There are two ways to remove emails from Gmail: “archive” and “delete”. When you delete an email, it is sent to the “Trash”, where it lasts for 30 days. You can also quickly empty it to make room.
Although an “archived” email is not actually deleted, “deleted” emails eventually disappear forever. Gmail keeps them in the “Trash” for 30 days if you change your mind. After that, they’re gone forever, but you can speed up the process if you want.
To empty the trash, you need to open Gmail in a desktop browser or on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Use the “Hamburger” menu button in the upper left corner of the screen to expand the menu – if it’s not already expanded – and select “Trash.”
At the top of the screen, you’ll see a message stating that the trash can has been removed after 30 days. Select “Empty Trash” to do this now.
A confirmation message will confirm that you want to empty the trash. Select “Empty” to proceed.
That’s all. Enjoy your Scooby clean digital trash and a little more space in your Google Account.
Related: How to unsafe email in Gmail