How Do I Delete Deleted Photos in Lightroom?

To permanently delete photos that are already in the 'Deleted' album in Lightroom, you need to open the Deleted album, select the photos, and use the delete function again. This action removes them permanently from your account and synced devices.

Steps to Permanently Delete Photos from the Deleted Album

When you initially delete a photo in Lightroom (cloud-based), it's moved to a special 'Deleted' album, similar to a trash or recycle bin. It remains there for a set period (usually 60 days) before being automatically purged. However, you can manually delete them permanently at any time using these steps, based on the provided reference:

1. Access the Deleted Album: Open Lightroom and navigate to the 'Deleted' album. (Reference: Open the Deleted album (see View deleted photos to access this).) You'll find this album listed among your other albums or sections in the application.
2. Select Photos for Permanent Deletion: Browse the photos within the 'Deleted' album. Select the specific photos you want to remove permanently. (Reference: Select the photos that you want to permanently delete. ...) You can select multiple photos by holding down the Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (macOS) key while clicking, or select a range by clicking the first photo, holding Shift, and clicking the last photo.
3. Execute Permanent Deletion: Once the photos are selected, click the Delete icon. (Reference: Click the Delete icon.) This action will prompt a confirmation, and upon confirmation, the selected photos will be permanently removed from Lightroom.

Why Permanently Delete?

Permanently deleting photos frees up storage space in your Adobe Creative Cloud account, which can be important if you are close to your storage limit.

Keep in mind that once photos are permanently deleted from the 'Deleted' album, they cannot be recovered. Ensure you are absolutely certain you no longer need these images before proceeding with permanent deletion.

For further details on managing deleted photos, you can refer to the Adobe help page: Restore deleted photos in Lightroom.