How to delete files from google drive permanently?

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Storage space management is the main concern for Google Drive users and the internet giant has set a capping of 15 GB free storage for each user. As per the latest cloud storage policy of Google LLC, any new files created in drive and any media files in Google photos will count towards the 15GB free storage space offered.

To smartly use your 15 GB free storage space, you need to clear the clutter from your Google Drive regularly, and in this article, we will help you to learn the steps to delete files from Google drive permanently.

Deleting files from Google Drive is an easy process but it is kind of tricky also. Most of the users find no changes in the storage space even after deleting files from their Google Drive account. We have tested and found the easiest methods to delete files permanently from Google Drive and the step-by-step explanation will make things easier for you.

Without further ado let’s check the different methods to clear the clutter from the virtual storage space offered by Google and the team.

How to delete files from google drive on a laptop?

If you use a laptop or PC to manage your cloud storage, you already know how fast the 15GB space of your Google Drive gets filled. There may be unwanted files or duplicate files eating up your storage space and it is important to monitor them and delete them regularly.

You can follow the below steps to permanently delete files from your Google Drive on your laptop.

Step 1: Log in to your Google Drive account from your laptop at https://drive.google.com/

delete files from google drive
Google Drive delete files permanently

You may be welcomed with a warning message of your storage space running out of its capacity of 15GB but don’t worry, we are going to fix it.

Step 2: Once you are logged in to Google Drive, click on the My Drive option in the left side menu. This will take you to the files and folders list in your Google Drive.

delete files from google drive permanently
Google Drive delete files permanently

Step 3: From the list navigate to the file you want to remove and right-click on it. Click on the Remove option to move the file to the bin folder of Google Drive.

How to delete files from google drive permanently
How to delete files from google drive permanently

Step 4: The removed file is still in your drive and it will be permanently deleted from your account after 30 days only.

To avoid this, you can clear the bin folder and get rid of the unwanted files quickly. Open the Bin folder from the left side panel of your Google Drive.

how do i permanently delete files from google drive

Step 5: Right-click on the file and click on Delete forever. 

can we delete files from google drive permanently
can we delete files from google drive permanently

Step 6: Confirm the action in the next window to permanently delete the file from the Google Drive cloud storage.

This is the easiest method to permanently delete files from your Google Drive on your laptop. If you have multiple files to permanently remove from the bin folder. Just click on the Empty bin icon on the top right side to clear your bin folder.

Removing unnecessary files means more space and flexibility for you to use the space for important data that needs to be accessed from anywhere in the world.

Read: How to embed video from google drive?

How to delete all files from google drive permanently?

Sometimes we need to start from the beginning again. If u want to delete all files from your Google Drive and start afresh, follow the below simple steps.

Always remember, it is hard to recover files that are permanently deleted from Google Drive and you should take a backup of all important data before attempting a full drive wipe. Once you are sure about deleting all files from your Google drive, you can start with these steps.

Step 1: Log in to your Google Drive account from your laptop, PC, or smartphone.

Step 2: Press Ctrl+A to select all files and then right anywhere on the screen. Click on the Remove option to move all files to the trash folder.

If you are on a smartphone, navigate to the Files option on the bottom of the screen and select all the files in the drive and click on the Remove option.

Step 3: Open the Bin folder and select the Empty bin option on the top right side of the screen.

delete all files from google drive
delete all files from google drive

Step 4: Click Delete Forever on the confirmation pop-up.

How to delete all files from google drive
How to delete all files from google drive

The above steps will delete all the files from your Google Drive storage space and you will have all the 15 GB of space available to use.

Read: How to Unzip Files on Google Drive on Desktop and Smartphone

How to delete files from google drive on android?

Google Drive is the main cloud data storage option for millions of Android users around the globe. The Android operating system allows excellent syncing options with Google Drive and other Google services through smartphones.

Now let’s check how to delete files from google drive on android devices.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive application on your smartphone.

Step 2: On the bottom menu, tap on the Files option to view the files and folders on your Google Drive.

