---
id: mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-empty-recently-deleted-in-photos
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-empty-recently-deleted-in-photos
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "Photos, music and video"
question: "Why didn't deleting photos free up space on my Mac?"
alt_questions:
  - "photos recently deleted taking space"
  - "empty recently deleted album mac"
  - "deleted photos still using storage"
  - "photos app space not freed"
  - "permanently delete photos mac"
short_answer: "Deleted photos stay in Photos' Recently Deleted album for up to 30 days. Open that album and choose Delete All to free the space."
tags: ["photos", "recently deleted", "free space"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/where-is-the-photos-library-stored-on-a-mac", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/why-doesnt-deleting-files-free-up-space-on-my-mac"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why didn't deleting photos free up space on my Mac?

Photos keeps deleted items in the **Recently Deleted** album for up to 30 days, so they still take space. Open Photos, click **Recently Deleted** in the sidebar (you may need to unlock it with your password or Touch ID), then choose **Delete All**.

If you use iCloud Photos, deleting a photo removes it from all your devices, and the space on your Mac may also depend on whether it stores originals or optimised versions. A local snapshot may also hold the freed space briefly — see [why deleting doesn't free space](https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/why-doesnt-deleting-files-free-up-space-on-my-mac).