Google Photos reduces deleted media retention to 30 days

Google has updated the data retention policy for Google Photos, reducing the time deleted media remains in the trash bin. Previously, photos and videos backed up to the cloud were stored for 60 days before permanent deletion. Under the new policy, this window has been halved to 30 days.

This change standardizes the retention period across the service, as files that were not backed up to the cloud were already subject to a 30-day limit. The update is now operational for all users, including those on Android devices. Google is notifying users of this change through in-app notifications and updated support documentation.

The reduction aligns Google Photos with other Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive, which also automatically remove items from the trash after 30 days.