If you can’t find files in Google Drive, you can use these tips to try to recover them. If you think that someone accessed your Google Drive without your permission, we recommend taking steps to make your account more secure.
Restore files you deleted
- On a computer, go to drive.google.com/drive/trash.
- Tip: You can sort your trashed files by trashed date to find the oldest or newest files trashed.
- Right-click the file you want to recover.
- Click Restore.
Tip: If someone else created the file, they can delete, rename, and restore it. Contact the person who created the file and ask them to restore it or share it with you again.
Find a file you didn't delete
Check the activity panel
- On a computer, go to drive.google.com.
- At the left, click My Drive.
- At the top right, click Info
.
- Scroll down and look for your file.
.Use an advanced search
- On a computer, go to drive.google.com.
- At the top, in the search bar click the Down arrow
.
- Use the advanced search options to find your file. For example, to see spreadsheets, next to 'Type,' click the down arrow, then click �Spreadsheets.’
.To refine your search in Drive, use a search phrase with one of these options:
| Search for | Example |
|---|---|
| Exact phrase |
|
| One or another |
|
|
Exclude a word |
Water but not lakes:
|
|
File owner |
Files Dad owns:
|
| Files shared by others |
Files Mom shared with you:
|
| You shared files |
Files you shared with Mom:
|
| Starred items |
|
| Deleted items |
|
| File type |
Spreadsheet file type:
|
|
Time frame |
Before or after January 18, 2015.
|
| Title |
|
| App |
Files opened in Google Drive:
|
Find unorganized files
- On a computer, go to drive.google.com.
- At the top, in the search bar, enter: is:unorganized owner:me
- When you find the file, move it to a folder in My Drive so it’s easier to find next time.
Tip: If your file was in a folder someone else created, and they deleted the folder, you won’t see the folder in your Drive anymore. To make the file easier to find in the future, move it into a folder in My Drive.
Contact us
Important: If your Google Account was deleted, you might not be able to recover your files.
We can help you recover recently deleted files for a limited time after they’re deleted if you use Google Drive with a personal account and one of these is true:
- You created the file.
- You uploaded the file to Google Drive.
- You accepted ownership of the file from someone.
To contact us, sign in to your Google Account.
For more help, learn how to delete and restore files in Google Drive.
Learn why files go missing
If you can’t find a file that you created in Drive, it might have lost the folder it was in. The file still exists, but is harder to find.
Files can lose their folder if:
- You create a file in someone else's folder, and they delete that folder. Since only you can delete the files you own, your file isn't deleted, but it isn't in a folder.
- You share a folder with someone, and they remove your file from the folder. The file isn't deleted, but it's no longer in a folder.
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