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While cleaning out spam and unwanted conversations in Google Messages, it has been way too easy to accidentally delete important data. Select the wrong message thread, and after a quick button press, it's gone forever. 

That is, until now. Google has rolled out a previously announced feature that adds a trash folder. Deleted threads will now go there instead of being immediately deleted from your device, after which you have 30 days to restore the messages before they're permanently deleted. This buffer should cut down on those quick-press accidents, or as Google explains, "unintended data loss."

There are new gesture controls to move conversations to the trash, as well. Using the swipe action, you can move conversations to the bin one by one or in batches. You can also touch and hold individual messages to do the same. Every conversation added to the trash has a countdown timer, letting you know when it will be permanently removed. You can access this information by tapping your profile in the top right and selecting Trash. You'll see the number of days left before a wipe next to each conversation in the list. You can touch and hold individual conversations to restore them. There's also a selectable restore-all button at the top.

The new feature is already available and was rolled out as part of the app's stable version release, version 20260327_00_RC00. This comes around the same time Google is improving the app, with new real-time location sharing alerts, for example, alongside new ways to better catch and block phishing text scams.

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The trash bin feature is a welcome change, but it's not the only one to arrive in Google Messages recently. Real-time location alerts and improved phishing text security through Gemini are just the start. Google also improved group chats by adding attention-grabbing mentions, adding more robust symbols and checkmark notifications next to messages, activating end-to-end encrypted RCS chats between iPhone and Android, and much, much more.

Coincidentally, this is all coming just as Samsung's popular messaging app is officially being discontinued, affecting various Galaxy devices. Both Samsung and Google are advising affected users to switch to Google Messages as their default texting app. Samsung Messages had some exclusive and hidden features that made it worth using over alternatives, and some of those features will definitely be missed now that the app is going away. That's also why it's good to see Google updating its Messages app to improve the user experience across the ecosystem and for everyone who chooses it as their default.