How to Recover Deleted Files From Google Drive (Step-By-Step)

Google Drive is a fantastic tool for storing and sharing files, but data loss can happen for various reasons – accidental deletions, syncing errors, or user mistakes. While Google Drive offers some built-in recovery options, they are often limited. This blog will guide you through all available methods for restoring your files, including what to do if they’re permanently deleted. We’ll also cover alternatives like third-party backup solutions that offer more comprehensive recovery.

If you’re looking for a more secure and reliable backup and recovery solution, explore our Google Drive Backup options.

Can You Recover Deleted Gmail Files?

When files are deleted from Google Drive, they can either be soft-deleted (moved to Trash) or hard-deleted (permanently removed). Understanding how these deletions work is essential to knowing how to recover your files.

Soft Delete (Trash):
When you delete a file, it’s sent to the Trash and can be restored easily within 30 days for users or 25 days for admins. You can restore these files at any time before they are automatically cleared from Trash.

Hard Delete (Permanent Deletion):
Once files are permanently deleted (either directly or from Trash after the retention period), recovery options become far more complex. This is why it’s crucial to act quickly. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to restore your files using Google’s native tools.

Important to Know:

• After 30 days (for users) or 25 days (for admins), deleted files are permanently gone.
• If your contacts or files weren’t synced correctly, they may not be recoverable.

How to Restore Gmail Files from Trash

If your files are still in Trash, restoring them is quick and easy:

On Desktop:

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Click Trash on the left-hand sidebar.
3. Right-click on the file you want to restore.
4. Select Restore to return the file to its original location.

On Mobile (Android/iOS):

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) and select Trash.
3. Tap and hold the file you want to restore.
4. Tap Restore.

Important Notes:

• Files in Trash are automatically deleted after 30 days for users or 25 days for admins.
• If syncing issues arise, re-sync your files across devices to ensure proper restoration.
• Restored files should appear as they were before deletion. However, if they’re edited or deleted after restoration, syncing issues may occur.

How to Recover Permanently Deleted Files

Once files are permanently deleted (for example, after they’ve been removed from Trash), recovery becomes much harder. Google’s native recovery options are limited, but here are some possible methods:

• Contact Google Support: For important files, you can reach out to Google Support. They may be able to recover files from their end, but recovery isn’t guaranteed and may depend on various factors.
• Google Vault: If your organization uses Google Vault, you may have the ability to recover deleted files. Vault can retain data even after it’s deleted from Google Drive, but only if retention rules were set beforehand.
• Third-Party Backup Solutions: For a more reliable recovery, third-party tools like BackupVault offer comprehensive solutions to recover permanently deleted files. These tools store backups independently of Google’s systems, providing added protection.

Google Vault and Takeout – Are They Enough?

While Google Vault and Google Takeout offer some recovery options, they have limitations:

• Google Vault: Vault is only effective if retention rules were set before deletion occurred. If you’ve planned ahead, Vault can help recover emails, files, and other data within Google Workspace, but it’s not a catch-all solution.
• Google Takeout: Google Takeout allows you to export data, but it’s time-consuming and doesn’t restore things like metadata, sharing settings, or file versions. It’s more of a backup tool than a recovery tool.

Both tools offer some utility, but they fall short in real-time recovery scenarios.

Recovering Folder Structures or Older Versions

A major limitation of Google Drive is its lack of native version history for folders. While individual files in Google Drive have version histories, folders do not. This can be problematic if you need to restore a folder structure or retrieve older versions of files.

Third-party solutions like CubeBackup offer more advanced features, such as restoring folder structures and older file versions. Without these tools, restoring folder structures and specific file versions can be nearly impossible.

Best Way To Recover Google Drive Data With BackupVault

If you need a reliable and comprehensive solution for Google Drive data recovery, BackupVault offers the best option. Unlike Google Drive’s native recovery tools, BackupVault provides extensive features, including:

• Unlimited version history: Never worry about losing previous versions of important files again.
• Recovery of deleted accounts: Easily restore data from deleted accounts.
• Granular restore: Recover files and entire folder structures with precision.
• UK-based secure storage: Your data is safely stored in the UK, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.

For full peace of mind, learn more about Google Workspace Backup and how BackupVault can protect your data and assist in recovery when needed.

Don’t Risk Data Loss – Try BackupVault Free

Don’t wait until it’s too late to safeguard your data. With BackupVault, you can easily restore deleted files, recover from device failures, and ensure full compliance with UK data regulations.

Start your free trial of BackupVault today and enjoy secure, reliable cloud backup solutions.