Google Drive stores data from all your Google accounts. Hitting the 15GB free storage space limit is easy, especially if you share large files. If you are looking to free up some much-needed space, then deleting files from Google Drive might be the way to go. It definitely beats buying additional storage space.
Here we will look at how to access Google Drive and delete files from the cloud storage service. To recover storage space immediately, you will also learn to remove files from Drive permanently.
Files are deleted from Google Drive by moving them to the trash. These files are stored here for 30 days by default before being permanently deleted from the platform. If you want your documents immediately gone for good, you will also have to empty the trash folder. Let’s look at removing files from Google Drive on an iPhone.
- Open the Google Drive app on your
phone.
- Scroll to the file you want to delete and press the three-dot menu next to
it.
- Click “Remove” to delete the
file.
- If you want to
get rid of more than one item, tap and hold the first file and then continue by tapping on the remaining
items.
- Press the trash icon at the top of the page and hit “Move to
trash.”
You will now have removed your unwanted files from Google Drive. To permanently delete them from the platform, you must empty your trash folder. This is how to go about getting that done.
- Go to Google Drive and click on the three-horizontal line menu in the
top left
corner.
- Select “Trash” to see all your deleted
files.
- Tap on the
three-dot menu next to the file and hit “Delete
Forever.”
If you would like to remove all the files from the trash folder simultaneously:
- Navigate to the upper right corner in
Google Drive and click
“Trash.”
- Select the three-dot menu at the top right and tap “Empty
Trash.”
All your files will now be permanently deleted from Google Drive.
How to Delete Files From Google Drive on Android
To free up Google Drive storage space from your Android smartphone, you can delete files using the outlined method. Remember that you will also have to clear out your trash folder to remove your unwanted content permanently. Documents sent to the trash are stored there for an additional 30 days before being removed from Drive.
- Launch Google Drive and head to “Files” at the bottom of the
screen.
- Select the item you want to delete from the list of files
displayed.
- Tap on the three-dot menu next to the document and click
“Remove.”
Your file has now been sent to the trash folder. You will notice that although the file has been deleted from Drive, no extra storage space has been created. This is because the file still exists in the trash folder. To permanently get rid of it, this is what you should do.
- Open Google Drive and go to the three-horizontal line menu in the upper left
corner.
- Tap
“Trash” to see all the files in your trash folder.
- Scroll to the file you would like to remove and click on the three-dot menu next to it.
- Hit
“Delete Forever” and confirm your action when prompted to do
so.
You have now permanently removed the file from Google Drive. If you would like to empty your trash folder completely, the steps below will walk you through how to do that.
- Head to the Google Drive
app.
- In the upper
right corner, click
“Trash.”
- Select the three-dot menu at the top right and tap “Take out of
trash.”
Your Google Drive trash folder is now empty.
How to Delete Files From Google Drive on an iPad
By following the process shown below, you will be able to remove files from Google Drive. Because files sent to the trash are stored there for 30 days, you will also learn how to clear your trash folder.
- On your phone, launch the Google Drive
app.
- Select the three-dot
menu next to the file you would like to
delete.
- Click “Remove” to
get rid of the
file.
- To delete more than
one item, tap and hold the first file and continue by tapping on the remaining
items.
- Press the trash icon
at the top of the page and hit “Move to
trash.”
Your deleted files will now be in the trash folder. To permanently delete them from the platform, you must remove them from the trash folder.
- In Google Drive, click on the three-dot menu in the top left
corner.
- Scroll to “Trash” to
see all your deleted
files.
- Press the three-dot
menu next to the file and hit “Delete
Forever.”
If you would like to remove all the documents from the trash folder simultaneously:
- Open Google Drive and navigate to the upper right
corner.
- Click on the “Trash”
icon.
- In the top right,
tap “Empty
Trash.”
All your content will now be permanently deleted from Google Drive.
How to Delete Files From Google Drive on a Chromebook
Google Chromebook has limited storage space. Therefore, many files are saved directly to cloud services like Google Drive. If you are looking to delete documents from Google Drive, you can access the folder you saved them in on your Chromebook. Check out how to do that here.
- Log into
Chromebook and click on the small white button in the bottom left
corner.
- Display
your apps by tapping on the upward-pointing
arrow.
- Select
“Files” and scroll to the file you would like to
delete.
- Right-click on it and then hit “Delete” from the dropdown menu
provided.
Your file will now be permanently removed from your Google Drive folder in Chromebook.
How to Delete Files From Google Drive on a Windows or Mac PC
You could also be saving documents from your computer onto Google Drive. Whether you are using your Windows PC or a Mac device, this is what you should do to delete files from Google Drive.
- Visit the Google Drive website and log into your account.
- Pick the folder you would like to
delete.
- If you are looking to remove more than one folder, press Ctrl + Command as you make your selection.
- Navigate to the trash
icon in the top right corner and click on
it.
- The files will now be moved to the trash
folder.
To permanently remove them from the trash section, you can empty the folder.
- From the Google Drive website, navigate to the three-dot
menu.
- Go to “Trash,” then open “Trash my
drive.”
- In the upper right corner, click “Empty Trash” to permanently remove everything in the
folder.
You have now permanently deleted files from Google Drive.
Clear Out Your Google Drive Storage
Doing a little Google Drive housekeeping is a necessary part of staying organized. We often forget to get rid of files that are no longer valuable to us. Keeping all these unwanted documents stored on our cloud service takes up space unnecessarily. These files also create clutter, making it harder to find the documents we are looking for. Deleting files from Google Drive is something you can accomplish quickly no matter what device you are using.
Do you often store documents on Google Drive? What methods do you use to delete them from the platform? Let us know in the comments below.
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