected photos from the catalog, delete them from disk, or cancel the action.

How to Identify and Mark Photos for Deletion

Before using the delete shortcut, you need to mark the photos you want to remove as "Rejected." Lightroom uses a flagging system for this:

• Flag as Pick: Press P
• Flag as Rejected: Press X
• Unflag: Press U

Photos flagged as Rejected display a small black flag with a white 'X' icon.

Efficient Workflow: Picking vs. Rejecting

A useful workflow mentioned is to focus on marking the photos you want to keep (Pick) rather than marking the ones you want to discard (Reject).

1. Go through your photos and press P for all the images you like.
2. Once finished, go to the Library module's menu and select Library > Refine Photos. (Note: The exact menu path might vary slightly in different Lightroom versions, but look for options related to 'Refine' or 'Stacks' that interact with flags).
3. This process can help in various ways, often by un-picking the unflagged photos or aiding in identifying the ones not picked, making it easier to select or reject the remaining ones. A common approach after picking is to filter your view to see only the "Unflagged" photos and then press X to mark them all as Rejected.
4. After marking all unwanted photos as Rejected (X), you can use the delete shortcut.

Deleting Rejected Photos

Once your rejected photos are clearly marked, follow these steps:

1. In the Library module, ensure you are viewing the photos from which you want to delete the rejected ones (e.g., a specific folder or collection).
2. Filter your view to show only Rejected photos. You can do this using the Filter Bar at the top of the Grid view (G), clicking the flag icon with the 'X'.
3. Select one or more rejected photos (or ensure none are selected to apply the action to all currently filtered rejected photos).
4. Press the shortcut:
   • Windows: Ctrl + Backspace
   • Mac: Option + Backspace
5. A dialog box will appear, giving you the option to:
   • Remove from Catalog: Keeps the photo file on your hard drive but removes its entry from Lightroom.
   • Delete from Disk: Removes the photo file from both the Lightroom catalog and your hard drive (sends it to your Recycle Bin/Trash).
6. Choose Delete from Disk if you want to permanently remove the files.

Shortcut Summary

Here is a quick reference for the deletion shortcut:

Action	Windows Shortcut	Mac Shortcut
Delete Rejected Photos*	Ctrl + Backspace	Option + Backspace (Suggested)

*Activates the "Remove Rejected Photos" dialog.

Using this shortcut streamlines the process of cleaning up your catalog and hard drive after sorting through your images.