Have you accidentally deleted the Drive trash folder? Find out how to restore files and folders that you have permanently deleted from Google Drive.
When you delete a file or folder from Google Drive, it is moved to the trash. Deleted files remain in the trash for 30 days before they are permanently removed. Restoring a deleted file from the trash bin can be done by right-clicking the file and selecting Restore.
Restore Permanently Deleted Files
In the event that you do not restore a deleted file within the 30-day window, or if you empty the trash manually, the file will be permanently deleted from your Google Drive.
However, you can contact Google Support and they may be able to restore the deleted files for you.
- Go to support.google.com/drive?p=file_recovery and sign-in with the Google account you used to delete the file.
- Please enter your first and last name, and check the consent box to confirm that you are trying to recover files you deleted from Google Drive.
Upon receiving your request, you will receive an email from [email protected] confirming that your request has been received and that the files may not be restored for up to 48 hours. (Usually it takes less than 12 hours.)
While the file recovery process is ongoing, Google recommends you avoid emptying your trash. Please note that you may be able to recover files that you have uploaded to Google Drive yourself. In this case, if you are not the owner of a file, it cannot be restored.
Google Support will send you an email once the restoration process is complete, confirming the files have been restored. You can now open your Google Drive and view the permanently deleted files and folders in their original locations.
Please note that the steps above are only valid for individual Google accounts. To restore files from a Google Workspace account, you need to contact your domain administrator. Also, the restoration process will restore all deleted files, it is currently possible to restore individual files or folders.