The fastest way to delete a document
To delete a document from Google Drive, right-click the file name in your Drive folder and select Delete from the menu. The document moves to your Trash folder immediately. If you want to remove it permanently, open Trash, right-click the document again, and select Delete forever.
You can also delete a document while it is open. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the document, select Move to trash, and the document closes and moves to Trash.
Documents stay in your Trash folder for 30 days before Google permanently deletes them. During those 30 days, you can recover the document by opening Trash, right-clicking it, and selecting Restore.
Key Takeaways
- Right-click a document in Google Drive and select Delete to move it to Trash without permanently removing it.
- Documents in Trash stay recoverable for 30 days; after that, Google removes them permanently.
- You can restore a deleted document from Trash at any point during those 30 days by right-clicking and selecting Restore.
- Deleting a document from Google Drive does not affect copies you have downloaded to your computer or shared with others.
- If you delete a document by mistake while it is open, close the browser tab and restore it from Trash before the 30 days end.
Deleting from inside a document
When you have a Google Doc open, you do not need to go back to your Drive folder to delete it. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the document window, next to your profile picture. A dropdown menu appears with several options.
Select Move to trash from this menu. The document closes immediately and moves to your Trash folder. You return to your Google Drive home page or the folder you were viewing before you opened the document.
Deleting from your Drive folder
If you are browsing your Google Drive folder, you can delete documents without opening them. Find the document you want to delete in your file list, right-click on its name, and a context menu appears with several options.
Click Delete in this menu. The document disappears from your main Drive view and moves to Trash. You can continue working with other files in your folder.
If you prefer not to right-click, you can also click once on the document name to select it, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. The document moves to Trash the same way.
Permanently removing documents from Trash
When you delete a document, it goes to Trash but is not gone forever. Google keeps deleted documents in Trash for 30 days, which gives you time to change your mind and restore them.
To permanently delete a document before the 30 days end, open your Trash folder by clicking Trash in the left sidebar of Google Drive. Find the document you want to remove permanently, right-click it, and select Delete forever. The document is then removed from your account entirely and cannot be recovered.
If you do nothing, Google automatically and permanently deletes all documents in your Trash after 30 days. You do not need to take any action for this to happen.
Restoring a deleted document
If you delete a document by mistake, you have 30 days to bring it back. Open Google Drive, click Trash in the left sidebar, and look for the document you want to restore.
Right-click the document name and select Restore. The document returns to the folder it was in before you deleted it. If that folder no longer exists, Google places the document in your main Drive folder instead.
You can restore multiple documents at once by clicking the checkbox next to each one, then clicking the restore icon that appears at the top of the list.
What happens to shared documents when you delete them
Deleting a document from your Google Drive removes it only from your account. If you shared the document with other people, they can still see it and edit it in their own Google Drive folders unless you also removed them from the sharing list before deleting it.
If you want to delete a document and prevent others from accessing it, you should remove all the people you shared it with first. Open the document, click the Share button in the top right, find each person's name in the sharing list, click the X next to their name, and confirm the removal. Then delete the document.
If you delete a document that others have access to, they will see an error message when they try to open it, but the document remains in their Trash folder for 30 days as well.
Deleting documents on mobile
On a phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app and find the document you want to delete. Press and hold the document name until a menu appears with several options. Tap Delete or the trash icon, depending on your device.
The document moves to Trash. To permanently delete it, tap Trash at the bottom of the screen, press and hold the document again, and tap Delete forever. To restore a document, go to Trash, press and hold it, and tap Restore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a document after the 30-day Trash period ends?
No. Once 30 days pass, Google permanently deletes documents from Trash and they cannot be recovered. If you think you might need a document later, restore it from Trash before the 30 days end.
Does deleting a document free up storage space in my Google account?
Not immediately. Documents in Trash still count toward your Google Drive storage limit. To free up space, you must permanently delete them by selecting Delete forever, or wait for the 30-day period to end and Google removes them automatically.
What if I delete a document that is open in multiple browser tabs?
The document moves to Trash, but the tabs remain open and you can still see the content. You cannot make new edits. If you restore the document from Trash within 30 days, you can edit it again.
Can I undo a delete if I press Delete forever by mistake?
No. Delete forever removes the document permanently and immediately. There is no undo for this action. If you delete a document this way, it cannot be recovered.
Do I need to empty Trash manually, or does Google do it automatically?
Google automatically and permanently deletes all documents in your Trash after 30 days. You do not need to do anything. If you want to free up space sooner, you can manually select Delete forever on individual documents or select all items in Trash and delete them permanently at once.