Google Photos to clear your trash bin in 30 days & roll out a calendar update

Google Photos has recently made a major change to its trash bin policy, reducing the time you have to recover deleted items. On top of that, reportedly the tech company is preparing to introduce a smart new tool that will help you create calendar entries straight from a photo of an event poster or invitation.Shorter recovery time for deleted photos

Google has officially updated the trash retention policy for Google Photos, giving users a much shorter window to rescue accidentally deleted pictures and videos. Previously, any media backed up to your Google account would stay safely in the trash bin for 60 days before being permanently erased.

Now, that grace period has been slashed to just 30 days. This new one-month limit applies to all media, regardless of whether it is backed up to the cloud or stored locally on your smartphone.

The updated policy will automatically apply to any items you move to the bin going forward. This change means you will need to act quickly to recover deleted content, as any photo or video sent to the trash will now be gone forever after exactly one month.Ask photos to add events to your calendar

Aside from the updated trash bin rules, Google is reportedly also testing a highly useful addition to the Ask Photos feature. According to an APK teardown of the Google Photos version 8.0 app by Android Authority, the company is working on an "Add to calendar" option.

This will allow you to generate calendar events directly from pictures of flyers, announcements, or posters without needing to type out the details manually.

The upcoming tool will scan an image to extract key details like the event name, date, time, and description, automatically filling out a calendar entry. It will also include a convenient link back to the original photo so you can easily double-check the information later. The feature will require calendar access permission, and users who decline it initially will see a prompt to enable it later.

Since it is still in the development and testing phase, the tool is not entirely flawless yet. Android Authority noted that during their tests, Ask Photos mistakenly applied a US time zone to a poster that did not specify one, which led to incorrect event timings being saved to the calendar. Google has not yet confirmed an official release date for this helpful addition.- EndsAlso Read | Meta joins Microsoft and Google in offering voluntary exits to employees, report saysAlso Read | India launches three new AI models, including two that work without the internetAlso Read | Nothing teases its first AI device with no screen, launching in December

I am a journalist covering the ever-evolving consumer tech landscape. From smartphones to laptops, I track the latest drops and decode the data to see if the newest gadgets are worth the hype.