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How to Restore Deleted Files from Google Drive Trash

Tap each step to follow along in order.

  1. Open the 'Trash' menu in Google Drive

    Click 'Trash' in the left-hand menu to see a list of files deleted within the last 30 days.

  2. Find the file you want to restore

    Scan the list by file name or the date it was modified to locate the file you need.

  3. Right-click the file and select 'Restore'

    Right-click the file and choose 'Restore' to move it back to its original folder.

  4. Remember it is gone for good after 30 days

    Files left in Trash are automatically and permanently deleted after 30 days, so check within that window.

  5. Why it is useful

    If you accidentally delete a file, Trash means you can usually get the original back exactly as it was.

Deleted a file by mistake? Don't panic

Accidentally deleting an important document or photo is a common mistake, but Google Drive does not erase files immediately β€” it holds them in Trash for 30 days first. As long as you catch it within that window, the original file can almost always be restored exactly as it was.

Version history can help too, even without Trash

If a file was overwritten or edited rather than deleted, Trash will not help, but Drive's built-in version history lets you open a document, spreadsheet, or file's older saved versions and roll back to one of them, which covers a different kind of accidental change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really impossible to recover a file after 30 days?

Yes β€” once a file has been in Trash for 30 days, it is permanently deleted from Google's servers and cannot be recovered even through support.

Can I restore a file that was shared with me?

Only the file's owner can restore it from Trash. If someone else's shared file was deleted, it needs to be restored from the original owner's own Trash.