September 15, 2026, 12:30 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Accidentally deleted an important photo? For Google Photos users, this was not a cause for concern until now. Images and videos remained in the trash for 60 days after deletion and could be restored without worry during that time. But this generous period is now a thing of the past. Google is halving the retention period to 30 days.
Previously, Google Photos differentiated between backed-up and non-backed-up content. Photos and videos stored in the Google Cloud remained in the trash for 60 days. Files that were only stored locally on the smartphone were permanently deleted after 30 days. This distinction is now being eliminated. In the future, a uniform period of 30 days will apply to both. After that, the content will be automatically and permanently removed.
Google has not officially announced the change. Instead, the company adjusted the new period on the support pages, as reported by “AndroidAuthority.” Meanwhile, some users have reportedly received corresponding notices directly in the Google Photos app.
Deletion can affect multiple devices
For many users, it is also important to know: Deleting a photo in Google Photos often affects more than just a single device. Backed-up photos and videos, meaning those synchronized with the Google account and stored in the cloud, will also disappear from all other devices where Google Photos with backup enabled is used, according to Google. Additionally, the files will be removed from Google Photos albums as well as from shared albums and conversations.
However, copies in other Google services such as Gmail, Drive, Blogger, or YouTube are not automatically deleted. Photos and videos on removable memory cards are an exception. These may not be removed when deleted via Google Photos. To permanently delete the files, users should use the gallery app of the respective device.
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The trash also has limits
Users should not rely on deleted images remaining in the trash indefinitely. It is possible that it will eventually become full. In this case, images will be deleted immediately and permanently without a retention period. Users should be particularly vigilant here. However, a corresponding notice would appear beforehand.
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If you only want to hide photos or videos from the gallery view, you can use the archive instead. The files remain intact and will still appear in albums, search results, and folders on the respective device.
What to consider with synchronized photos
Google points out that backed-up photos can be deleted on all devices where synchronization is enabled. If you want to remove certain images only from Google Photos but keep them on your smartphone, you should first disable the backup and then delete the photos from the cloud.
Additionally, Google offers the option to completely undo the device backup. In this case, the copies stored in Google Photos are removed, while the files on the smartphone remain. However, the images will then also disappear from albums, shared albums, search results, and memories within Google Photos.