Google Photos may shorten trash bin retention to 30 days

Google is reportedly testing a change to Google Photos that would shorten the time deleted files remain in the trash. Currently, the service uses two different retention periods: backed-up photos and videos stay in the trash for 60 days, while items not backed up to the cloud are permanently deleted after 30 days.

Code discovered in Google Photos version 7.90 suggests the company aims to unify these rules. Under the proposed change, all deleted media would be permanently removed after 30 days, regardless of whether they were previously backed up. This would effectively halve the protection period for backed-up files.

This modification could simplify the user experience by providing a single, consistent countdown for all deleted items. Additionally, reducing the retention period may help Google lower storage infrastructure costs by clearing data more quickly across its millions of user accounts. Google has not yet officially announced or publicly implemented this change.