How to Empty the Trash in Yahoo Mail

Email & Messaging

Updated July 01, 2019

While old messages are removed from your Yahoo Mail trash periodically and automatically, emptying it manually is fairly straightforward. You can even recover deleted messages if you act quickly.

Information in this article applies to the web versions as well as the Yahoo Mail mobile app for Android and iOS.

How to Permanently Delete Yahoo Mail Messages

To permanently delete messages in your Trash folder in the web version of Yahoo Mail:

Hover your mouse cursor over the Trash tab in the left pane.
Select the trashcan icon that appears.
Select OK.
Your Trash folder will now be empty.

Emptying the Trash in Yahoo Mail Basic

To purge all mail from the Trash folder in Yahoo Mail Basic, select Empty next to Trash.

Emptying the Trash in the Yahoo Mail App

To empty the trash in the mobile app:

Tap the hamburger menu (the three stacked lines) in the upper-left corner.
Tap the trashcan next to Trash.
Tap OK.
Your Trash folder will now be empty.

Recover Mail After You've Emptied Your Yahoo Mail Trash

If you act quickly, you might be able to recover messages you deleted from your trash folder. Try downloading all the messages that came through your Yahoo Mail account, or forward them to a different email address either automatically or manually. You're not technically undeleting so much as you're racing against time before Yahoo's servers fully synchronize your deletions across all your devices.

If you must recover an important message after it has been purged from the trash:

Go to the Yahoo Mail Restore Help Form and select Recover lost or deleted emails.
Enter your Yahoo ID or email address where prompted, and then follow the on-screen instructions.