What the Trash button does
Deleting a photo or video in Photos moves it to Recently Deleted. Apple keeps it there for 30 days, giving you time to recover an accidental deletion. During that period the item is not part of the normal library, but it has not yet been permanently removed.
Where to find Recently Deleted on iPhone
- Open Photos and tap Collections.
- Swipe up to the Utilities section.
- Tap Recently Deleted, then tap View Album.
- Use Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode to unlock it.
Apple protects both Hidden and Recently Deleted with device authentication by default on current iOS versions. Avoid turning that protection off just to make cleanup faster.
Recover a deleted photo or video
- Open and unlock Recently Deleted.
- Tap the item you want back. For several items, tap Select and choose each photo or video.
- Tap Recover. For multiple items, use the More button and choose Recover.
- Confirm the recovery.
Recovered items return to the Photos library. Apple says recovery is available only while the item remains in Recently Deleted during the 30-day period.
Review before you remove
Automated detection should never trigger permanent deletion without review. Open each suggested item, check nearby photos or the full video, and make sure the selected media is the item you intend to remove. Similar thumbnails and burst sequences make context important.
Permanently delete selected items
- Open Photos and select Collections.
- Scroll to Utilities and open Recently Deleted.
- Unlock the album with Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode.
- Choose Select and mark the items you want to remove.
- Use the More menu and choose Delete or Delete All.
- Confirm the final deletion.
Apple states that an item deleted from Recently Deleted cannot be recovered. Verify backups and selections before confirming.
Remember iCloud Photos
With iCloud Photos enabled, deleting on one device deletes the item on other devices signed in to the same Apple Account. Permanent deletion also propagates. A separate offline archive is different from an iCloud-synced library and should be verified independently.
Shared Library has extra rules
Participants can remove items from an iCloud Shared Photo Library, but only the person who added an item can permanently delete or recover it from Recently Deleted during the recovery period. Check ownership before assuming a missing permanent-delete option is a bug.