I've been hearing that iPads delete encryption keys, and I'm hoping for a straightforward explanation of what that means. From what I understand, if I delete an image on my iPad and it hasn't been backed up to the cloud or saved elsewhere, once it's removed from the 'Recently Deleted' folder, it's gone for good, right? But do thumbnails of those images still exist, or are the encryption keys destroyed too? I'm curious why iPads are set up this way compared to other brands.
3 Answers
The way encryption works can vary depending on the app you’re using. If you give a bit more detail on your situation and which apps you're talking about, I can help clarify things for you!
You can check out Apple's documentation for more info: 1. Apple Platform Security, 2. Protecting Keys with Secure Enclave. Under iOS and iPadOS, once an image is deleted and not synchronized, it’s practically gone. You can’t access the encryption keys directly, making data recovery nearly impossible. Even if an app could theoretically retrieve recently deleted files, it would be tough because iOS restricts deep system access. That’s why you always see those 'Are you sure?' warnings before you delete something—once it’s gone, it’s gone!
What about artifacts like thumbnails? Are those gone too?
It’s pretty standard. iPads use a secure enclave where encryption keys are stored. If there are too many failed attempts to access it, that key gets wiped out. This design is meant to prevent physical tampering, and other devices have similar security measures too, especially with Windows 11 requiring a TPM (Trusted Platform Module).
So, once an image is deleted, it can’t be recovered, not even the thumbnails?
It’s nothing too complex. I deleted images from the ‘Recently Deleted’ list, with no iCloud sync or backups, and they’re not in any other app I have.