In light of last month’s announcement, Google Messages has extensively launched its new Trash folder to protect users from unintentional deletions.
In the past, when a conversation was deleted, it was instantly erased from your Android device.
The newly introduced Trash folder acts as a “safety net.” Upon selecting the “Trash” icon, Google Messages will clarify the updated process: “Chat will be deleted after 30 days.”
This “grace period” allows you a month to recover conversations before they are permanently erased. (For Android Go devices, this period is limited to 7 days to “save space.”)
You can reach the Trash folder through the account menu by tapping your profile picture located in the top-right corner. It is positioned below Archived, which remains unchanged as of now.
This list indicates the number of messages present in each conversation. You have the option to “Delete all” or swiftly restore all or specific threads back to the main screen.
In the meantime, when a chat in the Trash gets a new message, a “new thread containing just the new message will show up in your main chat list,” while the earlier messages stay in the Trash folder.