How to Delete Trash on an iPhone: The Definitive Guide

So, you’re staring at your iPhone, feeling the digital weight of all that… stuff. Photos you forgot you took, emails from 2018, voice memos of you humming off-key. It’s all lurking, taking up precious space. You’re ready to purge, to truly delete trash from your digital kingdom. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

The short answer? There isn’t a single, universal “Trash” icon to empty on your iPhone like you might find on a computer. Instead, deleting trash involves understanding where your iPhone stores deleted items and then emptying those specific “trash cans,” so to speak. Consider this your comprehensive guide to decluttering your iPhone and reclaiming that sweet, sweet storage.

Where Does iPhone “Trash” Hide?

Before we get into how to delete, let’s pinpoint the usual suspects where deleted data likes to linger on your iPhone:

• Photos: The “Recently Deleted” album.
• Mail: Individual account trash folders (Gmail, iCloud Mail, etc.).
• Notes: The “Recently Deleted” folder.
• Files: The “Recently Deleted” section in the Files app.
• Voice Memos: The “Recently Deleted” folder.

Essentially, apps with the functionality to delete have created their own ways to make you think twice before permanently deleting them.

Deleting Trash: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s how to permanently delete trash from the most common areas on your iPhone:

Deleting Photos from the “Recently Deleted” Album

This is probably where most of your storage hogs are hiding. Don’t underestimate how much space those blurry vacation pics are taking up!

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap on the “Albums” tab at the bottom.
3. Scroll down to “Utilities” and tap “Recently Deleted.”
4. Here, you’ll see all the photos and videos you’ve deleted in the past 30 days.
5. Tap “Select” in the top right corner.
6. You have two options:
   • Delete All: This will immediately delete all items in the “Recently Deleted” album.
   • Select Individually: Tap on the photos and videos you want to permanently delete, then tap “Delete” at the bottom.
7. Confirm your choice by tapping “Delete [Number] Items.”

Pro Tip: If you accidentally deleted a photo you want back, you can tap it and then tap “Recover.”

Emptying the Trash in the Mail App

The Mail app is a notorious offender when it comes to hoarding deleted emails. Here’s how to clean it up:

1. Open the Mail app.
2. Navigate to your Mailboxes screen.
3. Select the email account you want to clean (e.g., iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo).
4. Look for the “Trash” or “Bin” folder. The name might vary depending on your email provider.
5. Open the “Trash” folder.
6. Look for an “Edit” button or a trash can icon. The location varies depending on the email provider.
7. Tap “Select All,” then tap “Delete.”
8. Confirm that you want to permanently delete these items.

Important Note: Some email providers (like Gmail) might automatically empty the Trash folder after a certain period (e.g., 30 days). However, it’s still a good idea to manually empty it periodically for immediate storage relief.

Deleting Notes from the “Recently Deleted” Folder

Just like photos, deleted notes hang out in a purgatory folder. Here’s how to send them to the digital afterlife:

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Tap the back arrow “<” until you get to the Folders menu.
3. Look for the “Recently Deleted” folder.
4. Tap the ellipsis (…) icon on the top right corner, and select “Select Notes.”
5. You have two options:
   • Delete All: This will immediately delete all items in the “Recently Deleted” folder.
   • Select Individually: Tap on the notes you want to permanently delete, then tap “Delete” at the bottom.
6. Confirm your choice by tapping “Delete [Number] Notes.”

Clearing “Recently Deleted” in the Files App

If you use the Files app to manage documents and other files on your iPhone or iCloud Drive, here’s how to empty its trash:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Tap “Browse” at the bottom.
3. Tap “Locations” to see your saved locations (iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, etc.).
4. Tap “Browse”.
5. Look for the “Recently Deleted” section.
6. Tap the ellipsis (…) icon on the top right corner, and select “Select”.
7. You have two options:
   • Delete All: This will immediately delete all items in the “Recently Deleted” folder.
   • Select Individually: Tap on the files you want to permanently delete, then tap “Delete” at the bottom.
8. Confirm your choice by tapping “Delete [Number] Items.”

