PHOTOS · 3 NOVEMBER 2026
How to permanently delete photos on iPhone
Step 1: delete the photo
Select the photo in Photos, tap the trash icon, and confirm. It moves to Recently Deleted.
Step 2: empty Recently Deleted
- In Photos, open Utilities → Recently Deleted. Unlock it with Face ID or your passcode.
- Tap Select.
- Select the photo and tap Delete, or tap Delete All to empty the album.
Items in Recently Deleted are removed automatically after about 30 days if you do nothing.
Step 3: check where else it lives
- iCloud Photos: if it is on, deleting on one device deletes on all of them, and from iCloud.
- iCloud Backup: if iCloud Photos is off, your photos are part of your iCloud Backup. Deleting the photo removes it from future backups; older backups are replaced over time.
- Messaging apps and email: the photo may still be in the chat or message you received it in.
- Shared albums and Shared Library: removing it from your library does not remove copies other people saved.
- Computers: check any Mac or PC you sync or import photos to.
Moving photos into a vault? Delete in this order
- Import the photos into your vault.
- Open a few in the vault to confirm they imported.
- If the photos matter, make an encrypted backup. A Vaultage vault is excluded from iCloud backups.
- Delete the originals in Photos.
- Empty them from Recently Deleted.
Vaultage never deletes anything from your Photos library for you, so you always choose when the original goes.
FAQ
Can deleted photos be recovered from an iPhone?
Once removed from Recently Deleted, a photo is gone from the device. It may still exist in an older iCloud or computer backup, or in a message thread.
Why do deleted photos come back?
Usually because iCloud Photos or a messaging app's save setting adds them again. Check WhatsApp's Save to Photos setting.