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Google's working on a Trash folder for Messages
October 27, 2025
- Code in the latest Google Messages beta hints that the app may be getting a trash folder.
- The folder could work similarly to Gmail’s, where trashed messages are held for 30 days before they’re automatically deleted.
- We couldn’t activate any UI for this new feature; it may be in the early stages of development.
Google Messages might be getting a Trash folder for deleted messages. We’ve spotted code in the latest Messages beta build that makes multiple new references to “trashed conversations,” hinting that deleting messages could work differently in an upcoming update.
One new string in version messages.android_20251020_01_RC01.phone.openbeta_dynamic of Google Messages directly references a trash folder:
<string name="trash_folder_activity_title">Trash</string>There are also a couple of mentions of trashed conversations:
CREATE TABLE trashed_conversationsDROP INDEX IF EXISTS index_trashed_conversations_conversation_idDon’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?
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Messages already lets you move texts to an archive, where they stay permanently until you manually delete them. As it stands now, deleting messages immediately and permanently removes them from your device. This in-progress trash folder for Messages might work like Trash in Gmail, where trashed messages are held for 30 days before they’re automatically deleted, giving you a sort of grace period to reference messages you’ve trashed before they’re actually gone for good.
There’s no telling when we should expect this new Trash folder to go live: We weren’t able to surface any of the UI for this new trash functionality, so it may still be early in development.
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