How to manage deleted files on iOS, iPadOS and macOS

Most of the time, when you delete a file, it is not gone immediately – like recently discovered by a man whose wife found illicit text messages he was sending (and which he thought he had gotten rid of on his iPhone). The man is now suing Apple.

Marital infidelity aside, the safety net created for deleted files can help you recover data you’ve mistakenly deleted – however, it can also leave your data exposed to others (if you’re selling a device, for example ) . It’s important to know where your deleted files are and how to recover or permanently delete them.

By default, all Apple devices where you’re signed in with your Apple ID should sync files through iCloud, but it’s worth double-checking – otherwise you might be left with files you thought you’d deleted.

• Open settingsand tap your name at the top and then iCloud.
• Under Saved to iCloudYou should see entries for Photos, iCloud Drive, iCloud Mail, and other apps that use iCloud (which is probably most of the ones you have installed).
• Select see it all to get a list of all your apps and whether they are synced.
• To ensure files are deleted completely, keep sync turned on.

• Open System Settings through Litter menu and then your name > iCloud.
• Just like on your cell phone, the Photos and iCloud Drive entries must be activated. You can find other apps (such as Messages, Contacts, Calendar, and Safari) by clicking Show more apps or Show all (depending on your macOS version).
• Tap iCloud Drive entry to see if you’re syncing your desktop and documents folders, and to see which apps iCloud is and isn’t syncing from your Mac.

Any file you delete from your iPhone or iPad goes to the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being permanently deleted. To find the folder, open the Files app and tap To browse It is Recently deleted.

• Tap and hold any item to open the options Delete now (delete forever) and To recover (restore it to its previous place).
• To select multiple files, tap the three dots (top right) and then Select. When making your choice, To recover It is Delete options appear below.

If you deleted a photo or video through the Photos app, it will have its own separate recently deleted folder, although the same 30-day window applies.

• Open Photos on your iPhone or iPad, scroll down and tap Utility Services > Recently deleted (iOS) or just Recently deleted in the left navigation pane (iPadOS).
• Tap any photo or video to display options for To recover the file (put it back where it was) or Delete the file (delete it permanently).
• To select multiple items, tap Select button (top right) and tap the three dots in the bottom right to open the To recover It is Delete options.

If you’re syncing everything through iCloud, all of these changes will also apply to your other devices, including permanent deletions and file recoveries.

When you delete a file from your Mac, it goes to the Trash folder.

• You can open the Recycle Bin from the dock or Finder (choose Go > Go to folderand search for “trash”).
• If you prefer to permanently delete a file the first time, highlight the file or files in the Finder, use the Option+Cmd+Delete keyboard shortcut and confirm your choice when the dialog box appears.

Files usually remain in the Recycle Bin until you empty them manually.

• To delete one or more files in Finder, Ctrl+click them and choose Delete immediately.
• To empty everything from the Recycle Bin at once, click Empty (top right corner).
• You can also click and hold (or right-click) the Trash icon in the dock and choose Empty Trash.

If you prefer, you can have macOS automatically clean up files after they’ve been in the Trash for a month.

• Open the Finder menu and select settings.
• Under AdvancedCheck the Remove items from the Recycle Bin after 30 days.

Just like on iPhones and iPads, the Photos app has its own Trash folder called Recently Deleted. Deleted photos and videos remain here for 30 days before being completely deleted.

• In the macOS Photos app, click Recently deleted to the left. (Note: If you don’t have any recently deleted photos, you won’t see the folder.)
• To choose Delete all to permanently clear everything in the folder.
• To recover or erase individual files, select them as needed and the To recover It is Delete the buttons will be active in the upper right corner.

Again, all these changes will sync to other devices via iCloud if you have it enabled. The only exceptions would be file changes in folders on your Mac that iCloud doesn’t cover (go back to the instructions in the first section to check).

If you go to iCloud on the web, you won’t find anything different from what you can already see on your iPhone, iPad or Mac in terms of deleted files. However, you may find it easier to check them here.

• Click To drive > Recently deleted to see files that were recently deleted from your devices, as well as how much time is left before they are permanently erased. Use the To recover It is Delete buttons below to reset or clear them.
• Click Photos and then Recently deleted to see photos and videos that were deleted in the last 30 days. Here the To recover It is Delete the buttons are in the upper right corner.

Finally, remember that other apps in the Apple ecosystem have their own recently deleted items folders, usually with the same 30-day limit. Apple Mail and Apple Notes, for example, have their own trash folders where you can view deleted items, restore them, or delete them forever.