Recently Deleted on iPhone: restore photos or free the space
Short answer
Photos and videos you delete on an iPhone go to the “Recently Deleted” album and stay there for 30 days before they are removed for good. Open Photos → Collections → Recently Deleted and unlock with Face ID or your passcode. Tap Select, choose photos and tap Recover to restore them, or Delete All to free the space immediately – that last step cannot be undone.
Restore recently deleted photos on iPhone
- Open the album. Open Photos, tap Collections, scroll down to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted.
- Unlock. Unlock the album with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- Select. Tap Select and tap the photos you want back.
- Recover. Tap Recover – the photos return to their original place in your library.
Where is Recently Deleted?
In the Photos app, tap Collections, scroll down to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted, then View Album. Since iOS 16 the album is locked by default; you open it with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
How long do photos stay in Recently Deleted?
30 days. Each photo shows how many days it has left. After that, iOS deletes it permanently. During those 30 days the photos still count towards your iPhone storage and – with iCloud Photos – your iCloud storage.
Empty it to free the space now
Tap Select, then the More button (•••) → Delete All, and confirm with Delete from All Devices. Only do this once you are sure; there is no way back afterwards, unless you have a separate backup.
Safety nets in Gallery Guru
Gallery Guru adds two more chances before anything reaches Recently Deleted: you can undo every swipe with one tap, and nothing is deleted until you confirm in the review grid. Once you delete, the photos go to Recently Deleted on your iPhone like any other deletion – restorable for 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
How do I permanently delete recently deleted photos?
Open Recently Deleted, unlock it, tap Select, then More (•••) → Delete All – or select individual photos and tap Delete. This removes them for good and frees the storage immediately.
Can I recover photos after 30 days?
Not from the iPhone itself. Check whether you have another copy: an iCloud backup from before the deletion (restoring it replaces your current data), a computer backup, Google Photos or another cloud service.
Why don’t I see Recently Deleted?
Tap Collections at the bottom of the Photos app and scroll down – Recently Deleted is in the Utilities section. If the album is empty, there is nothing deleted in the last 30 days.
Does Recently Deleted sync between devices?
Yes, with iCloud Photos turned on, recovering or permanently deleting a photo on one device does the same on all of them.
