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Recently Deleted on iPhone: how to empty it or get photos back

Updated October 2026 · 3 min read

When you delete a photo on iPhone, it isn't gone yet. It moves to the Recently Deleted album and stays there for 30 days, still using storage.

Find Recently Deleted

  1. Open Photos and scroll down to Utilities.
  2. Tap Recently Deleted and unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

Each item shows how many days are left before it's removed for good.

Recover a photo

  1. In Recently Deleted, tap Select.
  2. Tap the photos you want back.
  3. Tap Recover. They return to your library, in their original albums.

Empty it to free space now

  1. In Recently Deleted, tap Select.
  2. Tap Delete All and confirm.

This can't be undone. If you use iCloud Photos, the items are removed from iCloud and your other devices too.

Emberoll and Recently Deleted

Emberoll deletes through the standard iOS dialog, so everything it removes also goes to Recently Deleted. You get a 30-day safety net for every cleanup.

Do it in two minutes with Emberoll

Emberoll finds duplicates, similar shots, screenshots, large videos and blurry photos for you. Everything is analyzed on your iPhone.

Get Emberoll on the App Store

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