Google seems to be preparing to add a feature to Android devices that has long been part of more traditional desktop operating systems: a trash can (or, if you prefer the way Windows calls it, a recycle bin). XDA-Developers searched in the code for Android 12 to discover features that Google has not yet officially announced, and the most recent is a line in the main Settings app for the “Trash”.
When you tap “Trash”, Android 12 should display a dialog box telling you how much to store the deleted files that occupy your system and give you the option to empty it. It looks like it should work the same as on Windows or a Mac, but in practice it is likely to be much more complicated for several reasons.
Android actually received a garbage API in Android 11 that apps could use to hide files instead of deleting them instantly and completely, but it seems of little use. Google itself seems to be preparing to support it in the Files by Google application, but so far it has not appeared in the live version of it.
So the trash feature already exists in Android 11, but few apps seem to use it; and even if they did, there’s still no way to actually recover the files in the trash. In Android 12, the settings XDA uncovered doesn’t seem to provide recovery, but individual file management applications – like Google – could.
Managing Android files is not as simple as on the desktop operating system. For example, the new purposeful storage settings mean that files that are ‘thrown in the trash’ are technically hidden in their place, with a dot in front of their file name. In addition, each different Android manufacturer may choose to use their own file management application instead of the one offered by Google – and these applications may or may not support the new garbage API.
In short, Android 12 and Google’s own Files app could support trash and file recovery, but that doesn’t mean any of the apps on Android 12 will be needed.
So: messy. But this is the case with any operating system that develops over time with newer security models. Finally, what we theoretically want is a trash can that is easy to understand, which can be checked for the recovery of deleted files. Google seems to be pushing Android in this direction, at least.
The key word here is “push,” though. Implementing a feature like trash / recycling requires attracting everyone in the ecosystem, and Android is a huge ecosystem. Due to the way Android updates are structured, deep system updates that affect hundreds of manufacturers and thousands of developers need years of implementation. In addition, of course, it takes far too long for most Android phones to receive the latest version of Android.
Other features in Android 12 will not be hindered by such complications. Looks like Google will allow you to call the wizard by holding down the power button and adding new emojis, offering new home screen plans, and changing other minor user interface elements. XDA gathered a bunch of changes he discovered here.