How to permanently delete emails in Gmail and Outlook

Pressing delete does not delete an email. In Gmail and Outlook.com it moves the message to a holding folder, where it sits for up to 30 days in case you change your mind. To delete it permanently, you have to empty that folder too, and in Outlook.com there is one more folder after that.

How do you permanently delete emails?

In Gmail, open Trash, select the messages and click Delete forever, or click Empty Trash now to clear all of it. In Outlook.com, open Deleted Items and empty it. Outlook.com then keeps those messages in a hidden Recoverable Items folder for 30 days before they are gone. Mail in Gmail Spam or Outlook.com Junk is deleted automatically after 30 days, or straight away if you empty the folder.

How long deleted email really stays around

Here is what each provider states on its own help pages, as of October 2026.

The difference that catches people out is the last row. In Gmail, emptying Trash is the end. Google says that once you delete a message permanently, you can't recover it. In Outlook.com, emptying Deleted Items moves the mail one step further back, not out.

Permanently delete emails in Gmail on a computer

Google's page on deleting messages in Gmail gives two stages: delete the message, then remove it from Trash.

Step 1: delete the messages.

1. Go to Gmail.
2. Check the box to the left of each message you want to delete.
3. At the top, click Delete.

To clear a lot at once, choose a category on the left, such as Inbox, Promotions or All mail. Check the Select box at the top left. A notification then offers to select every conversation, not just the ones on the current page. Click that link, then click Delete.

You can also narrow things down with a search first. Google's examples include from: an address, a date range such as after:2025/3/29 before:2025/4/5, a keyword in quotes, and has:attachment. Search, select all, delete.

Step 2: empty Trash.

1. On the left, click More, then Trash.
2. Check the box next to each message you want gone, then click Delete forever.
3. Or, to clear everything, click Empty Trash now in the notification at the top.

That is permanent. Google's page is explicit that after you delete a message permanently, you can't recover it.

Permanently delete emails in the Gmail app

The steps are the same on Android and iPhone:

1. Open the Gmail app.
2. Touch and hold each message you want to delete. On Android, a "Select all" box at the top left selects up to 50 messages at a time.
3. Tap Delete.
4. Tap Menu at the top left, then Trash.
5. At the top, tap Empty trash now.

Delete spam in Gmail

Spam works like Trash. Google's report spam page gives the steps:

1. In Gmail on a computer, click More on the left, then Spam.
2. At the top, click Delete all spam messages now.
3. Or select specific emails and click Delete forever.

If you leave it alone, Google's page on missing Gmail messages says emails in trash or spam are permanently deleted after 30 days.

Permanently delete emails in Outlook.com

Microsoft's page on recovering deleted items in Outlook.com sets out the timings for Outlook.com and Outlook on the web:

• Email is automatically deleted from your Deleted Items folder after 30 days.
• Items removed from your Deleted Items folder are recoverable for 30 days.
• Junk email is retained for 30 days before it is automatically deleted.

To get mail out of Deleted Items yourself:

1. Delete the messages from your inbox or any other folder. They move to Deleted Items.
2. Empty the folder. In new Outlook for Windows, right-click Deleted Items in the folder list and select Empty. In classic Outlook, right-click it and select Empty Folder.

Microsoft's page on emptying the Deleted Items folder says deleted items aren't permanently deleted until that folder is emptied.

After that, the messages are in the Recoverable Items folder. You can see them by opening Deleted Items and clicking Recover next to "Recover items deleted from this folder". Microsoft notes that this folder can't be opened from a mobile browser, so use a computer. Its page describes restoring mail from there, and gives 30 days as the recovery window. Plan on that window before the mail is truly out of reach.

In classic Outlook, Microsoft lists three ways mail lands in Recoverable Items: deleting an item from Deleted Items, emptying Deleted Items, and pressing Shift+Delete on a message in any other folder. So Shift+Delete skips Deleted Items, but not the recovery folder.

Make Outlook.com empty Deleted Items for you

Outlook.com has a setting that clears Deleted Items every time you sign out:

1. At the top of the page, select Settings.
2. Select Message handling.
3. Under When signing out, check Empty my deleted items folder.

Microsoft documents this the other way round, as the box to uncheck if Outlook keeps emptying the folder. If you want the folder cleared, leave it on.

Work or school Outlook accounts

These follow different rules. Microsoft says your administrator may have set how long items stay in Recoverable Items, and that after the recovery period an administrator may still be able to recover an item. If the account belongs to your employer, the company decides how long deleted mail is kept, not you.

Mistakes that make deleted email come back, or vanish

Archiving is not deleting. Google says an archived message no longer appears in your inbox, but you can still find it under All mail. If someone replies, it returns to your inbox. If you want it gone, delete it.

Deleting on one device deletes it everywhere. Google's missing-messages page says there is only one copy of every email. Delete a message on a phone, or in a mail app synced with Gmail such as Apple Mail, and it is deleted from Gmail too. That is worth knowing before you clean up a shared tablet.

Drafts skip Trash. Google says a deleted draft can't be recovered from Trash. Delete a draft and it is gone immediately.

A filter may be deleting mail for you. If messages you never touched end up in Trash, check Gmail's Settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses, for a filter set to "Delete it".

Reporting spam sends a copy. Google says that when you report spam or move an email into Spam, Google receives a copy of the email and may analyze it. If the message contains something private, deleting it is the better choice.

Before you delete a lot of mail

Bulk deletes are permanent once Trash is empty, so save anything you might need first. If you are clearing out an Outlook mailbox, our guide to exporting emails from Outlook covers getting a copy out. If the real goal is fewer emails arriving in the first place, how to stop spam emails is the better starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Are deleted emails really deleted? Not at first. Gmail moves them to Trash for up to 30 days, and Outlook.com moves them to Deleted Items. Empty those folders to delete them. In Outlook.com, emptied mail stays recoverable for 30 more days.

How long does Gmail keep deleted emails? Google says messages in Trash are permanently deleted after 30 days. The same applies to Spam.

Can I recover an email after emptying Gmail Trash? Google says that once you delete a message permanently, you can't recover it.

Where do emails go after I empty Deleted Items in Outlook.com? To the Recoverable Items folder. Open Deleted Items and click Recover to see them. Microsoft says they are recoverable for 30 days.

Does Shift+Delete permanently delete in Outlook? In classic Outlook, Microsoft says Shift+Delete sends the item to Recoverable Items, not straight out of your mailbox.

Why can't I see Recoverable Items on my phone? Microsoft says you can't access the Recoverable Items folder from a mobile browser. Use a PC or Mac.

A mailbox that keeps less about you

Deleting old mail is one way to limit what sits in an inbox. Another is to choose where your mail is stored in the first place. Secria Mail is free, and signing up asks only for a name, the address you want and a password. No phone number and no card. Your mail is kept in zero-access storage, locked with a key made from your password, on your device, and every plan, the free one included, uses hybrid post-quantum encryption (ML-KEM-1024 with X25519). There are no ads, tracking pixels are removed automatically and senders never see your IP address. You can import your old mail. Create a free account when you are ready.