Delete a file or folder in three steps

To delete a file or folder from Google Drive, right-click it and select Delete, or click it once and press the Delete key on your keyboard. The item moves to your Trash folder, where it stays for 30 days before Google removes it permanently. During those 30 days, you can restore it by opening Trash, right-clicking the file, and selecting Restore.

If you delete a folder, everything inside it—subfolders, documents, spreadsheets, images—goes to Trash together. Restoring the folder restores all its contents at once. This is faster than deleting items one by one, but make sure you want everything gone before you confirm.

On a mobile phone, open the file or folder, tap the three-dot menu icon, and select Remove. It works the same way: the item goes to Trash for 30 days, then disappears.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleted files sit in Trash for 30 days; after that, Google removes them permanently and you cannot recover them.
  • You can restore any file from Trash by opening it, right-clicking, and selecting Restore, as long as the 30-day window has not closed.
  • Deleting a folder removes everything inside it at once, but you can still restore the whole folder and its contents from Trash.
  • On mobile, tap the three-dot menu and select Remove; the file goes to Trash the same way as on a computer.
  • Permanently emptying your Trash folder deletes everything in it when ready with no recovery option.

Restore a deleted file before the 30-day window closes

Open Google Drive and click Trash in the left sidebar. You will see every file and folder you have deleted. Find the one you want back, right-click it, and select Restore. The file returns to its original location—the same folder it was in before you deleted it.

If the original folder no longer exists, Google Drive puts the restored file in your main Drive view instead. You can then move it to a new folder if you want. Restoring does not create a copy; it puts the original file back where it was.

If you have deleted many files and need to find one quickly, use the search box at the top of the Trash view. Type the file name or a word from it, and Drive shows only matching results.

Permanently empty your Trash to free up space

Files in Trash still count toward your Google Drive storage limit. To free up space, you can empty Trash permanently. Open Trash, click the three-dot menu icon at the top right, and select Empty trash. Google will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, every file in Trash is deleted permanently—you cannot restore them.

You do not have to wait for the 30-day window to close. If you are certain you will not need anything in Trash, emptying it when ready gives you back that storage space right away. This is especially useful if you have deleted large video files or many documents.

Google Drive does not send a warning email or notification before permanently deleting files from Trash. The deletion happens as soon as you confirm the action.

Delete files shared with you or files you own

If someone shared a file with you and you delete it, the file disappears from your Drive view but remains in the original owner's Drive. You are only removing it from your own account. The owner can still see it, edit it, and share it with others.

If you own a file and delete it, it goes to your Trash. Other people who have access to it will no longer be able to open it once you empty Trash and it is permanently deleted. Before you delete a shared file you own, consider whether anyone else still needs it.

To stop seeing a shared file without deleting it, you can also remove it from your Drive by right-clicking and selecting Remove (not Delete). This hides it from your view but leaves the original in the owner's Drive.

Delete files on Google Drive from your computer

If you use Google Drive for Desktop (the app that syncs your Drive to your computer), deleting a file in the synced folder on your computer also deletes it from Google Drive. The file goes to your computer's Recycle Bin or Trash, not to Google Drive's Trash. You have to restore it from your computer's trash to get it back.

To avoid confusion, use Google Drive's web interface to delete files when you want them to go to Google Drive's Trash, where you have 30 days to restore them. If you delete through the desktop app, you are relying on your computer's trash recovery window, which is usually shorter.

You can turn off syncing for specific folders in Google Drive for Desktop settings, which prevents accidental deletion of those files through your computer.

What happens to files you delete from shared drives

Shared Drives (also called Team Drives) work differently from personal Google Drive. When you delete a file from a Shared Drive, it goes to the Shared Drive's Trash, not your personal Trash. Only people with editor or manager access to the Shared Drive can see and restore files from its Trash.

The Shared Drive owner or manager can permanently empty the Shared Drive's Trash. Once that happens, the files are gone for everyone. If you delete something by accident on a Shared Drive, contact the owner or manager right away to restore it before they empty Trash.

Shared Drive Trash also holds files for 30 days before Google removes them permanently, the same as personal Drive Trash.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a file after I empty Trash?

No. Once you empty Trash, Google permanently deletes those files and you cannot restore them. If you are not certain you want to delete everything in Trash, do not empty it. Instead, delete only the specific files you want gone by right-clicking them individually.

What if I delete a file by mistake?

Open Trash when ready and restore it. You have 30 days from the deletion date. Right-click the file and select Restore. It returns to its original location. After 30 days, Google removes it permanently with no recovery option.

Does deleting a file from Google Drive delete it from my computer?

Only if you use Google Drive for Desktop and the file is in a synced folder. If you delete it through the web interface at drive.google.com, your computer files are not affected. If you delete it in the synced folder on your computer, it goes to your computer's trash, not Google Drive's Trash.

Can the file owner see if I deleted a shared file?

If you delete a file someone shared with you, it disappears from your Drive but stays in theirs. They cannot see that you deleted it from your view. If you own a file and delete it, others lose access once it is permanently gone, but they do not receive a notification that you deleted it.

How long does Google keep files in Trash?

Google keeps deleted files in Trash for 30 days. After 30 days, Google permanently removes them. You do not have to wait—you can empty Trash whenever you want and delete everything when ready.