When you delete files and folders from Google Drive, they are not immediately erased from your account. Instead, they are moved to the “Trash” folder, where they continue to take up your valuable storage space for 30 days before being automatically permanently deleted. If you need to free up storage space immediately, you must empty the trash manually.
How to Empty the Trash on a Computer
- Open your web browser and navigate to drive.google.com.
- Look at the navigation menu on the left side of the screen. Scroll down and click on Trash (represented by a bin icon).
- You will see a list of all the files you have recently deleted. To permanently delete everything at once, click the Empty trash button located in the top-right corner of the window.
- A confirmation box will appear warning you that this action cannot be undone. Click Delete forever to confirm.
How to Empty the Trash on Mobile (iOS & Android)
If you are using the Google Drive app on your smartphone or tablet, the process is very similar.
- Open the Google Drive app on your device.
- Tap the Menu icon (the three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Tap on Trash from the side menu.
- Tap the three dots icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Select Empty trash from the dropdown menu.
- Confirm your choice by tapping Delete forever.
Once the trash is emptied, it may take up to 24 hours for Google’s servers to reflect your new available storage space across all your devices.