“If you delete something from your phone, it’s not really deleted” – US criminal judge reveals
A US criminal judge has warned smartphone users that deleting messages, social media posts and other information from their phones does not necessarily mean the data is permanently gone.
Judge Kelly, a criminal judge in Dallas County, Texas, shared the warning in a video while educating viewers about the criminal justice system and what they should know before becoming involved in a criminal case.
Stay updated: Set GistReel as a favorite source on Google to catch our stories first.
The judge drew from her previous experience as a prosecutor, where she spent 13 and a half years handling criminal cases, including cases involving child abuse.
‘It’s Not Really Deleted’
Judge Kelly began her message by challenging the belief that deleting information from a phone automatically makes it disappear permanently.
“Did y’all know that everything on your cell phone is forever ever on your cell phone?” she asked.
She then specifically warned users about deleting information from their devices.
“Did you know that if you delete something from your cell phone, it’s not really deleted?” she said.
According to the judge, digital information can sometimes remain accessible through various records, backups or other sources even after a user has deleted it.
Judge Recalls Her Experience as Prosecutor
Reflecting on her years as a prosecutor, Judge Kelly said she had encountered situations where digital records could provide useful evidence during criminal investigations.
“I used to be a prosecutor for 13 and a half years and I prosecuted child abusers,” she said.
She claimed investigators could potentially obtain a wide range of digital information, including records and communications that users believed they had erased.
“And when I tell you I could pull anything, I don’t care how long ago it was, I could pull your records, your text messages, your social media posts that you deleted,” she stated.
‘I Can Get Your DMs’
The judge also mentioned deleted messages and direct messages on social media platforms.
“I can get your messages that you deleted out of your deleted box. I can get your DMs, I can get it all,” she said.
She stressed that people should not assume that deleting content from their phones or social media accounts automatically prevents it from being recovered or obtained during an investigation.
“It doesn’t go away,” she added.
Judge Issues Warning to Criminals
Judge Kelly ended her message with a warning to anyone who believes using a mobile phone to document criminal activity and subsequently deleting the evidence will protect them.
“So if you’re committing crimes on your phone, it doesn’t go away,” she said.
See below;
“If you delete something from your phone, it’s not really deleted. Everything on your cellphone is forever. Cellphone records even after being deleted can be used as evidence against you” – US Crim!nal judge reveals pic.twitter.com/Hpn08P4M5P
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) August 20, 2026