How to Recover Deleted Files from Google Drive

As one of the most popular cloud storage services, Google Drive is a great option for people who enjoy cloud storage both for personal use and business with 15GB free storage. All your Google Doc, Google Sheets, etc. and files created and edited through the Google Docs suite will also be stored in Google Drive. Besides, you can sync files from Google to your phone, and share files with others or publish on web.

However, many of us have gone to move or adjust a file in Google Drive, only to accidentally press the delete button – triggering a moment of panic as we desperately hope that the file isn’t lost forever. Thankfully, there’s a very easy method for how to recover deleted files from Google Drive, and we’re going to walk you through the process to restore deleted files.

Further Reading: How to Recover Deleted Data from Google Account >

How to Recover Deleted Files from Google Drive Bin

Firstly, you can restore deleted files from Google Drive bin with ease, because Google Drive bin will store the deleted files within 30 days. And items in Trash will be permanently deleted after 30 days. To restore deleted files from Google Drive bin, read the following two methods to do.

Restore Deleted Files on Google Drive Web

To retrieve a deleted Google doc, or Google sheet, etc. from computer, here are the steps:

1. Open the Google Drive website on your computer > Sign in with your Google Drive account.
2. Select the Bin/Trash option from the control panel >  Right-click on the file or folder that you want to restore > Select the Restore option.
3. Then the file would be restored to your Google Drive.

Method 2. Google Drive Recover Deleted Files on Mobile

The method for how to recover deleted files from Google Drive on Android and iDevice is just as straightforward as the method for web recovery. Here’s our simple two-step guide:

1. On the Google Drive app, select the menu option in the top left > Select the Trash option.
   

   Open Google Drive and Click Trash

2. On the file or folder that you want to recover, select the menu icon> Click Restore option.
   

   Select Deleted Files and Click Restore

How to Recover Deleted Shared Files in Google Drive

Sometimes, your shared files go missing due to some reasons, here are how to recover deleted shared files in Google Drive:

1. If you shared files with someone, and they removed your file from the folder. You may think the files got deleted, actually, the file isn’t deleted, it’s automatically moved to your My Drive. You can click into My Drive and check if the deleted files are here.
2. If someone creates a file and shared the file with you. They may delete it accidentally. You can contact the person who created the file to restore it, then share it with you again.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files from Google Drive

If you have deleted the file and clean the bin of your Google Drive, it is quite hard for you to get files back. However, there are still two ways to help you out.

Method 1. Via Google Drive Support

If you are the owner of the missed file or folder, you can seek help from Google  Drive Support to help you restore permanently deleted files.

Step 1. Click Help in your Google Drive > Click on “BROWSE ALL ARTICLES” to enter the page of Google  Drive Help.

Step 2. Click Contact us on the top right corner > Choose “Missing or deleted files” option > Choose Email support.

Step 3. Fill in the related information > Click “SUBMIT” to send your request.

Method 2. Contact the Administrator

If your Google account isn’t a personal account that is connected with a certain company, group, you can ask the administrator to restore the deleted files.

One thing you have to know is that the administrator can only recover the files that are deleted within 25 days.

Further Reading: How to Fix Google Drive Not Updating Problem >

Conclusion

Thinking that you’ve accidentally deleted a file that you need can be agonizing, especially if you’re not 100% sure how to recover it without further problems occurring. With our handy guide for how to recover deleted files from Google Drive, you’ll never have to worry about restoring deleted files again.