Unlike a traditional hard drive on Windows or macOS, Google Drive does not have a user-facing concept of “hidden files.” You cannot right-click a Google Doc and mark it as hidden. However, Google Drive does allocate storage space for Hidden App Data. This data is generated by third-party applications (such as WhatsApp backups, sketching apps, or mind-mapping tools) that use your Google Drive storage to save configuration files or user backups without cluttering your main document folders.
Why Manage Hidden App Data?
Because these files do not appear in your main “My Drive” interface, they can silently consume gigabytes of your precious cloud storage quota. If you have uninstalled a third-party app or switched away from an Android phone, its hidden backup data will remain in your Google Drive indefinitely until you manually locate and delete it.
How to View and Delete Hidden App Data
You cannot access the Hidden App Data management screen from the mobile app; you must use the desktop web browser interface.
- Open a web browser and navigate to drive.google.com. Log in to your Google Account.
- In the top right corner of the screen, click the gear icon (Settings).
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the settings overlay window that appears, look at the left-hand sidebar and click on Manage apps.
You are now looking at a complete list of every application that has authorization to connect to your Google Drive.
Identifying Hidden Data
Scroll through the list of applications. Most standard Google apps (like Google Docs or Google Forms) will just say “Used by default.” However, if a third-party application is storing hidden files, you will see a specific storage metric listed below its name, such as “Hidden app data: 2.4 GB”.
Deleting the Hidden Data
If you identify an application storing a large amount of hidden data that you no longer need (for example, an old WhatsApp backup from a previous phone):
- Click the Options button located to the right of the application’s name.
- From the drop-down menu, select Delete hidden app data.
- A confirmation box will appear warning you that this data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered from the Trash. Click the Delete button to confirm.
The hidden data will be purged, immediately freeing up space in your overall Google Account storage quota.
Disconnecting Apps Completely
If you have completely stopped using the application in question, you should also revoke its access to your Google Drive to prevent it from generating new hidden data in the future. Click the Options button again and select Disconnect from Drive. This severs the connection between the third-party service and your Google account entirely.