The quickest way to delete a file from OneDrive
Open OneDrive in your web browser or the OneDrive app on your computer, find the file you want to remove, right-click it, and select Delete. The file moves to your OneDrive recycle bin when ready. It stays there for 93 days before OneDrive removes it permanently — until then, you can restore it if you change your mind.
If you are deleting from the web version, you can also click the file once to select it, then click the trash icon in the toolbar at the top. On Windows or Mac, the process is the same: right-click and delete, or select the file and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
The file disappears from your OneDrive view right away, but it does not free up your storage space until you empty the recycle bin. If you need the space when ready, you must take the extra step of permanently removing it.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted files go to your OneDrive recycle bin, not permanently gone, and stay recoverable for 93 days.
- Right-click a file and select Delete, or select it and press the Delete key — both methods work the same way.
- Deleting a file does not free up your storage quota until you empty the recycle bin completely.
- You can restore a deleted file from the recycle bin at any point within the 93-day window by selecting it and clicking Restore.
Deleting files from the OneDrive website
Log into OneDrive.com with your Microsoft account. Navigate to the folder containing the file you want to delete. You can search for the file using the search box at the top if you are not sure where it is stored.
Once you see the file, right-click on it. A menu appears with several options — click Delete. The file vanishes from your folder view and moves to the recycle bin. If you prefer not to right-click, you can also click the file once to select it (a checkmark appears), then click the trash icon in the toolbar.
OneDrive does not ask you to confirm the deletion — it happens when ready. This is why the recycle bin matters: if you delete something by accident, you have 93 days to undo it.
Deleting files from the OneDrive app on Windows or Mac
Open the OneDrive app on your computer. It usually appears as a folder icon in your taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac). Click it to open the OneDrive window, which shows your files and folders just like any other folder on your computer.
Find the file you want to delete. Right-click it and select Delete from the menu. Alternatively, click the file once to select it and press the Delete key on your keyboard. The file moves to your OneDrive recycle bin — it does not go to your computer's trash or recycle bin, but to OneDrive's own recycle bin in the cloud.
If you are using OneDrive on Windows and the file is synced to your computer, deleting it from the OneDrive app also removes it from your local folders. The same applies on Mac. This is why checking the recycle bin before emptying it is important — you cannot recover the file from your computer's trash once it leaves OneDrive.
How to permanently delete a file and free up storage space
Deleting a file to the recycle bin does not reduce your OneDrive storage quota. If you want to actually free up space, you must empty the recycle bin. Open OneDrive and look for the recycle bin — on the website, it appears in the left sidebar. In the app, it is usually under the three-dot menu or in the folder list.
Click on the recycle bin to see all your deleted files. You can delete individual files permanently by right-clicking them and selecting Delete permanently, or you can empty the entire recycle bin at once. To empty it all, look for an option that says "Empty recycle bin" or "Clear recycle bin" — the exact wording varies slightly between the web and app versions.
Once you empty the recycle bin, those files are gone for good and cannot be restored. OneDrive will not ask you to confirm this action, so take a moment to make sure you are not removing anything you might need later.
Recovering a deleted file from the recycle bin
If you delete a file by mistake, open your OneDrive recycle bin within 93 days. On the website, click Recycle bin in the left sidebar. In the app, find the recycle bin in the menu or folder list. You see all the files you have deleted.
Find the file you want to restore. Right-click it and select Restore. The file returns to its original folder in OneDrive. If the original folder no longer exists, OneDrive puts the file in your main OneDrive folder instead. You can then move it to wherever you want.
If you cannot find the file in the recycle bin, it may have been permanently deleted already, or the 93 days may have passed. OneDrive does not send a warning before the 93-day period ends — the file straightforward disappears.
What happens when you delete a file shared with others
If you delete a file that you have shared with other people, those people lose access to it when ready. They cannot see it in their shared folder anymore, and they cannot restore it themselves — only you can restore it from your recycle bin.
If you delete a file by mistake and other people need it, you can restore it from your recycle bin and they will regain access. However, if you permanently empty your recycle bin, the file is gone for everyone. This is why it is worth double-checking before you empty the recycle bin if you share files with colleagues or family members.
Deleting folders instead of individual files
You can delete an entire folder from OneDrive the same way you delete a single file — right-click the folder and select Delete. The folder and everything inside it move to your recycle bin. This frees up the space taken by all the files in that folder, but only once you empty the recycle bin.
Be careful when deleting folders, because restoring a folder restores all the files inside it at once. If you only want to keep some of the files, you may need to restore the folder, remove the files you do not want, and then delete it again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a file after I empty the recycle bin?
No. Once you empty the recycle bin, the files are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. OneDrive does not have a second-chance recovery option. If you are not certain you want to delete something, leave it in the recycle bin for a while instead of emptying it when ready.
Does deleting a file from OneDrive delete it from my computer too?
If you are using the OneDrive app and the file is synced to your computer, deleting it from OneDrive also removes it from your local folders. The file goes to your OneDrive recycle bin, not your computer's recycle bin, so you cannot recover it from there. You must restore it through OneDrive.
How long do files stay in the OneDrive recycle bin?
Files stay in your recycle bin for 93 days. After that, OneDrive permanently deletes them automatically. You do not get a warning when the time is about to run out — the file straightforward disappears from the recycle bin.
What if I delete a file that is stored in a shared folder?
If you own the shared folder, deleting a file removes it for everyone who has access. If you are a member of the folder but do not own it, you may not have permission to delete files — it depends on what access level the owner gave you. Only the owner can restore deleted files from the recycle bin.
Can I undo a deletion when ready after I delete a file?
There is no undo button in OneDrive like there is in some other programs. Once you delete a file, it goes to the recycle bin. You must open the recycle bin and restore it from there. This takes a few extra clicks, but it is still faster than waiting to recover it later.