We have all, at some point, deleted a file that we later regretted. And then the problems come when we want to recover deleted photos or even Instagram conversations . To give us a little leeway, on our computers we can find the recycle bin , where deleted files are stored for a while until they are permanently deleted.
This option is not so easy to find on mobile phones, but if you have a Samsung you have the option of activating a trash can with which you can easily recover your files if it hasn’t been too long. We explain everything you need to know.
- Is there a recycle bin on Android?
- How to activate the recycle bin on a Samsung mobile
- Where will I find my deleted files?
- How many days are files kept in the trash?
Is there a recycle bin on Android?
If you have been using the Android operating system for some time, you will probably have noticed that there is no recycle bin as such. This feature, which is so useful when we are using Windows or MacOS, is not available on mobile devices . In principle, unless we install a third-party application that allows us to do something else, the moment we delete a file that we have installed on our smartphone, that file is lost forever .
However, there are some brands that have their own layer of customization in which they make some modifications on Android. Samsung is one of them, so when you have a mobile phone from this brand it uses the One UI operating system based on Android.
And one of the advantages that One UI has over pure Android is precisely that it has the possibility of activating a recycle bin natively, without having to install any third-party application for it. Something that we can also find in other brands such as Xiaomi, Huawei or OnePlus , but that we will not see in smartphones that have pure Android without any type of customization layer. Therefore, if you are one of those who usually need to recover files after having deleted them, this is a point in favor of the Korean brand.
How to activate the recycle bin on a Samsung mobile
Although as we have mentioned in Samsung mobiles it is possible to have a recycle bin, the truth is that it does not appear by default . In order to have a folder where the files that we have deleted go for a few days before they are permanently deleted, we have to activate it manually . And that option is found in the file explorer that we have on our mobile. The steps that we will have to follow for this are the following:
- On your Samsung mobile, access the applications screen .
- Enter the Samsung Folder .
- Go to the My Files folder .
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Select Trash .
- Click on Turn on Trash .
Please note that if your Android phone is a very old or even very recent model, the procedure may change slightly , but most of the steps you must follow to activate them are very similar.
Where will I find my deleted files?
When you have the trash can activated on your Samsung mobile, you will probably wonder where you can find the files that have been deleted.
Unlike Windows, for example, you won’t find a recycle bin icon on your phone. You’ll have to go back into the My Files folder , where all the folders with files you can find on your phone will appear. There you’ll see a new option called Trash appear . And inside that folder is where you can see the files you’ve deleted in the days before you entered.
In this folder you will automatically find all the files you have deleted in the previous days. You will not need to do anything special when you delete a file to make it go to the trash, since it will be saved there automatically. And if you enter the trash and find that it is empty, it will be a sign that you have not deleted any files in the last few days . In reality, although the icon is a little different, the reality is that the operation of this Samsung folder is exactly the same as that of the Windows recycle bin .
How many days are files kept in the trash?
Once you delete a file from the Recycle Bin, it will remain there for 15 days . After that time, the file will be permanently deleted and you will no longer be able to access it again.
Therefore, if, as we can see in the image, you enter the Trash and see that no files appear, it will be a sign that you have not deleted any photos or documents in the last two weeks. And if there was a file that you had deleted and the period allowed to access it has already passed, it will no longer be in the Trash so that you can recover it.
You can easily recover documents that are in the trash so you can have them again as if you had never deleted them.
To do this, you just have to hold your finger down for a couple of seconds on the file you want to recover. At that moment, you will see that a menu opens, and in that menu, an option to restore the file you want will appear. When you press on it, you will see that the file goes back to the folder where it was initially, so that you can open it again.