how do i delete imported photos on my iPad Pro

When you use a cable and Finder to transfer pictures from a computer to iPad, the pictures are shown in Photos, but they aren't really owned by Photos, so you can't delete or edit them--the control is left for Finder. When you add new pictures with Finder, the previous ones are removed. So the way to remove some of the last pictures you transferred is to transfer again, but without those pictures.

Try that and see if it does what you want…

In my iPad Photos setup the trash is NOT available to images synced from the Mac via USB.

I can delete ALL such images by syncing an empty folder from the Mac (with numerous images that might time out and must be repeated). Or, update them by re-syncing the Mac's Photos system library to the iPad via USB (...but that has always been more or less flaky with numerous images missing, duplicated or blank on the iPad no matter what... /rant).

So you might try to re-sync the Mac Photos library or an empty folder to the iPad.

But before doing so: backup the iPad to iCloud or/and to the Mac, just in case. I'd also use Applications/Image Capture to import all images from the iPad to the Mac, just in case (by default they go to ~/Pictures and you might delete that extra backup later). Also try to check how many such un-trashable images there are on the iPad, and do you NOT mind trashing them.

I can trash other iPad Photos images including images AirDropped from iPhone.

> When I select, the only options are - copy, duplicate, add to album, and share

Check which items are enabled in the Sharing dialog's bottom at Edit Actions...

These pictures may not sync to iCloud since they aren't owned by Photos. I would save them to Files, and then save them to Photos from there so that Photos gets them imported properly. You can delete the ones in Files after you're sure they've landed safely in Photos--indicated by a proper trash can and the by ability to edit them.

I use iCloud Photos, and the two methods are not compatible, so I haven't had experience with this cable stuff for a while. Cable transfers seem to me to be full of complications. iCloud seems way superior. But do be careful about deleting pictures while you have a mixture, since different rules apply.

Photos that have been synced to an iPad, but not saved to Photos will automatically be deleted from the device, when you turn on iCloud Photos, because the manual syncing cannot be used to gather with iCloud Photos.

When you want to test iCloud Photos syncing, make sure that not "Optimize iPad Storage" is enabled in the Settings. The optimization ist the default. But it will remove high resolution originals from your iPad and make it harder to disable iCloud Photos again, when you are not satisfied and want to switch back to manual syncing.

jdub56 wrote:

Does this show up only after I've selected to share photos to iCloud?? I can't find it on that page.

You choose either "Download" or "Optimize." Checking "Optimize" unchecks "Download."

I chose Settings>Apple ID>iCloud>Photos. As markwmsn suggests, this only shows up when "Sync this iPad" is switched on.

jdub56 wrote: … I have sync'd my iPad and laptop. The pictures that have been sync'd do not show a trash can.

There is discussion here between transferring pictures with a cable with Finder versus transferring by synchronizing through iCloud. These are incompatible, and Finder won't let you do both.

Deleting pictures that were transferred by cable must be done by a second empty transfer (as suggested by me and discussed by Matti,) or by turning on iCloud which, due the the incompatibility, erases those pictures (as discussed by léonie.) You should see those posts.

There have been so many things going on here, I think I might be confused about your current situation and what you are needing, now.

On iPadOS 18 the option "Optimize iPad Storage" should appear in the Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Photos, where you enable to synchronize the iPad with iCloud Photos.

You can make that suggestion to Apple through their Feedback portal:

For Photos specifically, use this link: Feedback - Photos - Apple

For general suggestions, start here: Product Feedback - Apple

Possibly. It is only meaningful as a sub-option of enabling iCloud Photos. (I've been on iCloud Photos for many releases on my devices. It used to be visible as an option on some of them even when not meaningful. I don't have a spare iPad to test that case.)

jdub56 wrote: … I also found… a method for only deleting photos on my iPad while keeping them on my Mac.

If you're not synchronizing with iCloud, there is no reason you can't keep different pictures on different devices. This doesn't require a "method" other than hitting "trash."