The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a popular Android smartphone released in 2015. It features a fast octa-core processor, vibrant 5.1-inch display, and high-quality 16MP camera. Like most Android devices, the S6 has a Recycle Bin feature that stores deleted files before they are permanently erased.
The Recycle Bin on the Galaxy S6 provides a safety net for accidental file deletion. When files like photos, videos, documents, or other data are deleted from the S6’s internal storage or SD card, they are moved to the Recycle Bin instead of being immediately removed. This gives users a chance to restore any deleted items they still need to access.
The Recycle Bin helps prevent permanent data loss, but items are only stored temporarily before being deleted. Therefore, it’s important for S6 owners to understand how to locate and utilize the Recycle Bin to recover removed files. This guide will cover everything you need to know about accessing, managing, and emptying the Recycle Bin on the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Accessing the Recycle Bin
The recycle bin on the Samsung Galaxy S6 allows you to recover deleted files, similar to the recycle bin on a computer. To access the recycle bin on your S6:
1. Open the Application drawer and locate the “My Files” app. Tap to open it.
2. In the My Files app, tap on the “More options” menu in the top right corner.
3. Select “Recycle bin” from the menu. This will open the recycle bin screen.
The recycle bin icon looks like a trash can and shows how much storage space is being used to store deleted files. From the recycle bin screen you can view, restore, and permanently delete files.
To open a deleted file or restore it, simply tap on it. You can also tap the empty recycle bin option at the top of the screen to permanently delete all files.
So in summary, the recycle bin can be accessed through the My Files app > More options > Recycle bin. This is where deleted photos, videos, documents and other files can be recovered on the Galaxy S6.
Restoring Deleted Files
If you accidentally deleted a file or app on your Samsung Galaxy S6, you may be able to restore it from the recycle bin. The recycle bin stores deleted files for a certain period of time before permanently erasing them. Here’s how to restore deleted files on your S6:
1. Open the Application drawer and tap on the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on Storage.
3. Tap on Recycle Bin.
4. You will now see a list of your recently deleted files and apps. Tap on any item you want to restore.
5. A popup will appear asking you to confirm if you want to restore the selected item. Tap on Restore.
The app or file will now be restored back to its original location on your device. Keep in mind that the recycle bin has limited space, so items will only remain there for a short time before being permanently deleted. If you wait too long, you may not be able to recover deleted files from the recycle bin. For best results, restore files as soon as possible after accidental deletion.
If you emptied the recycle bin, the files are permanently deleted and you will need to use third-party Samsung data recovery software to attempt to recover them.
Permanently Deleting Files
To permanently delete files from the recycle bin on a Samsung Galaxy S6, open the My Files app and tap on the Recycle Bin icon at the bottom of the screen. This will open the recycle bin containing any deleted files. Locate the file(s) you want to permanently delete and tap and hold on them. In the menu that appears, tap “Delete” and confirm when prompted. One source notes that permanently deleting files from the recycle bin will free up storage space on the device.
Alternatively, you can tap the menu button in the upper right corner of the recycle bin and choose “Empty recycle bin” to permanently delete all files. Be aware this action is not reversible. Permanently deleting files removes them completely from the device and they cannot be recovered.
Emptying the Recycle Bin
To permanently delete all items in the recycle bin on your Samsung Galaxy S6, follow these steps:
- Open the Apps drawer and tap on the Settings app.
- Tap on Storage.
- Under Internal Storage, tap on Recycle Bin.
- You will see a list of deleted items. Tap on the Empty button at the top right.
- A confirmation prompt will appear. Tap Empty to confirm deleting all items.
Once you empty the recycle bin, all deleted files and folders will be permanently removed from your device storage. They cannot be recovered.
If you want to selectively delete items, tap on each item and then tap on the Delete button next to it. This will remove that specific item from the recycle bin.
