Google has updated its policy for Google Photos, reducing the retention period for deleted backed-up photos and videos from 60 days to 30 days. This change aligns the recovery window for backed-up content with that of non-backed-up items, which already had a 30-day limit.
The policy change was first identified in late August 2026 through code analysis, followed by an official update to Google's help documentation in early September. By September 7, 2026, the company began notifying Android users about the new timeframe via in-app alerts.
The 30-day countdown begins immediately upon the deletion of a file. If a user manually empties the trash or selects the permanent delete option, the data is removed instantly and cannot be recovered. Google has not provided a specific reason for this adjustment.
This update impacts users who rely on the trash folder as a long-term storage buffer for accidentally deleted media. With the window cut in half, users now have less time to review and restore items before they are permanently purged from the cloud service.
