The last December, XDA developers discovered that the Google Files app will soon have a recycle bin on android. Now, according to a new post on XDA, it looks like Google has plans to include a Trash Bin within the Settings app, starting with Android 12. In fact, there are some phones that can update to Android 12 and others don't.
Google prepares a recycle bin for deleted files in Android 12
Android 12 may have a trash section
Continuing with the report, Android 12 may have a unified option to manage deleted files from Settings -> Storage. From here, users can see the number of files in the Android recycle bin, along with the option to delete them permanently. However, the option to restore items to the trash seems to be missing in its current state.
The report also suggests that it's not likely to be a full-fledged Recycle Bin or Deleted Files folder. Take a look at the screenshots of this hidden feature below:
Recycle bin in Android 12?
As with almost all other new Android features, the feature's compatibility depends on several factors. To begin with, file management apps must use Android's MediaStore API, for this feature to work as expected. Also, we'll have to wait to see if popular recycle bin apps make changes to support this implementation.
That said, it's worth noting that the aforementioned Trash Bin under Configuration or Settings isn't available by default on either. android 12 developer previews released so far. Therefore, it is possible that Google will skip the feature or test it in the next beta versions. We will have to wait for the next developer preview of Android 12 and future beta versions before reaching an accurate conclusion. And of course we'll know for sure at Google I/O 2021 scheduled for May 18-20.