How to Empty Trash on iPhone & iPad

iPad or iPhone slow? One of the first things you may think to try is to empty your iPhone recycle bin or iPhone trash bin. But where are the iPhone recycling bin and trash? It's not one icon, like on a Mac. Instead, you need to clear trash from several different locations; here's how. 

Jump To:

• Empty Trash in Mail
• Empty Trash in Messages
• Empty Trash in Photos
• Empty Trash in Notes
• Empty Trash in Files
• Empty Trash in Voice Memos
• FAQ

How to Empty Trash in Mail

Each email account has a Trash folder or bin, for this example I'm emptying my Gmail trash bin.

1. Open the Mail app.
   
   
2. Tap Trash under the account of your choice.
   
   
3. Tap Select All.
   
   
4. Tap Delete and then confirm your choice.
   
   

Now, you can empty trash for each email account synced to your iPhone or iPad!

​How to Empty Trash in Messages

Here's how to clear deleted messages on an iPhone or iPad; depending on how many deleted texts you have, this could free up a lot of storage! 

1. Open the Messages app.
   
   
2. Tap Filters at the top of the screen.
   
   
3. Tap Recently Deleted.
   
   
4. Tap Delete All and confirm.
   
   

Now you know how to erase deleted texts from iPhone or iPad!

How to Empty Trash in Photos

If you're like me, photos take up a whole lot of storage on your iPhone. You can optimize photo storage on your iPhone or iPad, but you can also empty the iPhone recycle bin in the Photos app to free up storage and make your iPhone faster; here's how. 

1. Open the Photos app.
   
   
2. Tap the Albums tab, then scroll down and tap Recently Deleted.
   
   
3. Tap Select.
   
   
4. Tap Delete From All Devices.
   
   

How to Empty Trash in Notes

Now, to the Notes app. If you use the Notes app a lot, you may have quite a few deleted notes. You can empty this trash folder on iPhone or iPad like this:

1. Open the Notes app.
   
   
2. Tap Recently Deleted.
   
   
3. Tap Edit.
   
   
4. Tap Delete All, then confirm.
   
   

How to Empty Trash in Files

Now, let's tackle the Files app. We need to get rid of deleted files on your iPhone or iPad, so here's how to view deleted files on an iPhone and empty the trash in the Files app.

1. Open the Files app.
   
   
2. Tap the Browse tab.
   
   
3. Tap Recently Deleted.
   
   
4. Tap the More icon. If you're like me, your deleted files are automatically permanently deleted. 
   
   
5. If your deleted files are still present, tap Delete All, then confirm.

Now you know how to delete recently deleted files on an iPhone!

How to Empty Trash in Voice Memos

Finally, let's learn how to empty trash in the Voice Memos app. Depending on how many deleted Voice Memos you have and how long they are, you can free up a lot of storage on your iPhone or iPad! To begin:

1. Open the Voice Memos app.
   
   
2. Tap the caret at the top-left corner of your screen.
   
   
3. Tap Recently Deleted.
   
   
4. Tap Edit.
   
   
5. Tap Delete All, then confirm. 
   
   

Now you know how to empty your iPad or iPhone recycle bin! Be sure to check out our free Tip of the Day for more great ways to free up storage space on your iPhone and iPad!