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Turn on Storage Sense in Windows 11 and set how long deleted items may stay in the Recycle Bin. Storage Sense removes eligible items when it runs; the age setting is not a promise that the bin will be emptied at an exact time.
Set Storage Sense to clear old Recycle Bin items
- Open Start > Settings > System > Storage.
- Turn on Storage Sense.
- Select Storage Sense to open its settings.
- Under Run Storage Sense, choose how often it should run.
- Under Delete files in my recycle bin if they have been there for over, select the retention period you want.
The selected period is an age threshold: items become eligible for removal after they have been in the Recycle Bin longer than that period. They are deleted when Storage Sense runs, subject to its run conditions.
When does Storage Sense run?
Storage Sense is off by default. If you enable it but leave the run schedule at its default, Microsoft says it runs when the device is low on disk space. You can choose another frequency in the Storage Sense settings. Microsoft also says Storage Sense runs only when you are signed in and online for more than 10 minutes. Microsoft’s Storage Sense instructions explain these controls and conditions.
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What the Recycle Bin setting affects—and what it does not
It applies to the system drive and your account
Storage Sense works on the system drive, usually C:. Its settings apply only to the current user, so other people who sign in to the same PC manage their own Storage Sense settings. Other drives have separate storage controls. Microsoft documents these scope limits.
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Downloads have a separate setting
Choosing a Recycle Bin retention period does not configure cleanup of the Downloads folder. If you want Storage Sense to remove Downloads, set that behavior separately in its options.
OneDrive cloud files are handled separately
Storage Sense has a separate cloud-content option. Starting with Windows 11 version 22H2, the default is to make OneDrive files online-only if they have not been opened for more than 30 days. This is not permanent deletion: files can become locally available again when there is free disk space and a network connection. Files marked Always keep on this device are exempt. Microsoft’s guidance on Storage Sense describes this cloud-file behavior.
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Storage Sense versus Cleanup recommendations
Storage Sense can automate Recycle Bin cleanup based on item age. Cleanup recommendations, found in Windows Storage settings, is a separate review flow for identifying items you may want to remove; it is not the control for scheduling automatic Recycle Bin cleanup. See Microsoft’s overview of Storage settings.
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