Google Photos May Cut Deleted Photo Recovery Time From 60 Days To 30 Days

Google Photos may soon make an important change to the way deleted photos and videos are handled. According to a recent report, the company appears to be considering reducing the recovery period for backed up media from 60 days to 30 days.

The possible change was spotted during an analysis of Google Photos version 7.90. Code found inside the Android application reportedly points towards a single 30 day retention period for deleted content. Google has not officially confirmed that the change will be introduced.

At present, Google Photos follows different recovery rules depending on whether the content has been backed up. Backed up photos and videos generally remain in the Trash for up to 60 days after deletion. Media that has not been backed up is normally kept there for 30 days.

That distinction could disappear if the reported change becomes official. Under the possible new system, both backed up and unbacked photos and videos would remain recoverable for only 30 days. Once that period ends, the content would be permanently removed from the Trash.

The discovery is particularly relevant for users who often delete files without immediately checking what has been removed. It is easy to send a photo to the Trash and forget about it, especially when a large library contains years of images and videos.

If Google implements the shorter period, users will need to act more quickly when they realise that an important file has been deleted. A family photo, old video or another valuable piece of media would need to be restored within the 30 day window.

The reported change was found in the application’s code rather than through an official announcement. That means the feature is not necessarily guaranteed to arrive in the final version of Google Photos. Companies frequently test features internally before deciding whether to release them widely.

There could be several practical reasons behind such a move. Having one recovery period for all deleted media would make the Trash system easier to understand. Instead of remembering separate rules for backed up and unbacked content, users would have a single 30 day period to recover their files.

Storage management could also be a consideration. Google Photos handles an enormous volume of photographs and videos uploaded by users around the world. Keeping deleted content for a shorter period could reduce the amount of storage required for items sitting in the Trash, although Google has not said that this is the reason.

For users, the main takeaway is simple. If the reported change eventually reaches everyone, the current 60 day safety window for backed up media could be reduced by half.

Until Google makes an official announcement, the existing rules should continue to be treated as the current policy. Users who regularly rely on Google Photos Trash to recover accidentally deleted content may nevertheless want to check the folder sooner rather than later.