iPad Trash Folder — Where Deleted Files Go & How to Recover
iPad doesn't have one single Trash folder — different apps keep deleted items in different places. Here is where Photos, Notes, Mail, and Files keep deleted items, and how to restore them before the recovery window expires.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Recover deleted Photos on iPad — Open Photos app → Albums → scroll down to Utilities → Recently Deleted. Photos stay here for 30 days. Tap the photos you want → Recover → Recover Photo.
- Recover deleted Notes on iPad — Open Notes app → tap the back arrow to go to the folders list → Recently Deleted. Notes stay here for 30 days. Tap the note → tap the more button (…) → Recover.
- Recover deleted Mail on iPad — Open Mail app → tap Mailboxes (top left) → Trash. Deleted emails stay in Trash until you manually delete or until your email provider auto-clears them (varies by provider, typically 30 days). Long-press an email → Move to Inbox to restore.
- Recover deleted Files on iPad (iCloud Drive) — Open Files app → Browse → recently deleted. Or visit icloud.com on a computer → iCloud Drive → the recycling icon in the upper right corner. Files deleted from iCloud Drive are kept for 30 days.
- Recover from iCloud backup (if 30 days expired) — If the 30-day window has passed, restore the iPad from an iCloud backup made before the deletion: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPad → Erase All Content → set up fresh → Restore from iCloud Backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does iPad have a Recycle Bin like Windows?
No. iPad's "trash" system is split across apps — Photos has Recently Deleted, Notes has Recently Deleted, Mail has Trash, and Files has its own trash synced with iCloud Drive. There is no single unified Trash folder on iPad.
What happens to deleted photos after 30 days on iPad?
After 30 days in Recently Deleted, photos are permanently removed from iCloud Photos across all devices. If you had an iPhone or Mac backup made before the deletion, SafeRestore can extract the photos from that backup.
Related Guides
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