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Google Photos Cuts Trash Retention to 30 Days

9/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Google shortens Google Photos trash retention to 30 days for all items.
The change was documented on Google Photos support pages updated in early September 2026.
Android users now see in-app notices about the new 30-day deletion window.
The 30-day rule now applies uniformly to backed-up and non-backed-up photos and videos.
After 30 days, permanently deleted items cannot be recovered, even via Google Takeout.

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Story summary

Google shortens Google Photos trash retention to 30 days for all items.
The change was documented on Google Photos support pages updated in early September 2026.
Android users now see in-app notices about the new 30-day deletion window.
The 30-day rule now applies uniformly to backed-up and non-backed-up photos and videos.
After 30 days, permanently deleted items cannot be recovered, even via Google Takeout.