Step 3: Select the files or folders you want to remove. You can select multiple items at the same time to remove them together.

delete files from google drive on android
delete files from google drive on android

Step 4: Click on the trash can icon at the top to move the files to the Bin folder.

delete files from google drive on android
How to delete files from google drive on android

Step 5: Open the Trash folder and tap the three vertical dots at the top. Click on the delete forever option to permanently delete the files you want to remove from your Google Drive account.

How to delete files from google drive on android
delete files from google drive on an android phone

Google Drive Android application allows hassle-free handling of files from your smartphone and removing unnecessary files is an easy task for Android users. This is how we can delete files from google drive on android.

Read: How to get unlimited Google Drive storage

How to delete files from google drive on iPhone?

iPhone and iOS users also rely on Google Drive for quick and easy online access to their data. The iPhone application of Google Drive can be used to access and manage your files effortlessly.

Let’s check how we can delete files from Google Drive on your iPhone device.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive app on your iPhone or iPad

Step 2: Tap on the Files option at the bottom part of the screen.

Step 3: Select the item(s) you want to remove from Google Drive.

Step 4: Click the three horizontal dots at the top and press Remove.

Step 5: Click on the Move to Trash option in the confirmation pop-up.

Now the files you want to remove are in the Trash folder and you can delete them permanently from there. Just follow the below steps to execute this process.

Step 1 – In the Trash folder, click on the three horizontal dots next to the file you want to remove.

Step 2 – Select Delete Forever on the screen and the confirmation pop-up to permanently remove the file.

Read: How to move files from one google drive to another?

How to delete shared files from google drive on android?

Google Drive allows users to share files with other users using their Google account. You can choose the files you want to share and send the link to the invited person to view them or the other user can find it in the Shared with me folder of their Google Drive.

You can decide whether people can edit, comment on, or only view the Google Drive file shared by you. in some cases, we want to delete the shared files from Google Drive.

The below steps will help you to delete shared files from Google Drive on Android device.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive application on your Android phone or tablet.

Step 2: On the bottom, tap the ‘Shared’ icon to see the shared files.

Step 3: Next to the file you want to remove, tap the More icon.

Step 4: TapRemove to move the file to the Bin folder.

delete shared files from google drive
delete shared files from google drive

Step 5: Open the Bin folder and delete the file permanently from there.

Always remember, you can delete the files only if you are the owner of a shared file. If the file is shared with you by some other user, deleting it will only remove the link with your Google Drive account. The Owner or the other shared users can still view and edit those files.

Read: How to reduce file size in Google drive

How do I recover permanently deleted files from Google Drive?

Accidentally deleting an important file from your Google Drive will cause serious data loss issues. To avoid this situation, Google Drive never directly deletes any file stored in the account.

All the Removed files are sent to the Trash folder and can be recovered within 30 days. If you haven’t permanently deleted the files, you can follow the below steps to recover them from the Bin folder.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive Account and navigate to the Bin folder.

How do I recover permanently deleted files from Google Drive
How do I recover permanently deleted files from Google Drive

Step 2: From the Bin folder, right-click the file you want to remove and click on the Restore option. The file will be restored to its original folder and you can access them.

Things will get more complicated if you have deleted the file permanently from the trash folder also. If you are using a shared Google workspace, there is still hope- the Google Workspace Admins can recover permanently deleted Google Drive files and folders within 25 days of deletion from the Trash using the admin console. After that, deleted files are cleared from Google’s systems.

If you are not able to recover the file using the above steps, the last resort is to take help from the Google drive specialist team. You can follow the below steps to connect with the Google support team.

Step 1: Open the Google Drive web page and click on the “?” icon on the top right corner of the page. From the drop-down menu, click the “Send feedback” option.

Step 2: Fill up the form and share the details of the file you want to recover. If your request is feasible, Google technical team will contact you soon.

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It is important to keep track of your cloud storage space to efficiently use the available space. Removing unnecessary files is an essential part of this process and we believe the above steps will ease the process of deleting files from Google Drive permanently from any of your devices. Also, it covers below topics:

  • How to delete files from google drive on android
  • Delete files from google drive permanently
  • How to delete files from google drive on iPhone?
  • How to delete all files from google drive
  • How to delete shared files from google drive on android?