Recycle Bin Capacity
The Samsung Galaxy S6 has a finite amount of storage space allocated for the Recycle Bin, which limits how many deleted files can be stored before it needs to be emptied. According to Samsung’s website, the maximum storage capacity of the Recycle Bin on the S6 is 1GB. Once this 1GB limit is reached, the oldest deleted files will start being permanently deleted to make room for newly deleted items. This makes it important to periodically review the contents of the Recycle Bin and restore or permanently remove items you want to keep or delete. Exceeding the 1GB capacity will result in your oldest deleted files being permanently erased.
Recovering Deleted Apps
If you accidentally delete an app from your Samsung Galaxy S6 and it’s no longer in the Recycle Bin, you still have options for recovering the deleted app. One method is to reinstall the app from the Google Play Store and see if its data is restored. According to sources, some apps will restore data when reinstalled if the data wasn’t manually cleared before uninstalling the app initially (1).
If reinstalling the app doesn’t restore the data, you can try using third party software like Dr.Fone to recover deleted app data on Android devices like the S6. Dr.Fone can extract residual data left by uninstalled apps and restore it to your device (2). This should recover any lost app data as long as it hasn’t been overwritten. You can also search for the app name in Dr.Fone and it will scan your device for any matching residual data from that app.
As a last resort, you may be able to find previous versions of the APK file for the deleted app online or in your Google account if you previously installed it from the Play Store. You can then sideload this older version to access its data if the app has changed significantly since you originally installed it.
Sources:
(1) https://www.justanswer.com/android-devices/dxueo-accidentally-deleted-app-phone-recover.html
(2) https://drfone.wondershare.com/app-recovery/recover-app-data-android.html
Auto Deleting Files
The Samsung Galaxy S6’s recycle bin has a limited storage capacity. Once that storage limit is reached, the recycle bin will automatically delete the oldest files to make room for any newly deleted items (source). This auto delete function helps prevent the recycle bin from filling up the device’s storage.
By default, the recycle bin storage capacity on the S6 is approximately 10% of the phone’s internal storage. So if you have 32GB of storage, the recycle bin can hold up to 3.2GB before needing to auto delete files. This storage allotment to the recycle bin cannot be adjusted by the user.
When the recycle bin reaches its capacity limit, it will delete the oldest deleted files first. The most recently deleted files will remain in the recycle bin. So if you need to recover a file, it helps to act quickly before the auto delete function removes it from the recycle bin forever.
Recycle Bin Alternatives
Since the Samsung Galaxy S6 does not have a built-in recycle bin, you’ll need to utilize other options if you want to recover deleted files. Here are some alternatives to try:
Use a file recovery app – There are many free and paid third party apps like CoolMuster and Minitool that can scan your S6 and recover deleted data even without a recycle bin.
Connect to a computer – By connecting your S6 to a computer with a USB cable, you may be able to view deleted files that still exist on the device and recover them to your computer.
Use cloud backups – If you had your photos, files, or other data backed up to the cloud, you can restore from your cloud backups.
Use file versioning – Some apps like Google Drive and Dropbox keep previous versions of files, allowing you to restore an earlier version if the current one was deleted.
Contact the carrier – In some cases, your wireless carrier may be able to recover deleted text messages or call logs from your S6 if contacted soon after deletion.
Summary
In summary, the Galaxy S6 uses a recycle bin to temporarily store deleted files such as photos, videos, and apps. The recycle bin can be accessed through the Gallery app or My Files app. Deleted items remain in the recycle bin for 15 days before being permanently deleted. Files can be restored from the recycle bin during this time. The recycle bin has a storage capacity equal to approximately 10% of the device’s internal storage. Once full, the oldest files will be deleted first as new files are added. Users can manually empty the recycle bin to permanently delete files and free up storage space. Alternatives like cloud storage or data recovery software exist for recovering deleted files not in the recycle bin. Overall, the S6 recycle bin provides a useful built-in safety net for retrieving recently deleted files.