Definition
💡 A Trash folder (for email) is a separate location in a mailbox to hold messages you delete from your inbox or another folder. The exact name and corresponding process for a trash folder depends on the email service provider.
Example
Different providers use various terms and processes for the trash folder. As examples, Gmail and Yahoo Mail use the term Trash Folder whereas Outlook uses Deleted Items Folder.What happens to emails in a trash folder
The Trash folder works differently depending on your service provider.:
- Gmail: Items remain in the Trash folder for 30 days.
- Outlook: Items remain in the Deleted Items folder without a time limit.
- Yahoo Mail: Items remain in the Trash folder for seven days.
Once time’s up in Gmail and Yahoo Mail, items in the Trash folder are permanently deleted but you can also empty the trash or delete the items manually beforehand if necessary.
In Outlook, you must manually empty the Deleted Items folder or permanently delete the items. Alternatively, you can set up an automation to empty the folder regularly.
You can recover items from the Trash folder any time before they are permanently deleted (Gmail and Yahoo Mail) or manually deleted (Outlook). To do so, open the folder, select the item, and look for the Restore, Recover, or Move to Inbox option.
Is it possible to retrieve emails that were deleted from a trash folder?
Once the Trash folder is emptied, you cannot restore the items—they are permanently deleted from your mailbox. A possible exception may be if you created a backup of the folder and saved it to your device before the folder was emptied.
