To recover deleted photos from Google Photos, use the app's trash folder within 60 days of deletion. After this period, photos are permanently deleted, but you may still recover them from backups or linked devices.
When you delete a photo in Google Photos, it moves to the trash folder rather than being permanently erased. This gives you a 60-day window to restore it. After this period, the photo is automatically deleted from Google's servers. However, if you've enabled sync with other devices or services, you might find copies elsewhere.
There are three primary ways to recover deleted photos:
To restore photos from the trash folder:
If you don't see the photos in the trash folder, they may have been permanently deleted. In this case, check if you have a backup on your device or another cloud service.
Many users believe that photos are permanently deleted as soon as they're removed from Google Photos. However, the 60-day trash period provides a safety net. Another misconception is that photos deleted from all devices are unrecoverable. If you've synced your photos with Google Drive or another service, you might still access them there.
Last year, I accidentally deleted a folder of vacation photos from Google Photos. I panicked until I remembered the trash folder. I recovered all the photos within minutes by following the steps above. This experience taught me the importance of checking the trash folder before assuming photos are gone forever.