If you’ve deleted pictures on your iPhone running iOS 9, you might notice they don’t disappear immediately. That’s because iOS 9 includes a “Recently Deleted” folder in the Photos app, which keeps your deleted photos for 30 days in case you want to recover them.
If you want to permanently free up space or remove sensitive photos, you’ll need to empty this folder manually. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Open the Photos App
-
Tap the Photos app on your iPhone.
-
At the bottom, select Albums to see all your photo albums.
Step 2: Find the Recently Deleted Album
-
Scroll down until you see Recently Deleted.
-
Tap on it to open the album.
-
Here, you’ll see all photos deleted in the last 30 days.
-
Each photo shows the number of days remaining before it’s automatically deleted.
-
Step 3: Permanently Delete Photos
You have two options:
Option 1: Delete All Photos
-
Tap Select at the top-right corner.
-
Tap Delete All at the bottom-left.
-
Confirm by tapping Delete [number] Photos.
Option 2: Delete Individual Photos
-
Tap Select.
-
Tap the photos you want to delete permanently.
-
Tap Delete at the bottom-left.
-
Confirm deletion.
Tip: Once deleted from this folder, photos cannot be recovered, so make sure you really want to remove them.
Step 4: Free Up Storage
After emptying the Recently Deleted folder, your iPhone will have more free space. This is useful if your device is running low on storage or if you want to permanently remove sensitive pictures.
Why Emptying Recently Deleted Photos Matters
-
Free up storage: Photos in this folder still occupy space.
-
Protect privacy: Prevent recovery of sensitive images.
-
Keep your photo library organized: Only keep the photos you want.
Final Thoughts
The Recently Deleted folder in iOS 9 is a safety net, but sometimes you need to permanently remove photos. By following these steps, you can quickly clear your deleted pictures and free up space on your iPhone.