Working out something even as simple as how to delete files on a Google Chromebook can be frustrating, especially for those new to the Chromebook operating system. Thankfully, once you get to grips with it, it’s really surprisingly easy to master. One thing we would highly recommend however, is that you back-up your files to the cloud (AKA Google Drive) before carrying out any deletions. Just in case.
To learn how to delete files on a Google Chromebook, see our tutorial below. For any additional queries or information, see our FAQs at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to delete files on a Google Chromebook
- Turn on and log into your Chromebook
- From your desktop, click the small white dot in the bottom-left corner, to pull up your various apps
- Next, click the upward-pointing arrow in the app launcher, to display your full list of apps
- Locate and click on ‘Files’
- Now, find the file(s) or folder(s) you want to delete, either by using the scrollbar, or by searching for the file in the top-right hand search bar
- Once you’ve located the file(s) or folder(s), right-click on it/them
- From the drop-down menu, select ‘Delete’
- Alternatively, once you’ve highlighted your undesired file(s) or folder(s), you can use keyboard shortcut ALT + BACKSPACE to delete them
How to back-up files to Google Drive (a safety precaution)
- Turn on and log into your Chromebook
- From your desktop, click the small white dot in the bottom-left corner, to pull up your various apps
- Next, click the upward-pointing arrow in the app launcher, to display your full list of apps
- Locate and click on ‘Files’
- Now, find the file(s) or folder(s) you want to back-up, either by using the scrollbar, or by searching for the file in the top-right hand search bar
- Once you’ve located the file(s) or folder(s) you wish to back-up, simply click and drag them from their location, and ‘drop’ them into the ‘Google Drive’ folder in the left-hand sidebar
- Alternatively, you can open up Google Drive, log in, and from the left-hand sidebar, select New > File Upload > Find and click on the file(s) you wish to back-up; or New > Folder Upload > Find and click on the folder(s) you wish to back-up
And there you have it! Make sure that you keep your files safely backed up on the cloud, and then clean up your unwanted ‘downloaded’ files from your Google Chromebook in just a few clicks! For any additional information, or if you have any unanswered questions, see our FAQs below.
Frequently asked questions
What are Google Chromebooks?
Chromebooks are computers (or sometimes tablets) which operate via the Linux/Chrome OS. They typically work by using Google’s Chrome web browser to perform their various tasks, and to store their information and files. Their applications, too, are mostly stored on the cloud, and used only with an internet connection.
As such, Google Chromebooks require connection to the internet (either via WiFi, ethernet, or dongle) in order to utilise their full functionality. Furthermore, they typically hold only minimal hard drive storage space, and are therefore not particularly well-suited to downloading and storing large numbers of files. Whilst this might seem a disadvantage, the lack of physically-stored data allows for a generally speedier device, compared with non-cloud-based computers.
Google Chromebooks are typically designed to work with Google products and software only, but there does still exist some leeway with this.
Why would I want to delete files on a Google Chromebook?
There are myriad reasons you might want to delete files from your Google Chromebook; perhaps you no longer need them, you downloaded them accidentally in the first place, or you’re finding that your downloaded files are taking up too much space, and you want to do a bit of a clean-up of your system.
Whatever your reasoning, working out how to delete files can be a little frustrating for first-time Chromebook users; that’s why we’ve compiled this tutorial for you.
What happens when I delete files on a Google Chromebook?
Because Google Chromebooks operate mostly online, storing your files, information, and data caches on the cloud, they typically have little memory space on their harddrives, and as such, cannot hold much in the way of extra files.
Thus, Google Chromebooks have no ‘trash can’ or ‘bin’ to which deleted files are sent, and from which they can be recovered. When you delete a file or item from your Google Chromebook, it is permanently deleted.
Can I recover accidentally deleted files on a Google Chromebook?
No. Unfortunately, you simply cannot. As we explained in the previous FAQ, Google Chromebooks don’t have an area to where deleted files are sent and stored in case they need to be restored to the computer; thus, when you delete a file from your Google Chromebook, you are deleting it permanently.
As such, we highly recommend backing up your files to your Google Drive (AKA the cloud) before making any deletions. That way, you have another copy of the file elsewhere, and whilst you’ve cleaned up space on your Chromebook physically, digitally you’ve still got a backup, just in case.
