Where is the recycle bin on Android?

On a PC, the normal thing is when you delete a file, it doesn’t really get deleted, but rather goes to the recycle bin. It will stay there for a while in case you change your mind and want to recover the file. On Android phones, the recycle bin works a little differently Or, at least, for the moment, in a less unified way.

If you’re looking for the equivalent of the Windows Recycle Bin on Android, we’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that there is no one centralized, one-size-fits-all trash can. The good is that many apps have recycle bin function, with which you can recover deleted items for some time.

Where is the Android Recycle Bin

In Windows, there is only one Recycle Bin, and the files you delete go there regardless of the application. In Android there is always a unified recycle bin, although Google has laid the foundations for a trash can system since Android 11, with a universal API that is easy to integrate for developers.

This universal API allows, finally there is a trash can in Android 12, more or less. From Android 12, if you enter the Android settings, in the section of Storage The recycle bin appears. The size of the files saved in the recycle bin is indicated there and pressing it opens the Google Files recycle bin.

At the moment, only files are displayed in this section of the settings. that have been deleted in Google Files, although it is predictable that over time other files deleted from other applications end up in the same place. The “universal trash” is still very green, so it is early to see if it will end up being implemented consistently across all applications, so that we can control what gets deleted from a centralized location, as happens in Windows.

While this universal trash is coming, what we have is Recycle bin functions in many applications. The concept is always the same, whether it’s photos, emails or files: deleting something doesn’t really delete it, but ends up in a kind of purgatory where there will be a season left. If you don’t get it back within this time, it will actually be erased.

The Google Files Recycle Bin

As we mentioned before, Google Files is on its way to becoming Android’s recycle bin, but for now what it already offers, no matter what version of Android you have, is its own. basket. That is to say, files you delete in Google Files are not permanently deleted: they go in the trash.

You can check the files which are in the recycle bin after opening the side panel and pressing Wastepaper basket, where the space it occupies at this time is also indicated. Files in the Google Files Recycle Bin are automatically deleted after 30 days.

The Google Photos Recycle Bin

Google Photos is one of the apps that includes recycle bin functionality. That is to say, when you delete a photo, it ends up in the recycle bin. This is pretty obvious because every time you do so, a prominent message appears asking you for permission to move a photo to the trash.

You can check the Gogole Photos recycle bin by entering the section Library and tapping on Wastepaper basket. Photos that end up in the Google Photos recycle bin they are permanently deleted after 60 days, or after 30 days for photos or videos that have not been backed up.

The Gmail Recycle Bin

Another Google app with a trash can is the Gmail mail manager. In this case what will stop there is emails you delete in any version of Gmail, not just the app. In this case, the storage you gain by emptying the recycle bin is not really that of the mobile, but in the Google shared space.

To check the Gmail trash you need to open the side panel and press Wastepaper basket. Emails are deleted automatically and permanently if you do not save them within 30 days since they have been eliminated.

Google Drive Recycle Bin

Google Drive also has a trash can and works the same as Gmail. Files that you delete in Google Drive go to the recycle bin instead of being permanently deleted. By emptying this bin, you do not save space on the mobile, but on the Google shared storage.

To access the Google Drive recycle bin, you need to open the app side panel and tap Recycle Bin. Files found in the Google Drive recycle bin they are automatically deleted after 30 days to be eliminated.

The Google Keep Recycle Bin

At this time, Google doesn’t deduct Google Keep notes from shared space, so you won’t free up space by deleting notes. For it, it is more common to archive Google Keep notes than to delete them, but if you delete a note completely, you can still get it back to the Google Keep recycle bin.

To access the Google Keep recycle bin, you need to open the side panel and press Wastepaper basket. This time, the period of time you have to repent is shorter than in the other bins: the notes are erased forever after seven days.

The trash can in the mobile gallery

Some mobiles offer Google Photos as a gallery app, which, as we saw earlier, has its own trash can. Others include your own gallery app, and it’s quite common for them to have their own trash can. It is present, for example, in the gallery application of Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus or Xiaomi.

Every gallery app is different, although it shouldn’t be difficult to find the section of Wastepaper basket or equivalent (in OnePlus mobiles, this is called Recently deleted). The period it will take for the photos to be eliminated forever It also depends on each manufacturer, although the most normal is that they are 30 days.

The Google Contacts Recycle Bin

Google’s Contacts app is one of the latest to integrate the trash function. With him you can save the recently deleted contacts. Of course, you have to be careful because depending on the menu in which you delete the contact, it will be deleted permanently or it will be sent to the recycle bin.

To access the recycle bin of the Google Contacts app, you need to bring up the side panel and press Wastepaper basket. You will then see the deleted contacts and from which device they were deleted. You have 30 days before the contacts that are in the trash are gone forever.

Instagram’s recycle bin

One application that does not come from Google and has its own recycle bin is Instagram. The app already had a file to hide photos, but recently reinforced the idea with the recycle bin, to which the photos and stories you delete will stop and Instagram.

Access to the trash is a bit hidden. You must enter your profile, go to Setting, account and press Recently deleted. Instagram posts will remain in the trash for 30 days, but stories that are not in the archive will be deleted forever after 24 hours.