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Google Messages Upgrade Stops Unintentional Chat Removal

Google Messages now incorporates a trash folder.

Essential information

  • The addition of a Trash folder in Google Messages provides users with a safety net against accidentally deleted conversations.
  • Conversations that are deleted will remain in the Trash folder for a duration of 30 days before they are permanently removed.
  • Users have the option to restore conversations or erase them completely.

Removing the incorrect text thread in Google Messages has always posed a risk. When you choose to delete, that thread vanishes immediately and irretrievably. However, changes are on the horizon.

According to 9to5Google, the technology giant is now introducing a Trash folder in Google Messages, a simple yet significant enhancement that offers Android users a safety buffer against unintended deletions.

The newly introduced feature functions as anticipated. Deleted chats no longer disappear forever but are instead redirected to a Trash section first. When you eliminate a thread, a new option titled “Move chat to trash” will appear. Once relocated, the conversation remains for 30 days prior to being permanently deleted.

This means you have a full month to retrieve something should you reconsider its deletion.

The introduction of this feature addresses a frequent annoyance with Google’s messaging platform. Previously, deleting a conversation meant it would vanish instantly. Now, recovering a conversation is considerably simpler.

Locating the Trash folder

You can access the new folder directly from the Messages account menu. It appears alongside other well-known sections like Archived and Spam & blocked.

Opening the Trash folder reveals a list of deleted conversations along with the number of messages in each. You can restore a conversation to your inbox or permanently delete chats. Additionally, there is a “Delete all” button to clear the Trash with a single tap.

It’s noteworthy that many messaging applications have offered this feature for several years. Apple’s iMessage and various other services already allow for the recovery of deleted texts, while Google’s Gmail has implemented a comparable 30-day trash mechanism for quite some time.

This made the lack of a recovery option in Google Messages seem increasingly outdated. For Android users, particularly those who

Four Contemporary Devices Elevating the Vintage Gaming Experience

create your own classic arcade swiftly.

Certain gadgets provide ease of use, such as the MemCard Pro, which enables you to swap out a collection of vintage memory cards for a single larger-capacity card. Other products, like 8BitDo’s adapters and Retro Fighter controllers, allow you to link contemporary gamepads to your vintage consoles, enhancing your playing comfort. Additionally, there are some must-have items, like the remarkable RetroTINK-4K, capable of upscaling video output from retro consoles to 4K resolution. Below, we have outlined four of the top gadgets and accessories that will make your retro gaming experience feel genuinely contemporary.

MemCard Pro

One of the most beneficial features of modern gaming is the capability to save game progress directly to your console’s internal storage. However, this was not always the reality. In the past, to save your progress on retro consoles such as the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and GameCube, you required an external memory card. Yet, one memory card could rapidly turn into several, as official options were limited to a maximum of 8MB of storage (or 1 MB for the PS1), forcing you to make the tough decision of either overwriting an old save or purchasing another card for additional save space.

8BitMods’ MemCard Pro memory cards eliminate this issue entirely. Compatible with PS1, PS2, and GameCube, the MemCard Pro is a singular memory card that allows you to insert a Standard microSD, providing up to 1TB of storage for your game saves (depending on the inserted SD card). However, you probably won’t require that much space, as each 1GB of storage can accommodate up to 122,880 PS1 game save blocks or

Framework Increases RAM and Storage Prices Once More

For the fourth month in a row, Framework is increasing prices on RAM and storage for its modular PCs due to ongoing shortages from suppliers. An update to Framework’s blog on Tuesday states that DDR5 RAM will now cost $13 to $18 per GB, up from February’s rate of $12 to $16 per GB. This […]

Microsoft’s next Xbox, Project Helix, will barely reach alpha by 2027

We’re here at the 2026 Game Developers Conference, where Microsoft “VP of Next Generation” Jason Ronald is talking about a topic near and dear to many gamers’ hearts: the future of Xbox. Ronald says the next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, will have a custom AMD chip with “an order of magnitude increase in raytracing performance” […]

WhatsApp Launches Accounts for Preteens: Explained Features and Functionality

WhatsApp has revealed that preteens are now permitted to utilize its messaging service through newly introduced parent-managed accounts that include specific limitations. Here are the particulars.

### Parent-managed WhatsApp accounts for preteens being launched now

If you are a parent or guardian of a preteen, WhatsApp indicates that you can now establish an account for that child. Preteen accounts feature distinct restrictions and controls for parents.

As per WhatsApp’s blog:

> To start, parents must have the device purchased for their family member alongside their own device to link the accounts. Once configured, these accounts are overseen by the parent or guardian, who will have the ability to determine who can reach out to the account and which groups they can become a part of. Additionally, parents can assess message requests from unfamiliar contacts and oversee the account’s privacy settings. The new parental controls and settings are safeguarded by a parent PIN on the managed device. Only parents can modify and access privacy settings, ensuring they have the authority to customize their family’s experience.

WhatsApp emphasizes that even though parents possess extra controls over whom their child is communicating with, the content of conversations remains confidential. It states, “All personal conversations stay private and secured with end-to-end encryption, meaning no one—not even WhatsApp—can view or listen to them.”

Further information regarding parent-managed accounts can be found [here on WhatsApp’s support site](https://faq.whatsapp.com/894871699629864).

Additional recent updates from WhatsApp include [Group Message History](https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/19/whatsapp-launches-one-of-its-most-requested-features-for-groups/), [voice and video calls](https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/09/whatsapp-web-starts-rolling-out-voice-and-video-calls/) on the web, and a [new anti-spyware mode](https://9to5mac.com/2026/01/27/whatsapp-launches-new-anti-spyware-mode-for-improved-security/) for enhanced security.