> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.siftphotos.pro/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Google Photos Trash: Where It Is, How Long Photos Stay, and How to Empty It - URL: https://www.siftphotos.pro/blog/google-photos-trash/ - Published: 2026-10-29T11:06:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-29T11:09:14.000Z - Description: Find the Google Photos trash on Android, iPhone and the web, restore deleted photos within 30 days, and empty it to get your storage back. - Author: Michal Wlosik - Tags: Guides, Storage **Short answer:** The Google Photos trash is under Collections, then Trash, in the Android and iPhone app, and in the left menu on photos.google.com. Deleted photos and videos stay there for 30 days, then they're permanently deleted. You can restore them any time before that. To free storage right away, open Trash and tap Empty trash. Here's where to find the Google Photos trash on each device, how to restore deleted photos, how to empty it, and why your storage might not drop straight away. ## Where is the trash in Google Photos? The trash is in the same place on phones, and in the side menu on a computer. | Device | Where to find Trash | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Android phone or tablet | Google Photos app › Collections (bottom) › Trash | | iPhone or iPad | Google Photos app › Collections (bottom) › Trash | | Computer | photos.google.com › Trash in the left menu | On older versions of the app, the Collections tab was called Library, so you may see Library, then Trash. If you can't find a photo in the trash, also check your Archive. Archived items are hidden from the main view but not deleted. ![Google Photos trash showing the 30-day notice and the Empty trash button](https://www.siftphotos.pro/content/images/2026/10/image-mvtfiods.webp) The Google Photos trash. 1: the notice that items are deleted after 30 days, 2: the Empty trash button. ## How long do photos stay in Google Photos trash? Deleted photos and videos stay in the trash for 30 days. After that, Google permanently deletes them and they can't be restored. This applies to backed-up items, and to items you delete from an Android 11 or newer device even if they weren't backed up. A few things to know before you delete: - **Deleting in Google Photos deletes everywhere.** If backup is on, a backed-up item you delete is also removed from every phone and tablet with backup on, and from albums and shared albums. - **To delete only from the cloud,** turn off backup on the phone first. Our guide on [deleting from Google Photos but not your phone](https://www.siftphotos.pro/blog/delete-from-google-photos-not-phone/) covers the safe order. - **The trash has a limit.** If you see a "Delete permanently" prompt when moving items to trash, your trash is full. Empty it first if you want the option to restore. - **Google Takeout can't bring back** permanently deleted items. ## How to recover deleted photos from Google Photos You can restore any item that's still in the trash, as long as it's been less than 30 days and you haven't emptied the trash or deleted it permanently. These steps follow [Google's restore help page](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/9343482?ref=siftphotos.pro). ### On Android 1. Open the Google Photos app. 2. At the bottom, tap Collections, then Trash. 3. Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore. Tap other items to select several. 4. At the bottom, tap Restore. The item goes back to your library, any albums it was in, and your phone's gallery app. ### On iPhone or iPad 1. Open the Google Photos app. 2. At the bottom, tap Collections, then Trash. 3. Touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore. 4. At the bottom, tap Restore. To put it back in the iPhone Photos app too, open the photo in Google Photos, swipe up, and tap Download. ### On a computer 1. Go to [photos.google.com](https://photos.google.com/?ref=siftphotos.pro). 2. On the left, click Trash. 3. Hover over each item you want back and click its checkmark to select it. 4. At the top right, click Restore. If a photo isn't in the trash or your Archive, it has most likely been permanently deleted and can't be recovered from Google Photos. ### Can't find a photo in the trash? Before you give up, check these common causes: - **It's archived.** Archived photos are hidden from the main view but still in your account. Look in Collections, then Archive. - **It's in a Locked Folder.** Items there don't show in your library or search. - **You're signed in to a different account.** If you use more than one Google Account, check the trash in each. - **It was never backed up.** If you deleted it on the phone before it uploaded, it may not be in Google Photos at all. - **More than 30 days have passed.