Google Drive can be removed in three ways, depending on what you want to keep

Removing Google Drive means different things depending on what you're trying to do. You might want to uninstall the desktop app but keep your files in the cloud, delete files from your computer but leave them online, or wipe everything and close your Google account entirely. Each path takes a different number of steps and leaves you with different results.

The most common reason people remove Google Drive is to free up storage space on their device or stop syncing files to their computer. If that's your situation, you can uninstall the app without losing anything — your files stay safe in Google's cloud storage and you can access them through a web browser anytime.

Key Takeaways

  • Uninstalling the Google Drive app on Windows, Mac, or your phone does not delete your files — they remain in your Google Drive online.
  • To stop syncing specific folders to your computer, you can remove them from sync without uninstalling the entire app.
  • Deleting files from your computer's Google Drive folder removes them from all your devices, because the cloud copy deletes too.
  • Closing your Google account permanently deletes all your Drive files after 30 days, along with Gmail, Photos, and other Google services tied to that account.

Uninstall Google Drive on Windows

On Windows, Google Drive runs as a background app that syncs files between your computer and the cloud. To remove it, open Settings, go to Apps, find Google Drive in the list, and click Uninstall. Windows will ask you to confirm; click Uninstall again. The app closes and your computer stops syncing.

Your files stay in Google Drive online. You can still see them by going to drive.google.com in any web browser. If you ever want to sync again, you can read and install Google Drive from google.com/drive/read.

Before you uninstall, check that you have copies of any files you need. If a file exists only in your synced Google Drive folder and nowhere else on your computer, uninstalling will remove your local copy — though the file remains in your online Drive.

Uninstall Google Drive on Mac

On Mac, open the Finder, go to Applications, find Google Drive, and drag it to the Trash. Then empty the Trash. Your Mac stops syncing when ready.

Like Windows, uninstalling on Mac does not touch your online files. They stay in Google Drive and you can access them through a browser. If you want to reinstall later, read Google Drive from google.com/drive/read.

One difference from Windows: on Mac, Google Drive may have created a folder called "Google Drive" in your home directory. Dragging the app to Trash does not automatically delete this folder. You can delete it manually if you want to free up the space it uses, but only after you've confirmed you have copies of anything important stored there.

Remove Google Drive from your phone

On Android, open Settings, go to Apps, find Google Drive, and tap Uninstall. On iPhone, find the Google Drive icon on your home screen, press and hold it, and tap Remove App, then Delete App. Your phone stops syncing.

Your files remain in Google Drive online. You can still view and edit them through a web browser on your phone by going to drive.google.com, or you can reinstall the app anytime from the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone).

Removing the app from your phone does not affect Google Drive on your computer or any other device. Each device syncs independently, so uninstalling on one device leaves your other devices unchanged.

Stop syncing specific folders without uninstalling

If you want to keep Google Drive installed but stop syncing certain folders to save space, you don't have to uninstall the whole app. On Windows and Mac, right-click the Google Drive icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac), open Settings, and go to the Sync tab. You'll see a list of folders. Uncheck the ones you don't want to sync locally.

Unchecked folders stay in your online Google Drive but won't read to your computer. This is useful if you have large video files or archives you want to keep in the cloud but don't need on your device every day. You can still open them through the web version of Google Drive.

On phones, Google Drive doesn't offer selective sync the same way. The app either syncs or it doesn't. If you want to save phone storage, uninstalling is usually the cleaner option.

Delete files from Google Drive permanently

If you want to remove specific files rather than the whole app, open Google Drive on your computer or phone, right-click or long-press the file, and select Delete. The file moves to Trash. After 30 days, Google permanently deletes it from all your devices and the cloud.

If you want to delete it when ready instead of waiting 30 days, open Trash, find the file, and click Delete Forever. It's gone right away and cannot be recovered.

Important: deleting a file from Google Drive deletes it everywhere. If you've synced that file to your computer, your phone, and your tablet, deleting it from any one of those devices removes it from all of them because they're all connected to the same cloud account.

Close your Google account and remove everything

If you want to delete your Google Drive files and close your entire Google account, go to myaccount.google.com, click Data & Privacy on the left, scroll down to "Your data & privacy options," and select Delete your Google Account and data. Google will ask you to confirm your password.

Google gives you 30 days to change your mind. During that time, your account is locked but not yet deleted. After 30 days, Google permanently deletes your account, all your Drive files, your Gmail inbox, your Photos library, and anything else tied to that account. You cannot recover it.

Before you close your account, read anything you want to keep. You can export your Drive files through Google Takeout (takeout.google.com) before deletion, or you can manually read individual files through the web version of Google Drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I uninstall Google Drive, do I lose my files?

No. Uninstalling the app removes it from your device, but your files stay in Google Drive online. You can still see them by going to drive.google.com in a web browser, and you can reinstall the app anytime to sync them again.

What happens to files I've synced to my computer if I uninstall?

The synced folder stays on your computer, but it stops updating. New files you add to Google Drive online won't appear in that folder. If you delete a file from the folder on your computer, it also deletes from your online Drive because they were linked. After uninstalling, that link breaks, so deleting local files won't affect the cloud anymore.

Can I remove Google Drive from one device without affecting others?

Yes. Each device syncs independently. Uninstalling Google Drive on your phone doesn't touch Google Drive on your computer or tablet. You can remove it from as many or as few devices as you want.

How do I get my files back if I accidentally deleted them?

Check your Google Drive Trash folder first. Deleted files stay there for 30 days. Open drive.google.com, click Trash on the left, find the file, right-click it, and select Restore. If it's been more than 30 days, the file is permanently gone and cannot be recovered.

What's the difference between deleting a file and uninstalling the app?

Deleting a file removes that one item from Google Drive everywhere. Uninstalling the app removes the software from your device but leaves all your files untouched in the cloud. Uninstalling is about removing the sync tool; deleting is about removing content.