How To Recover a Deleted Folder in Google Drive

Google Drive is an essential tool for storing important files and data. Sometimes a file or a folder can accidentally get deleted, or you want to get rid of the stacked files on your Google Drive and delete something you need.

If you don’t have backup storage for your files, you can recover deleted folders on Google Drive. There are a few ways to retrieve data, and the process differs for personal accounts and those on Google Workspace where you need admin’s help.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about recovering files on Google Drive.

Recovering a Deleted Folder From the Trash

If you don’t want particular folders crowding your space on Google Drive, you can delete them. If you don’t choose the “Delete permanently” option, the folders will be in the Trash folder. You can also drag the items into the Trash tab to move them there. You have a month to recover them, after which they are permanently deleted.

Recover Deleted Folder From Your PC

If you’re using your computer, this is how you can recover your deleted files:

1. Open Google Drive.
   
2. Sign in.
   
3. Navigate to the trash icon in the right corner of the screen.
   
4. Right-click on the folder or individual file.
   
5. Tap “Restore.”
   

This process is simple if it’s your personal file you uploaded on Google Drive, but if someone shared the file with you and deleted it, you can’t restore it by following the steps above. You have to ask the owner to retrieve them. However, this is unnecessary since you can open the file in your trash and copy what you need.

Recover Deleted Folders on Mobile Devices

This is how you can recover deleted folders on Google Drive on your Android or iOS device (iPad and iPhone):

1. Open Google Drive.
   
2. Tap the three vertical lines in the top left corner of the screen.
   
3. Click on the “Trash” option.
   
4. Tap the three vertical dots next to the desired folder.
   
5. Choose the “Restore” option.
   

Recover a Permanently Deleted Folder

If you permanently removed something from your Drive or your 30 days expired and the files are now removed from the trash, you can’t recover them in the same way mentioned above. In this case, you have to file a ticket with Google Support. This is how you can go on about it:

1. Open any browser on your PC.
   
2. Go to the Google Drive Help page.
   
3. Tap the button for “Request File Recovery.”
   
4. Sign in.
   
5. Follow the instructions on the screen and input the requested information.
   
6. Check the box to confirm that you want to retrieve the deleted folder.
   
7. Tap “Submit.”
   

After you complete the ticket, you’ll receive two emails, one to confirm your request and the other to confirm they restored the file. The process shouldn’t take longer than 48 hours. Sometimes they fix the issue in a few hours. As mentioned previously, Google support can only help you retrieve your personal files, so be careful when deleting folders someone shared with you.

Recover Permanently Deleted Folder as Administrator

If you deleted files from your Workspace account, you can’t contact Google Support to retrieve them since it’s not your Drive. In this case, only the administrator can attempt to retrieve your folders. They can do this within 25 days after deletion. However, they can recover all the data in the selected period, not just personal folders. This is how you can recover someone’s data as an administrator:

1. Open Google Drive.
   
2. Sign in as administrator.
   
3. Tap the three vertical lines.
   
4. Go to “Directory.”
   
5. Click on “Users.”
   
6. Select the user who asked for restoration.
   
7. Click the “Restore data” option.
   
8. Select the dates.
9. Navigate to “Application”. In the drop-down menu, click on “Drive.”
   
10. Tap on the “Restore” option.
    

You can only perform one restoration process at a time as an administrator. If there are more in progress, they will be stopped. Furthermore, only some files can be recovered. “My Maps” and “Fusion Tables” can’t be restored by an admin.

Recover Deleted Folder With Team Drive

Besides Google Workspace, as an admin, you can recover files from Team Drive if someone shared that file before deleting it. This is how you can go on about it:

1. Open Google Drive.
   
2. Sign in with your admin account.
   
3. In the Google Admin Console, go to “Apps.”
   
4. Tap “G Suite.”
   
5. Open “Drive and Docs.”
   
6. Click on the “Manage Team Drives” option.
   
7. Select the desired file.
   
8. Choose the date range.
   
9. Tap “Restore Data.”
   

Storing Crucial Folders on Cloud Is Necessary

You never know when you will need a file you stored on your Google Drive. It’s recommended to have backups if you want to clear up some room on your cloud and delete a few folders. If you deleted something essential to your business or school, you can quickly recover it with backups. Google Drive will keep deleted info only for a certain period, and while there are ways to recover permanently deleted files, backing them is a safer solution.

Do you back up your files? How often do you delete files from Google Drive? Let us know in the comments section below.