Comparison: Trash vs Rewind vs Revisions
| Feature | Trash | Rewind | Revisions | ||
| Purpose |
| View and restore folders at a past time | Restore previous file versions | ||
| Scope | Only deleted items | Entire account |
| ||
| Access | Website and Mobile app | Website only | Website only | ||
| 15 days | 15 days | 15 days | ||
| Paid Plan | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | ||
| With EFH | 365 days | 365 days | 365 days |
Delete and Restore
pCloud provides multiple powerful features to help you recover deleted files and restore previous versions: Trash, Revisions, Rewind, and Extended File History.
Key Benefit: Never lose important files. pCloud's recovery features protect your data with multiple restore options, from simple trash recovery to advanced file history.
Trash (Recycle Bin)
When you delete files from pCloud, they are moved to the Trash where they remain for a specific retention period before permanent deletion.
Trash Retention Periods
- Free Plans: Files are kept in Trash for 15 days
- Paid Plans: Files are kept in Trash for 30 days
- Extended File History Add-on: Extends retention to 1 year (365 days)
Important: After the retention period expires, files are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered, even with Extended File History active.
Restoring Files from Trash
To restore deleted files:
- Visit the Trash section at my.pcloud.com/#page=trash
- Select the files or folders you wish to restore
- Click the Restore button
- Files will be restored to their original location
Restore all files at once:
- Use the selection feature to select all items in Trash
- Click Restore to restore everything simultaneously
Accessing Trash from Desktop App
- Open pCloud Drive
- Navigate to the Account tab
- Click Open Trash
- This opens the Trash folder in the web interface
Revisions
The Revisions feature allows you to access and restore previous versions of individual files.
How Revisions Work
- pCloud automatically saves previous versions when files are modified
- Available for individual files (not entire folders)
- Accessible only through the pCloud website
- Not available in desktop or mobile apps
Accessing Revisions
- Go to my.pcloud.com
- Locate the file you want to restore
- Right-click on the file to open the context menu
- Select Revisions
- View all previous versions of the file
- Download or restore the version you need
Revision Retention Periods
- Free Plans: Access revisions from up to 15 days ago
- Paid Plans: Access revisions from up to 30 days ago
- Extended File History: Access revisions from up to 365 days ago
Use Cases for Revisions
- Recover from file corruption
- Restore files encrypted by ransomware
- Retrieve older versions of edited documents
- Undo unwanted changes to files
Rewind
The Rewind feature allows you to view and access your entire pCloud account as it existed at a specific moment in the past.
How Rewind Works
- Select any date and time in the past
- View your account exactly as it was at that moment
- Restore entire folders or individual files
- Recovered files are saved in a Rewind folder in your pCloud root directory
Using Rewind
- Go to my.pcloud.com/#page=time
- Select a date and time from the calendar
- Browse your account as it was at that moment
- Select files or folders to restore
- Click Restore or Download
- Restored data appears in a Rewind folder in your pCloud Files root
Rewind Availability
The Rewind feature is available on all plan types with varying time ranges:
- Free Plans: Rewind up to 15 days ago
- Paid Plans: Rewind up to 30 days ago
- Extended File History: Rewind up to 365 days ago
Use Cases for Rewind
- Recover from accidental bulk deletions
- Restore deleted shared folders
- Recover multiple files at once
- View account state before a specific incident
Extended File History (EFH)
The Extended File History add-on is a premium feature that extends all recovery periods to one full year.
What Extended File History Provides
- Trash Retention: Keep deleted files in Trash for 1 year
- Revisions: Access file versions from up to 1 year ago
- Rewind: Rewind your account to any point within the past 1 year
Important Notes
- Not Retroactive: Extended File History is not retroactive - it only applies from the moment you activate it
- Trash Limitation: Cannot restore files permanently deleted from Trash, even with EFH active
- Availability: Available as a paid add-on to any pCloud plan
Which Recovery Method to Use?
Choose the right recovery method based on your situation:
Use Trash When:
- You accidentally deleted files or folders
- Files were deleted within the retention period
- You want to restore items to their original location
Use Revisions When:
- A file was corrupted or modified incorrectly
- You need a specific previous version of a document
- Files were encrypted by ransomware
- You want to compare different versions
Use Rewind When:
- You need to recover multiple files from a specific time
- You want to see your account state before an incident
- You deleted entire folder structures
- Files were already permanently deleted from Trash