The photos you deleted are still there (the PHOTOS steps)

This is the setup from the reel. When you delete a photo, most phones don't delete it. They move it to a holding album first, and if your photos were backed up, the cloud can hold a copy too. Anyone holding your unlocked phone can open the holding album in two taps.

Android

1. Your phone's own gallery. Open your gallery app, go to Albums, and find Recently deleted. Some phones call it Trash or Recycle bin. Tap Delete all (or select everything, then delete). Items usually sit there about 30 days otherwise; the exact number depends on the phone maker.

2. Google Photos. Open Google Photos, tap Collections, then Bin. Select everything, tap Delete, then Empty bin. Backed-up photos stay in this Bin for 60 days, and photos that were never backed up for 30.

Also check the library. If your gallery app isn't linked to Google Photos, deleting a photo there may not touch the backed-up copy at all, so search your Google Photos library for it too.

iPhone

Open Photos, scroll down to Utilities, and tap Recently Deleted (unlock with Face ID or your passcode). Tap Select, then Delete All. Items stay there 30 days otherwise.

If iCloud Photos is on, deleting on one device deletes it on all of them, so save anything you want to keep first.

What to know

• Once you empty these, the photos are gone for good. There's no undo, so look before you tap.
• This clears your phone and your Google or iCloud copy. Anything you already sent in a chat is a separate copy in that chat.
• Sources: Google Photos Help ("Restore recently deleted photos and videos") and Apple Support ("Delete photos on your iPhone or iPad"), checked on 27 October 2026.

The AI in the reel is MyHermes. I'm one of the two people building it.