How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files and Folders in Google Drive

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files and Folders in Google Drive?

Losing important files in Google Drive can be frustrating, especially if they are permanently deleted. However, there are several ways to recover permanently deleted files based on your account type, backup settings, and Google support options.

✅ Understanding Deletion in Google Drive

Before recovery, it's important to understand how Google Drive handles deleted files:

🔹 Temporary Deletion (Trash)

When you delete a file, it moves to the Trash (Bin).
Files in Trash are automatically deleted after 30 days.
You can restore files from Trash within this period.

🔹 Permanent Deletion

Files removed from Trash are permanently deleted.
Google Drive does not have a built-in recovery option for these files.
However, recovery is still possible using Google Admin, backups, or contacting Google Support.

🔍 Methods to Recover Permanently Deleted Google Drive Files

1️⃣ Recover from Google Drive Trash (Within 30 Days)

2️⃣ Restore Using Google Admin Console (For Google Workspace Users)

3️⃣ Check Google Drive Activity & File Versions

4️⃣ Contact Google Support for Account Recovery

5️⃣ Restore from a Local Backup or Google Takeout

6️⃣ Use Third-Party Data Recovery Tools (If Synced with PC/Mac)

📌 1️⃣ Recover from Google Drive Trash (If Not Yet Permanently Deleted)

If it's been less than 30 days, check the Google Drive Trash.

Steps:

Go to Google Drive (drive.google.com).
Click on Trash (or "Bin" in some regions).
Locate the deleted file/folder.
Right-click and choose Restore.

📌 Pros: Simple and quick.
📌 Cons: Only works if deleted within 30 days.

🔧 2️⃣ Restore Using Google Admin Console (For Google Workspace Users)

For Google Workspace (Business/Education) users, an admin can recover files within 25 days of permanent deletion.

Steps (For Admins):

Go to Google Admin Console (admin.google.com).
Click Users.
Select the user whose files need recovery.
Click Restore Data.
Choose Google Drive and set a date range (up to 25 days old).
Click Restore.

📌 Pros: Works after Trash is emptied, up to 25 more days.
📌 Cons: Only for Google Workspace Admins.

📑 3️⃣ Check Google Drive Activity & File Versions

Even if a file is deleted, Drive activity logs may help recover older versions or locate copies.

Steps to Check Activity:

Open Google Drive.
Click View Details (ℹ️ icon in top-right).
Look for recent file changes.
If a file was moved, search for it instead of assuming it was deleted.

Steps to Restore an Older Version:

Right-click a file (if found).
Click Manage versions.
If an older version exists, restore it.

📌 Pros: Helps find misplaced files or recover old versions.
📌 Cons: Only works if the file still exists in some form.

📞 4️⃣ Contact Google Support (For Critical Files)

If a file was permanently deleted and you don’t have a backup, you can request Google Support for help.

Steps to Contact Google Drive Support:

Go to Google Support: support.google.com/drive/.
Click Contact Us.
Select Missing or deleted files.
Choose Chat or Email Support.
Explain the issue and provide details (file names, dates, etc.).

📌 Pros: Google may restore files if requested within 21 days of deletion.
📌 Cons: No guarantee, depends on Google's retention policies.

🖥 5️⃣ Restore from Local Backup or Google Takeout

If you’ve backed up your files, you can restore them manually.

A) Restore from Google Takeout Backup

Check if you previously used Google Takeout (takeout.google.com).
Download backup files from your latest export.
Re-upload to Google Drive.

B) Restore from a Local PC Backup

If using Google Drive for Desktop, check your PC/Mac.
Open Google Drive folder (C:\Users\YourName\Google Drive on Windows or /Users/YourName/Google Drive on Mac).
If the file exists locally, re-upload it.

📌 Pros: Works if you previously backed up files.
📌 Cons: Useless if no backup exists.

🛠 6️⃣ Use Third-Party Data Recovery Tools (If Synced with PC/Mac)

If the file was stored locally (on a PC/Mac) before deletion, you can use file recovery software.

Recommended Recovery Tools:

Recuva (Windows)
Disk Drill (Mac & Windows)
EaseUS Data Recovery

Steps:

Download & install a recovery tool.
Select the Google Drive folder on your PC/Mac.
Run a deep scan for deleted files.
If found, restore the files and re-upload them to Google Drive.

📌 Pros: Works if files were synced locally.
📌 Cons: Useless if files were never stored on PC/Mac.

🚀 Summary of Recovery Methods

Method	Works If	Time Limit	Success Rate
Google Drive Trash	File deleted within 30 days	30 Days	✅✅✅✅✅
Google Admin Console	Workspace Admin needed	25 Days after Trash	✅✅✅✅
Google Drive Activity	File moved or replaced	No Limit	✅✅✅
Google Support	If requested quickly	~21 Days	✅✅✅
Google Takeout Backup	If backup exists	No Limit	✅✅✅✅
Local PC/Mac Recovery	If synced with Drive Desktop	Varies	✅✅

🎯 Final Thoughts

Act Quickly: The longer you wait, the harder recovery becomes.
Check Trash First: Files remain there for 30 days.
Use Google Support: If files were recently deleted, Google may restore them.
Back Up Regularly: Use Google Takeout, Google Drive sync, or cloud backups to avoid future data loss.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files and Folders in Google Drive