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How to Delete Files From Dropbox
Get rid of old documents to make room for more
By Elise Moreau Elise Moreau Freelance Contributor University of Ontario George Brown College Elise Moreau is a writer that has covered social media, texting, messaging, and streaming for Lifewire. Her work has appeared on Techvibes, SlashGear, Lifehack and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 2, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Delete Files on Desktop Delete Files Online Delete Files From the App Reasons to Delete Files Drawbacks to Deleting Files Dropbox is a cloud-based storage platform you can use to store (and access) files remotely. If you've used Dropbox for a while and have uploaded lots of files, or you're running out of storage space on your Dropbox account, delete the most unnecessary files to free up space. How to Delete Files From Dropbox Using the Desktop Client
The following sections feature screenshot instructions using the Dropbox desktop client for macOS. You can follow along if you use the desktop client for Linux or Windows, although you might notice a few slight differences. Open the Dropbox desktop client, and navigate to the file you want to delete. Right-click the file you want to delete, then select Delete. You can also click a file, select the three dots in the previewer on the right, then select Delete. An easier option is to drag and drop any file into your computer's trash can. You might see a message asking if you're sure you want to delete the file. If your goal is to free up space on your computer's hard drive without deleting the file from your Dropbox account, select See sync options to find out how to turn on this option. If you're sure you want to delete the file across your whole account, select Delete Everywhere. To recover deleted files or permanently delete files to free up space, use Dropbox.com in a web browser. How to Delete Files From Dropbox com
You can also use the web client to clear some space in your Dropbox account. Here's how. Navigate to Dropbox.com in a web browser, and sign in to your account. Navigate to the file you want to delete. Select the three dots to the right of the file name. Choose Delete. Select Delete to confirm the deletion. You can recover the deleted file for a limited time. Your storage space won't be freed up until it's permanently deleted. To either recover or permanently delete the file you just deleted in the previous steps, select Deleted files from the left menu. Hover the cursor over the file you want to either recover or permanently delete and select the check box to the left of it. To the right, select Restore or Permanently delete. How to Delete Dropbox Files From the Mobile App
The following sections feature screenshot instructions using the Dropbox desktop mobile app for iOS. You can follow along if you use the Android app, although you might notice a few slight differences. Open the Dropbox app on your mobile device and navigate to the file that you want to delete. Tap the three dots below the file. Tap Delete. Tap Delete to confirm your deletion. To recover deleted files or permanently delete files to free up space, you can only do so from Dropbox.com. The Pros of Deleting Files From Your Dropbox Account
Deleting files from your Dropbox account will: Immediately free up space in your account for more important files.Keep your files and folders organized.Cut down on old or unnecessary files that are no longer needed.Save you time from having to browse through so many files and folders.Prevent you from having to upgrade to a more expensive plan to get more storage space.Give you the opportunity to recover deleted files within a certain time frame, depending on your Dropbox plan. If you have a free Basic account or a Plus account, you can recover deleted files up to 30 days after deletion. If you have a Business account, the recovery time frame is extended to 120 days. If you have a Professional account, you have up to 180 days. The Cons of Deleting Files From Your Dropbox Account
Deleting files from your Dropbox account means: You can't recover deleted files after the recovery time frame is up. If you choose to delete files permanently, those files can't be recovered. You may be unable to delete as many files as you want all at once since Dropbox limits the number of files you can delete at one time. You can't permanently delete content from a shared folder unless it's content you added and immediately deleted. Permanent deletion of files is required to free up space. How to Uninstall Dropbox on a Mac Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Access Google Docs Trash How to Delete a File in Terminal on Your Mac How to Delete Files on Mac How to Recover Deleted Facebook Posts How to Delete a Dropbox Account 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2022 How to Remove Junk Files From Windows 11 Puran File Recovery v1.2.1 Review (Free Undelete Tool) The 21 Best Free Data Recovery Software Tools (Oct. 2022) How to Delete (or Just Deactivate) Your Instagram Account How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard v15.6 (A Free Undelete Tool) How to Delete Files From Google Drive Recuva v1.53.2083 Review (A Free File Recovery Tool) Restoration v3.2.13 Review (A Free File Recovery Tool) How to Delete an iCloud Email Account Permanently Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies