A “trash” folder is coming to Google Messages, preserving deleted messages for 30 days unless permanently deleted.
Google Messages is set to receive a modern convenience feature: a simple trash folder that will make it easier to recover accidentally deleted conversations. Currently, deleting a chat in the app results in immediate and permanent removal, but the new feature will function as a temporary holding space.
With the update, users will be able to select the “Move chat to trash” option when deleting conversations. The chat won’t disappear immediately; instead, it will be stored in the trash for 30 days before being permanently removed. According to Google, the deletion message will also indicate that the conversation will be automatically deleted after 30 days, and a note will remind users they can block the phone number in question if needed.
The trash folder will be accessible within the app’s settings menu, alongside Archived, Spam, and Blocked conversations. The list view will display the number of messages in each conversation and offer options to permanently delete the entire content or quickly restore conversations to the main list. The feature is currently appearing in the 20260306_02_RC00 beta version and is not yet widely available to testers.
