Deleted photos but no space freed? Here is why

Deleting a photo on an iPhone does not free space right away. The photo moves to the Recently Deleted album and keeps using space there for 30 days, so you can change your mind. Empty that album and the space comes back. If you use iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage, some of what you deleted may have lived only in iCloud, which frees iCloud storage but not device storage.

Reason 1: Recently Deleted is holding it

This is the reason almost every time. Deleted items stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days and count against your storage the whole time. See how to empty Recently Deleted for the steps.

Reason 2: the photo was only in iCloud

With Optimize iPhone Storage turned on, the full-size original of many photos lives in iCloud, and the device keeps only a small version. Deleting such a photo frees its space in iCloud; on the device, it frees almost nothing. That is why deleting a thousand old photos can barely move the device storage bar.

Reason 3: the number has not caught up

Settings › General › iPhone Storage recalculates in the background. After a large cleanup, give it a moment, or leave the screen and come back.

What does DustFox do differently?

DustFox says all of this on screen instead of leaving you to wonder. After a cleanup, it shows how many items went to Recently Deleted and that the space is not free yet. Its Empty button explains the way to the album in Photos, and when you come back, DustFox measures free space again and confirms that it returned.

It also avoids the iCloud trap. By default DustFox lists only shots whose original is on the device, because those are the only ones that free device space, and it shows device and iCloud savings separately.