I delete files in iPadOS to find them in the Recently Deleted folder. I then select the files, press delete, confirm to "permanently delete" and they disappear. I then leave the Recently Deleted folder and return to find all of the files are still there!
How can these files be permanently deleted (for good)?
iPad Pro, iPadOS 13
Yep, CatAndJ.
It is as you say.
However, you may note the note at the top of the "Recently Deleted" Folder: "Recently deleted items may be permanently deleted by your storage provider."
For iPads, and such, for files that were on iCloud (most things, but not all), that would mean Apple, on iCloud.
However, it looks like I have Google Drive files, showing up in my "Recently Deleted" Folder, as well. I expect that I would need to use Google Drive to try to permanently delete those.
I did notice that when I emptied the Trash, on my Mac, some of the files in the "Recently Deleted" Folder "vanished". (Much of the personal files on the Mac are on iCloud.)
I also found that when I deleted known iCloud Documents, from the "Recently Deleted" Folder, they seemed to stay deleted.
So. While I am not completely certain, it appears that the ones that are "sticky", that reappear, are those on other Cloud Services.
You can use "Info" (from the popup menu that appears if you hold your finger on a file) to see where the file resides. (All my undeleted files, that I checked, were on Google Drive.)
Sorry, QuickPost, but I'm on iPadOS 13.5.1, and I see the same sort of behavior, if the file doesn't reside locally or on iCloud.
Other files must be eliminated through the appropriate Cloud Service, it appears.
Hello,
Try updating to iPadOS 13.5.1 to see if it resolves your problem.
Settings > General > Software Update
I am not using Cloud storage for my files. They are all local or on SD cards. I have taken the SD cards to a Mac and am sure they are not there or in the trash any more. I notice this happens frequently for files downloaded onto the iPad. After off loading to an SD card I try to delete the file on the iPad and it just won't go away.
Have you updated to iPadOS 13.6, yet, CatAndJ?
I certainly cannot guarantee anything, but what, exactly, are you seeing?
The only files I still have within my "Recently Deleted" folder, within the Files App, are all Google Drive files, but they do not show up anywhere in my Google Drive, and emptying the "Trash" in Google Drive doesn't delete these files.
If I attempt to Recover these files, I get a Google DriveKit error (11).
But I doubt this has anything to do with your issue.
I used the info and found all of the files are "On my iPad." But still no success deleting them.
how to permanently delete files on iOS
