Emptying trash on a Samsung phone isn’t a single action — you need to clear the recycle bin inside each app, including Gallery, My Files, and Voice Recorder, to permanently free up space.
Deleting a photo, a download, or a voice memo on a Samsung phone doesn’t erase it right away. The device moves it to an app-specific recycle bin first, where it sits until you empty it. If you’ve been wondering why your storage hasn’t budged, Samsung’s three trash locations are probably holding onto gigabytes you thought were gone.
Where Does Samsung Store Deleted Items?
Samsung doesn’t have one system-wide trash folder. Instead, each built-in app keeps its own recycle bin. The three you’ll need to check most often are in Gallery, My Files, and Voice Recorder. Some One UI versions also expose a central clearing point under Device care.
The confusion is common: users empty Gallery’s trash and assume the work is done, while files deleted from My Files are still recoverable in a separate bin. You have to hit all the active trash locations to truly reclaim the space.
How to Empty Trash in Samsung Gallery
Photos and videos you delete from the Gallery app go to Gallery Trash. They count toward your storage until you empty it.
- Open the Gallery app.
- Tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) or Albums at the bottom of the screen.
- Select Trash. You’ll see all recently deleted photos and videos.
- Tap More options (three dots in the upper-right corner).
- Tap Empty and then confirm by tapping Delete.
After the final tap, those items are permanently removed. A the trash count on the folder drops to zero, and the Restore button is no longer available.
How to Empty Trash in My Files
Documents, downloads, and any non-photo file you delete through My Files land in its own recycle bin. On Galaxy devices running One UI 6, Samsung updated this bin with clearer options to restore or permanently delete specific items.
- Open the My Files app.
- Tap Recycle bin (labeled Trash on some devices).
- To delete everything: tap More (three dots) then Empty, and confirm.
- To remove specific files: tap Edit, select the files, then tap Delete.
When it’s done, the bin’s file count disappears, confirming the space has been freed.
| App | How to Find the Trash | Empty Method |
|---|---|---|
| Gallery | Menu > Trash | More options > Empty > Delete |
| My Files | Recycle bin (or Trash) | More > Empty |
| Voice Recorder | More > Recycle bin | Select recordings > Delete |
| Settings (Device care) | Battery and device care > Storage > Recycle bin | Review app trash and clear individually |
| Third-party apps (e.g., Samsung Notes) | App-specific trash folder | Check each app’s menu for a trash or recently deleted section |
How to Empty Trash in Voice Recorder and Other Apps
Deleted voice recordings follow the same pattern. Open the Voice Recorder app, tap More, then Recycle bin. From there you can restore recordings or permanently delete them. Samsung’s updated My Files recycle bin page confirms this pattern extends across multiple apps — not just files and photos.
Some third-party apps also keep their own recently deleted sections. Check app menus for “Trash,” “Recycle bin,” or “Recently deleted” if storage numbers still look off after clearing the main three.
Can You Clear All Trash From One Place?
On supported One UI versions, Settings offers a partial shortcut. Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Storage > Storage management > Recycle bin. This screen shows app-specific trash bins and lets you review and clear them. It’s a useful starting point, but it may not list every app’s bin — you’ll still want to hit Gallery, My Files, and Voice Recorder directly for a complete sweep.
This centralized path is convenient but isn’t a single “empty all” button. Each app’s trash must still be emptied individually.
Three Mistakes People Make When Emptying Trash on Samsung
These are the most common traps that leave space occupied:
- Stopping after Gallery. Checking only your photo trash while files deleted from My Files or downloads are still sitting in their own recycle bin.
- Assuming “Delete” is permanent. On Samsung, tapping “Delete” often means “move to trash” — the space isn’t freed until you go back and empty that trash folder.
- Skipping the final confirmation. After tapping “Empty,” a second prompt asks you to confirm. Skipping this leaves the trash intact.
Each app’s trash counts toward your usable storage. Missing any one of them means the space isn’t actually released.
Quick Reference: Emptying All Trash Locations
| Step | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Gallery > Menu > Trash > More > Empty | Permanently deletes photos and videos |
| 2 | Open My Files > Recycle bin > More > Empty | Permanently deletes documents and downloads |
| 3 | Open Voice Recorder > More > Recycle bin > Delete items | Permanently deletes voice recordings |
| 4 | Check Settings > Device care > Storage > Recycle bin | Review additional app-specific trash |
| 5 | Check third-party apps for their own trash folders | Clears all remaining hidden storage |
References & Sources
- Samsung Support (US). “Free up storage space on your Galaxy phone.” Explains the Gallery and My Files trash paths and how to empty them permanently.
- Samsung Support (UK). “The updated recycle bin feature in My Files on Galaxy devices with One UI 6.” Details the restore and delete options within the My Files recycle bin.