How to Delete Google Drive Files or Folders

Quick and easy-to-follow guide for Google Drive users

Before you delete Google Drive files and folders

When you delete files and folders in Google Drive, they go to the Trash.
Items in the Trash stay there for up to 30 days and then get deleted automatically.
Once something is deleted from Trash, it gets entirely removed from your account. Only a Google Workspace administrator can restore it using the admin settings.
Admins have 25 days to do this, as shown here.

How to delete Google Drive files and folders step-by-step with images

Step 1

To delete files or folders in Google Drive at https://drive.google.com, select whatever you want to get rid of and then right-click and choose Remove.

Clicking Remove only sends items to your Trash. You need to remove deleted files and folders from your Trash to free up storage space, as shown below.

Step 2

You can select and delete multiple items:

Left-click and hold down the mouse button over empty space.
Drag your cursor to form a rectangle over all items you want to delete.
Release the left mouse button, selecting all items below the rectangle, indicated by the blue highlight.
Right-click and choose Remove.

Alternatively, you can:

Left-click to select the first item you want to delete.
Hold down the SHIFT key.
Left-click to select the last item you wish to delete.
Items in-between are selected as well, indicated by the blue highlight.
Right-click and choose Remove.

To clear your Trash and free up space

Select the Trash folder on the left, then select everything you want to remove and click Delete forever.

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