What you need to know
- Google Messages now adds a trash folder that lets you recover deleted conversations instead of deleting them immediately.
- Deleted conversations remain in the trash for 30 days, with options to restore at any time or delete permanently.
- New messages from deleted conversations appear as fresh threads and do not restore the original conversation.
If you’ve accidentally deleted a conversation in Google Messages, the app now gives you a second chance to restore it.
After testing it in beta, Google Messages now propagates the trash folder to all users. Previously, when you deleted conversations in the app, they were deleted immediately. But now, instead of being deleted immediately, the conversation will move to the trash before being permanently deleted.
When you delete a topic, it stays in the trash for 30 days, after which it is automatically deleted. Of course, you can always log in and delete the topic permanently. Likewise, you can restore conversations in that one-month window from here.
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Now, when you tap the delete icon after selecting a conversation, Google Messages will display a warning to move the conversation to the trash. To access it, you can tap on the profile icon that appears in the “More from this app” section at the top right, under the Archived option.
You’ll be able to access, restore, or permanently delete trashed chats using the options available in the Trash.
Note that if you receive a message from a trashed conversation, it will appear as a new thread in the main inbox and will not restore the original conversation from the trash.
This feature is now rolling out to Android phones. I was able to access it in app version 20260403_00_RC00 Oppo Find X9 Pro. If you don’t see it yet, you need to update from the app Google Play Store.
It’s nice to see Google add more features to Messages, especially if Samsung is planning to Phase out your Messages app on Galaxy devices later this year. This comes after Google also launched testing said feature in the program.
Android Central’s Take
This is one of those little features that should have been here a long time ago. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve accidentally deleted a chat. Having a Trash folder makes Google Messages feel more complete now.