Deleting Voice Memos from the “Recently Deleted” Folder

Those accidental recordings and mumbled reminders can take up space too! Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. Open the Voice Memos app.
2. Tap the back arrow “<” until you get to the Folders menu.
3. Tap on the “Recently Deleted” folder.
4. Tap “Edit” on the top right corner.
5. You have two options:
   • Delete All: This will immediately delete all items in the “Recently Deleted” folder.
   • Select Individually: Tap on the voice memos you want to permanently delete, then tap “Delete” at the bottom.
6. Confirm your choice by tapping “Delete.”

Additional Tips for iPhone Storage Management

Deleting trash is a great start, but here are some extra tips to keep your iPhone running smoothly:

• Offload Unused Apps: This feature removes the app itself but keeps its data, so you can reinstall it later and pick up where you left off. You can find this option in Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
• Review Large Attachments: Regularly check your Messages app for large attachments (photos, videos) and delete the ones you no longer need.
• Optimize Photo Storage: In Settings > Photos, turn on “Optimize iPhone Storage”. This stores lower-resolution versions of your photos on your device and the full-resolution versions in iCloud.
• Clear Safari History and Website Data: In Settings > Safari, tap “Clear History and Website Data”.
• Delete Old Conversations in Messages: Those lengthy text conversations can accumulate a surprising amount of data.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about deleting trash and managing storage on your iPhone:

1. Why doesn’t iPhone have a single “Empty Trash” button?

Apple prioritizes data recovery over immediate deletion. Giving users a chance to recover accidentally deleted items is considered a valuable feature.

2. How long do items stay in the “Recently Deleted” folders?

Typically, items remain in the “Recently Deleted” folders for 30 days. After that, they are automatically permanently deleted.

3. Does deleting trash free up iCloud storage?

Yes, deleting photos and videos from the “Recently Deleted” album will free up space in your iCloud storage, provided those items were backed up to iCloud.

4. Can I recover permanently deleted photos from my iPhone?

Unfortunately, no. Once an item is deleted from the “Recently Deleted” album, it’s gone for good unless you have a separate backup (e.g., to a computer or another cloud service).

5. How can I tell which apps are taking up the most storage?

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This screen provides a breakdown of storage usage by app, allowing you to identify the biggest culprits.

6. Is it safe to delete the “Other” storage on my iPhone?

The “Other” storage category contains various files, including system files, caches, and logs. It’s not recommended to directly delete these files. Clearing Safari history, clearing app caches, and restarting your iPhone can sometimes help reduce the size of “Other.” Consider backing up and restoring your phone as a last resort.

7. Does deleting messages in iMessage free up storage?

Yes, deleting messages, especially those with large attachments, will free up storage on your iPhone.

8. Why is my iPhone storage full even after deleting a lot of files?

Sometimes, the storage display might not immediately reflect the deleted files. Try restarting your iPhone. If that doesn’t work, give it a day or two for the system to fully update the storage information.

9. Can I use a third-party app to clean my iPhone’s storage?

While some third-party apps claim to clean up iPhone storage, many of them are ineffective or even potentially harmful. Apple’s built-in storage management tools are generally the safest and most reliable option.

10. How do I clear the cache of an app on my iPhone?

Some apps, like Safari, have built-in options to clear their cache. For other apps, you might need to delete and reinstall the app to clear its cache.

11. What’s the difference between “Offload App” and “Delete App”?

“Offload App” removes the app itself but retains its data, allowing you to reinstall the app later and pick up where you left off. “Delete App” removes both the app and its associated data.

12. How can I prevent my iPhone storage from filling up so quickly?

Regularly review and delete unnecessary files, enable iCloud Photo Library with “Optimize iPhone Storage,” offload unused apps, and be mindful of the size of attachments you send and receive in Messages. Proactive storage management is key to keeping your iPhone running smoothly.