What is the ‘Recently Deleted’ folder?
The ‘Recently Deleted’ folder is a special folder on macOS and iOS devices that stores deleted files for a limited time before they are permanently erased. Both Apple’s desktop and mobile operating systems have this feature to help recover accidentally deleted photos, documents, and other files.
When a file is deleted on a Mac or iOS device like an iPhone or iPad, it is not immediately removed from the system. Instead, deleted files are moved to the Recently Deleted folder, where they remain for 30 days. This provides a safety net in case a user changes their mind and wants to recover a deleted item.
After 30 days, the files in the Recently Deleted folder are automatically and permanently deleted by the system to free up storage space. So it essentially operates as a temporary recycle bin. The folder gives you a month to restore deleted files before they are gone forever.
When are files saved to the Recently Deleted folder?
When you delete a file such as a photo or video on your iPhone, it is not immediately erased. Instead, iOS moves the deleted file to the Recently Deleted folder. This serves as a temporary holding place for deleted content before it is permanently removed.
Files are moved to the Recently Deleted folder immediately after deletion. This applies to files deleted from both iCloud Drive storage and your iPhone’s local storage. So whether you delete a file stored locally on your device or delete something saved in iCloud Drive, it will be directed to the Recently Deleted folder.
The Recently Deleted folder acts as a safety net, giving you a chance to recover files that may have been deleted accidentally. Files will remain in this folder for 30 days before being permanently erased from your devices and iCloud storage.
As an example, if you delete a photo from your Camera Roll or delete a document from iCloud Drive, that file will show up in Recently Deleted right away. You then have 30 days to restore it before it is gone forever.
How to view the Recently Deleted folder
The Recently Deleted folder allows you to recover files that have been deleted within the past 30 days before they are permanently removed from your devices. There are a couple ways to access the Recently Deleted folder on an iPhone or iPad:
Open Finder and go to Finder menu > Recently Deleted (1). This will show you all recently deleted files from your Mac and any connected iOS devices.
Or open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap General, then tap iPhone/iPad Storage. Scroll down and tap Recently Deleted to view your recently deleted photos, messages, contacts, and more (2).
The Recently Deleted folder stores deleted files for up to 30 days before removing them permanently. This gives you a chance to recover anything you may have deleted accidentally.
Recover deleted files
If you accidentally delete a file on iPhone, you may be able to recover it from the Recently Deleted folder if you act quickly. Here are the steps to recover deleted files on iPhone:
Open the Photos app and select the Albums tab at the bottom. Scroll down and tap on the Recently Deleted folder.
This folder contains any photos or videos you’ve recently deleted. They will be stored here for up to 40 days before being permanently deleted.
Tap Select at the top right. Go through the deleted items and select any files you want to recover by tapping on them.
Once you’ve selected the files to recover, tap Recover at the bottom. The photos/videos will be moved back to their original album.
If you want to recover deleted files beyond photos and videos, you may need a third party iOS data recovery app. But for media files, the Recently Deleted folder provides a quick way to undo accidental deletions.
Permanently delete files
To permanently delete files from the Recently Deleted folder on an iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Photos app and go to the Albums tab.
- Scroll down and tap on Recently Deleted to open the folder.
- Tap Select in the upper right corner.
- Select the photo(s) or video(s) you want to delete by tapping on them.
- Tap the Delete button in the bottom left corner.
- Confirm that you want to permanently delete the selected items.
Files in the Recently Deleted folder are automatically deleted after 30 days. So if you don’t manually delete files from this folder, they will be permanently erased automatically after 30 days.
Permanently deleting files means they cannot be recovered through the Photos app. However, you may be able to use third party data recovery software to attempt to retrieve deleted files from a backup.
Delete all files at once
If you want to permanently delete all the files in your Recently Deleted folder at once, you have the option to ‘Empty Folder’. This completely removes all recently deleted photos, videos, documents, and other files from the folder and frees up storage space on your device.
To use the Empty Folder option on an iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Photos app and go to the Albums tab.
- Scroll down and tap on ‘Recently Deleted’.
- Tap on ‘Select’ in the upper right corner.
- Tap on the ‘Delete All’ option at the bottom.
- Confirm you want to permanently delete all the photos and videos by tapping ‘Delete’ on the popup.
This will completely clear out the Recently Deleted folder. All the files will be permanently removed and cannot be recovered with the built-in tools.
Emptying the folder is useful if you are running low on storage space and want to free up room quickly. It can help remove clutter and get rid of files you no longer need. Just be certain before emptying Recently Deleted that there are no files you might want to recover, as they will be gone for good.
Searching the Recently Deleted Folder
You can use the Finder search bar to search for specific files within the Recently Deleted folder, just as you would in any regular folder. Here’s how:
- Open the Recently Deleted folder in Finder.
- Click inside the search bar at the top right and type in keywords related to the file you want to find.
- Matching results will appear instantly below. You can narrow down results further by clicking the + icon and adding additional search filters.
- Once you locate the deleted file, select it and choose “Restore” to recover it back to its original location.
The search functionality works the same way as searching a regular folder or drive. You can search by file name, type, date modified, size and other attributes. This makes it easy to pinpoint a specific deleted document or photo you need to restore [1].
Recently deleted on iOS
The Recently Deleted folder also exists on iOS devices like iPhones and iPads, with some minor differences. On iOS, the Recently Deleted folder is located under Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage (1).
As on Macs, any photos or videos deleted on an iOS device get moved to the Recently Deleted folder and remain there for 30 days before being permanently erased. This 30 day limit still applies on iOS (1).
To view and recover deleted photos and videos within the 30 day window, go to the Photos app and select the Albums tab. Scroll down and tap on Recently Deleted to see your deleted content. You can then select and recover anything you want by tapping Recover. Tap Select > Delete All to permanently erase everything if desired.
Alternatives to recover deleted files
If you don’t have access to the Recently Deleted folder or need to recover files that have been permanently deleted, there are a couple other options:
Time Machine or other backup solutions are always the best way to protect your data and recover deleted files. Time Machine comes built-in on Mac computers and allows you to restore your entire system or individual files from a backup.
There are also many third-party data recovery apps available such as Disk Drill or EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard that can scan your device and recover deleted files even if they are no longer in the Recently Deleted folder. These tools dig deeper than just scanning that folder.
Data recovery software provides a good option for retrieving deleted files on devices that don’t have a Recently Deleted folder or Recycle Bin feature. Just be sure to avoid continuing to write new data to the drive you want to recover files from.
Summary
The ‘Recently Deleted’ folder is an important tool for recovering accidentally deleted files on Mac OS. It stores deleted files for up to 30 days before they are permanently removed from your system. By accessing the Recently Deleted folder, you can easily find and restore recently deleted items.
The key features of the Recently Deleted folder are:
- It keeps deleted files for up to 30 days
- Lets you recover and restore deleted files
- Provides a safety net for accidental file deletion
- Automatically removes files after 30 days
- Can be accessed from the Finder menu
So in summary, check the Recently Deleted folder if you need to find a file you accidentally deleted within the last 30 days. But keep in mind that the contents of this folder are automatically removed after 30 days, so recover important files before they are permanently deleted.