Want to delete files from Google Drive on iPhone?
From providing an alternative to Microsoft Office and cloud storage, Google remains as one of the leading platforms today. Additionally, its services are not only limited to PC users as their applications are also available on both Androids and iPhones.
Being one of the most secure options, it is no surprise that most people choose Google Drive for storage. But even Google Drive’s limit ends after you use up all the initial allocated space. Although you can buy more storage by subscribing to Google One, several users would prefer to stick to the original free 15 GB.
In that case, your best solution is to free up the drive. You can do so by moving the data to your local storage and deleting the files you no longer need. This is where we come into play. Below, we’ve explained all the different ways you can delete files from Google Drive on iPhone.
Keep reading to find out!
1. Delete From the Google Drive App.
Deleting files from the Google Drive app is a bit nerve-wracking, especially if you’re not sure whether they are still necessary. The problem gets worse if you are low on Drive storage.
What you can do in such a case is to simply delete the files. These will then move to the trash folder, where they will be kept for almost 30 days. If you realize its importance later, you can recover it within the mentioned time frame.
To delete the existing files on Google Drive, here’s what you have to do:
- Open the Google Drive app from the home screen of your iPhone.
- Next, locate the file that you intend to delete.
- Once you do, select the three horizontal dots located next to the file name.
- From the options, scroll down and tap on Remove.
- Lastly, a prompt will appear. Select Move to trash.
2. Delete an Open File on Google Drive App.
If you’re working on a file on the Google Drive iOS app and realize that it is no longer needed, going back to the Drive Folder and searching through countless files doesn’t seem like a smart move.
Fortunately, Google allows you to delete the opened files on the app directly. Here’s what you need to do:
- From the opened file on the Google Drive app, tap on the three horizontal dots present at the top-right corner of the screen.
- After that, scroll down and select Remove.
- From the prompt that appears, tap on Move to trash to delete the file.
3. Delete Multiple Files on Google Drive App.
When you’re low on Drive storage, deleting a file or two wouldn’t clear up noticeable space for you. You would have to remove several files for a considerable effect. But choosing or opening one file at a time to delete it is a very time-consuming process.
Therefore, it will be a relief to hear that Google Drive has a feature that enables you to select multiple files at once. You can then choose an action for all the selected data, like moving them to trash.
Here’s how to do it:
- From the Google Drive app, select all the files that you want to delete. The selected files will then become highlighted.
- Then, tap on the three horizontal dots from the top-right corner.
- Afterward, tap on Remove.
- Finally, select Move to trash from the prompt box that appears.
To confirm that your files are successfully moved to the trash can, a File moved to trash message will appear at the bottom.
4. Permanently Delete Files from the Bin.
As mentioned earlier, when you remove files from Google Drive on iPhone, they are not gone forever. Instead, these files are moved to the Google Drive Bin and stay there for around a month.
If you want to delete them permanently, you can navigate to the folder where all the removed files exist and choose to delete them forever. Follow these steps to do it:
- Start by launching the Google Drive app from your Apple device.
- Next, tap on the hamburger menu icon located in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- From the sidebar, choose Trash.
- Locate the file that you wish to delete and select the three horizontal dots next to it.
- After that, tap on Delete forever and then select Delete forever from the following prompt to delete the file from Google Drive permanently.
5. Permanently Delete Open Files from the Bin.
If you decide to delete files from Google Drive on iPhone permanently, it’s best to double-check its content first. This is a safe move as you can no longer recover the files you choose to delete forever. Sometimes, users may delete the wrong file mistakenly, so it’s best to take precautions.
Afterward, you don’t need to go back to the Trash folder again. Google lets you permanently delete files while they are opened.
Here’s exactly what you need to do:
- Tap on the three horizontal dots from the top-right corner of the opened file from the Bin folder of the Google Drive app.
- Next, select Delete forever.
- After that, tap on Delete forever again from the prompt that follows.
6. Permanently Delete Multiple Files from the Bin.
Google Drive doesn’t give you the option to delete selected files from the Trash folder, so that means you cannot choose and delete multiple files. However, users can permanently delete all the files present inside the Trash folder in one go.
Here’s how you can quickly delete everything from the Trash folder of the Google Drive app:
- Go to the Google Drive app from your home screen.
- After that, select the hamburger menu icon present in the upper-left corner.
- Next, tap on Trash from the left pane.
- Now, tap on the three horizontal dots from the upper-right corner.
- Then, select the Empty Trash option.
- From the prompt that follows, tap on Delete forever to permanently delete all the files present in the Trash folder of your iPhone.
This concludes our guide on how to delete files from Google Drive on iPhone. If you have any queries or confusion regarding any of the methods mentioned in this guide, feel free to use the comments section below. We’ll try our best to help you out further.
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