How to Empty Recently Deleted Photos on Your iPhone: A Comprehensive Guide

Managing photos on your iPhone is crucial, especially when storage space is at a premium. When you delete photos from your iPhone, they aren’t immediately gone forever. Instead, they are moved to a “Recently Deleted” album, giving you a safety net to recover them if you change your mind. However, these photos still consume storage space until permanently removed from this album. This guide will walk you through exactly how to empty recently deleted photos on your iPhone, freeing up valuable storage and ensuring your privacy.

Understanding the Recently Deleted Album on iPhone

Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to understand how the “Recently Deleted” album works. Think of it as the Recycle Bin or Trash folder on your computer. When you delete photos or videos from your Photos app, they are moved to this album and kept for 30 days. This feature is designed to prevent accidental photo loss, offering a window to recover your memories.

After 30 days, the photos are supposed to be automatically and permanently deleted. However, if you need to free up space urgently or want to ensure complete removal for privacy reasons, you’ll need to manually empty this album.

Steps to Empty the Recently Deleted Album on Your iPhone

Emptying the “Recently Deleted” album is a straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:

Accessing the Recently Deleted Album

1. Open the Photos App: Locate the Photos app icon on your iPhone’s home screen and tap to open it.

2. Navigate to the Albums Tab: At the bottom of the Photos app screen, you’ll see several tabs like “Library,” “For You,” and “Albums.” Tap on the “Albums” tab.

3. Scroll Down to Utilities and Find “Recently Deleted”: Scroll down the Albums screen until you find the “Utilities” section. Within this section, you will see the “Recently Deleted” album. Tap on it.

   iPhone Photos app showing the Albums tab and Recently Deleted album under Utilities

   Alt Text: Accessing the Recently Deleted album within the Utilities section of the Albums tab in the iPhone Photos app.

   Note: If you have iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or later, you might be prompted to use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock the “Recently Deleted” album for security reasons. This adds an extra layer of privacy to your deleted photos.

Emptying the Entire Recently Deleted Album

Once you are inside the “Recently Deleted” album, you have a couple of options to proceed:

1. Tap “Select”: In the top right corner of the “Recently Deleted” album, tap the “Select” button.

2. Choose “Delete All”: At the bottom left corner of the screen, you will see the option “Delete All”. Tap on “Delete All”.

3. Confirm Deletion: A confirmation prompt will appear asking “Delete [Number] Photos?”. Tap “Delete” to confirm that you want to permanently delete all photos and videos in the album.

   iPhone Photos app showing the Delete All option in Recently Deleted album

   Alt Text: Using the Delete All option to permanently remove all photos from the Recently Deleted album on an iPhone.

By following these steps, you have successfully emptied the “Recently Deleted” album, permanently removing all the photos and videos it contained and freeing up storage space on your iPhone.

Permanently Deleting Specific Photos from Recently Deleted

If you don’t want to delete everything in the “Recently Deleted” album but only specific photos or videos, you can do that too:

1. Follow steps 1-3 above to access the “Recently Deleted” album.
2. Tap “Select”: In the top right corner, tap “Select”.
3. Select Photos to Delete: Tap on each photo or video you want to permanently delete. A blue checkmark will appear on each selected item.
4. Tap “Delete”: Once you have selected all the items you want to remove, tap the “Delete” option at the bottom left corner of the screen.
5. Confirm Deletion: Confirm your choice when prompted to permanently delete the selected photos.

Recovering Photos Before Emptying (If Needed)

Before you empty the “Recently Deleted” album, remember that you have the option to recover any photos or videos you might want back.

1. Access the “Recently Deleted” album (as described in the steps above).
2. Tap “Select”: Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
3. Select Photos to Recover: Tap on the photos or videos you want to recover.
4. Tap “Recover”: At the bottom right corner, tap “Recover”.
5. Confirm Recovery: Confirm your choice when prompted to recover the selected items. They will be moved back to your main Photos Library.

Why Emptying Recently Deleted is Important

Regularly emptying the “Recently Deleted” album is a good practice for several reasons:

• Free Up Storage Space: Photos and videos, especially high-resolution ones, can take up significant storage space on your iPhone. Even deleted photos in the “Recently Deleted” album still contribute to your device’s storage usage for 30 days. Emptying it ensures you reclaim this space sooner.
• Privacy Concerns: While the “Recently Deleted” album is a safety feature, it also means that deleted photos are still recoverable for a month. If you are concerned about privacy, especially if you are selling or giving away your iPhone, permanently deleting photos from this album is crucial.
• Organization: Regularly cleaning out deleted photos helps keep your Photos app organized and clutter-free, making it easier to manage your remaining photos and videos.

Conclusion

Knowing how to empty recently deleted photos on your iPhone is an essential part of managing your device’s storage and privacy. By following these simple steps, you can efficiently remove unwanted photos permanently, ensuring your iPhone runs smoothly and your personal data remains secure. Make it a habit to periodically review and empty your “Recently Deleted” album to keep your digital life in order.