IntelliJ IDEA 2026.1 EAP 3 Finally Sends Deleted Files to the Recycle Bin – What It Means for Developers

JetBrains released IntelliJ IDEA 2026.1 EAP 3, bringing many updates, the most notable being the long‑requested change that now moves deleted files to the system recycle bin rather than permanently removing them.

Previously, deleting a file in the Project view resulted in immediate permanent deletion, with recovery possible only via Local History or Git. This behavior differed from tools like VS Code, Visual Studio, Finder, or Explorer.

In the new EAP, the deletion action is changed to move files to the recycle bin, aligning with user expectations and preventing accidental loss.

Many developers argue that “Git is enough,” but not all files are tracked by Git, such as:

New uncommitted files

Local scripts

SQL files

Scratch files

Temporary code

Configuration files

These files cannot be recovered by Git if accidentally deleted.

JetBrains recommends using Local History, yet it has drawbacks: it can be cleared, lost during upgrades, hard to locate, undo may fail, and newcomers often don’t know where to find it.

Using the system recycle bin offers clear advantages: consistent user habits, visual feedback, cross‑application availability, independence from the IDE, and 100 % intuitive behavior. This addresses one of the most common and fatal IDE accidents.

Other notable improvements in 2026.1 EAP 3

1. Spring‑related enhancements

Display injection Bean inlay

Debugger runtime Bean hints

API versioning configuration improvements

Automatic detection of SQL dialects

2. Java enhancements

Support for more javac parameter completions

Pattern‑matching diagnostic fixes

Import performance optimizations

3. Kotlin enhancements

K1 API deprecation

New destructuring syntax navigation support

Compiler‑generated declaration inlay hints

4. Editor experience upgrades

Smooth cursor animation

Rounded cursor

Terminal experience fixes

Plugin manager improvements

5. AI and command completion improvements

Fix for empty‑text replacement in replace_text_in_file Updated AI command completion icons

Renamed JavaMemberNameCompletionContributor to ModCommand completion

Fix for command generation when a new line followed by a tab

Ability to skip meaningless command completions

Multiple MCP Server fixes related to LLM workflows

6. Platform architecture changes

Removal of ProjectExtension Front‑end refactor of the AI assistant plugin

LSP null‑safety fixes

Support for background write actions

Cleanup of

CachedValuesManager

7. Performance and stability fixes

Gradle sync file leak resolution

VFS recursive loading issue fix

Debugger CPU conflict mitigation

Branch‑switching freeze resolution

Git failure fixes

Plugin compatibility false‑positive reductions

70+ additional known issue fixes

All these changes prepare the IDE for a future of remote IDEs, AI‑augmented development, and distributed development environments.