** Then it's gone for good. [![CTA Image](https://www.siftphotos.pro/favicon.png)](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/figoiilkoifjlplpncdhkioalhdcgmbi?ref=siftphotos.pro) **Clean up with a 30-day safety net.** Sift only moves items to Google Photos' trash and never empties it, and the free version frees up to 1 GB with no card. [Add Sift to Chrome, free ](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/figoiilkoifjlplpncdhkioalhdcgmbi?ref=siftphotos.pro) ## How to empty trash in Google Photos Emptying the trash permanently deletes everything in it. Make sure nothing in there is something you want to keep. ### On Android or iPhone 1. Open the Google Photos app. 2. At the bottom, tap Collections, then Trash. 3. Tap More (the three dots), then Empty trash. 4. Tap Delete permanently to confirm. ### On a computer 1. Go to photos.google.com and click Trash on the left. 2. At the top, click Empty trash. 3. Confirm with Empty trash. To delete only some items for good, open Trash, select them, and choose Delete permanently instead. ## Why your storage may not drop right away Items in the trash still count toward your 15 GB of Google storage until they're permanently deleted. So if you delete 2 GB of videos and check one.google.com/storage straight away, you may see no change. This is the most common reason people think "Google Photos recover storage" isn't working. What to do: 1. **Empty the trash** once you're sure you don't need those items. 2. **Give it time.** The storage figure can take a while to update after a large deletion. Check again later in the day. 3. **Check the other services.** Gmail and Drive have their own trash folders, and they count toward the same 15 GB. See our guide on [Gmail storage full](https://www.siftphotos.pro/blog/gmail-storage-full/). If you want to free space without deleting, Google's Recover storage option compresses existing photos instead. We compare it in [Storage saver vs Original quality](https://www.siftphotos.pro/blog/google-photos-storage-saver-vs-original-quality/). ## How Sift handles the trash Sift is a Chrome extension that works through the Google Photos website to find duplicates, large videos, screenshots and other clutter. For safety, Sift only moves items to Google Photos' trash. It never empties it. Everything Sift removes can be restored for 30 days, from Google Photos or from Sift's own Trash view. ![Sift Trash view with a Restore all button](https://www.siftphotos.pro/content/images/2026/10/image-mvtfhatp.webp) Sift's Trash view lists what you moved to Google Photos' trash. 1: Restore all brings everything back in one click. When you're happy with the cleanup, you empty the trash yourself in Google Photos. That's the step that actually frees the storage. For the full process, see [how to clean up Google storage](https://www.siftphotos.pro/blog/how-to-clean-up-google-storage/), and if you're clearing out a lot at once, [how to delete all photos from Google Photos](https://www.siftphotos.pro/blog/delete-all-photos-from-google-photos/). Sift is free to scan, and Personal is $19 one time for unlimited cleanup. See [Sift pricing](https://www.siftphotos.pro/#pricing). [![CTA Image](https://www.siftphotos.pro/favicon.png)](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/figoiilkoifjlplpncdhkioalhdcgmbi?ref=siftphotos.pro) **Know what you'll free before you delete.** Sift shows the storage each group of duplicates and videos would free, then moves them to trash so you can still change your mind. [Try Sift free ](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/figoiilkoifjlplpncdhkioalhdcgmbi?ref=siftphotos.pro) ## FAQ ### Where is the trash in Google Photos? In the app, tap Collections at the bottom, then Trash. On a computer, click Trash in the left menu on photos.google.com. ### How long do deleted photos stay in Google Photos? 30 days. After that, they're permanently deleted and can't be restored. ### Can I recover photos after emptying the trash? No. Once the trash is emptied or 30 days have passed, Google Photos can't restore them, and Google Takeout can't either. ### Do photos in the trash count toward storage? Yes. They count until they're permanently deleted, so empty the trash to free the space sooner. ### Why didn't Google Photos recover storage after I deleted photos? Deleted items still sit in the trash and still count. Empty the trash, then give your storage page some time to update. ### Does Sift empty my Google Photos trash? No. Sift only moves items to the trash. You decide when to empty it. Check the trash before you panic, and empty it when you're sure. That's where the storage comes back. *Sift is independent and not affiliated with Google. Google Photos details checked in October 2026 and may change.*