Delete files or recover deleted files in the Files app on your iPhone or iPad

You can delete files or recover recently deleted files in the Files app. Just trying to make space? You can also remove iCloud file downloads from your device and keep them safe in iCloud Drive.

Delete files on your iPhone or iPad

When you delete files from iCloud Drive or On My [device] in the Files app, they go into your Recently Deleted. After 30 days, your files are permanently deleted. Files deleted from Recently Deleted are deleted immediately and are not recoverable.

If you delete files from iCloud Drive on one device, iCloud Drive removes the files from every device that you're signed in to with the same Apple Account. Learn more about how to delete folders or files in iCloud Drive.

On your iPhone

  1. Open the Files app and tap the Browse tab.

  2. Under Locations, tap the location of the files that you want to delete.

  3. Tap the More buttonMore button, then tap Select.

  4. Select the files that you want to delete, then tap the Delete buttonDelete button. To delete a single file, you can also touch and hold the file, scroll down, then tap Delete.

On your iPad

  1. Open the Files app.

  2. Under Locations in the sidebar, tap the location of the files that you want to delete. If you don't see the sidebar, tap the Show Sidebar button.

  3. Tap the More buttonMore button, then tap Select.

  4. Select the files that you want to delete, then tap Delete. To delete a single file, you can also touch and hold the file, scroll down, then tap Delete.

Recover files that you deleted on your iPhone or iPad

If you change your mind or accidentally delete files, you have 30 days to get them back from Recently Deleted. Files recovered from Recently Deleted return to their original location.

On your iPhone

  1. Open the Files app and tap the Browse tab.

  2. Under Locations, tap Recently Deleted.

    An iPhone screen showing Recently Deleted listed at the bottom of the Locations section in iCloud Drive.

  3. Tap the More buttonMore button, then tap Select.

  4. Select the files that you want to keep, then tap Recover. To recover a single file, you can also touch and hold the file, then tap Recover.

On your iPad

  1. Open the Files app.

  2. Under Locations in the sidebar, tap Recently Deleted. If you don't see the sidebar, tap the Show Sidebar button.

    An iPad screen showing Recently Deleted listed at the bottom of the Locations section in the sidebar of iCloud Drive.

  3. Tap the More buttonMore button, then tap Select.

  4. Select the files that you want to keep, then tap Recover. To recover a single file, you can also touch and hold the file, then tap Recover.

Free up space on your iPhone or iPad

If you want to make more space on your device, you can remove a file from your device without deleting it from iCloud Drive. Your files are safe in iCloud Drive to download again any time. For files downloaded from other sources, learn about third-party cloud apps in the Files app.

  1. Open the Files app and tap the Browse tab or tap the Show Sidebar button.

  2. Tap iCloud Drive.

  3. Select the downloaded files that you want to remove from your device.

  4. Tap the More buttonMore button, then tap Remove Download. To free up space for a single file, touch and hold the file, then tap Remove Download.

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