How to Recover Deleted Google Docs: 5 Tested Methods

Open Google Drive and click “Bin” or “Trash” in the left sidebar. Right-click the deleted document, then click “Restore” to recover it to your Drive.

Isn't it scary when you accidentally delete a Google Document? So, how to recover deleted Google Docs files? While Google Drive lets you keep your deleted documents for up to 30 days unless you permanently remove them manually, you can always use advanced data recovery software to restore permanently deleted Google Docs files.

Losing a Google Docs file might feel like misplacing a paper document. The good news is that you can always recover deleted Google Docs to ensure your work isn't lost forever. So, if you're wondering how to recover deleted Google Docs, let's embark on this digital search mission together.

Method 1: Recover Deleted Google Docs with Recovery Software Method 1: Retrieve Deleted Google Docs Using Recovery Software

In today's digital world, our lives are intertwined with online tools that help us collaborate and work effortlessly. However, accidents do happen! One such mishap could be accidentally deleting an important file, like a Google Docs document. While you know there are ways to recover Google Docs files, you might wonder, “What if I can't restore permanently deleted files from Google Drive?” Fear not! There's no need to panic.

Your best chance for quick recovery of deleted files is by using an advanced data retrieval program. A highly recommended tool is the Data Recovery Wizard, which makes it easy to recover various types of files.

Here are the main features of this data recovery software:

You can follow a guide to use data recovery software to retrieve deleted Google Docs from your local PC.

Step 1: Choose a Location

Select the disk where you lost your PDF/PPT/Word/Excel files, and then click “Scan”.

'Step Two: Search for the Lost File'

Upon completion of the scan, click on the "Documents" option on the left panel. You can locate the file you need by sorting by file type or directly search for it in the search bar. Once you find the file, click "Preview" to confirm if it is the one you are looking for.

Step 3: Recover the lost document

Select the needed PDF/ PPT/ Word/ Excel/ TXT/ ZIP files and then hit the “Recover” button to save them to another secure location.

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Method 2: Restore a Deleted Document from the Google Trash Click Method 2: Restore a Deleted Document from the Google Trash

Just like on a Mac or Windows computer, Google Docs uses a trash system to store deleted files. Instead of immediately deleting them, it holds onto them in a hidden folder for up to 30 days. After 30 days, Google assumes you no longer need the files and deletes them for good.

After that, it's irretrievable unless you've previously shared a copy with someone else. However, if you didn't permanently delete the Google Document, you can recover a deleted Google Document. To do so, follow these steps to restore a deleted Google Document from your Trash:

Step 1. Go to the Google Drive website, or download and install the Google Drive desktop app, and log in with your Google account information.

Step 2: Click on "Trash" or "Bin" on the left sidebar, depending on your region. If your missing files aren't showing up in Google Drive, they might be in the trash.

Step 3. You should see the files deleted within the last 30 days listed in the Trash or Recycling Bin. Right-click on the file and choose "Restore" to perform a Google Drive trash recovery.

Step 4: While holding down the “Shift” key on your laptop keyboard, select multiple files, right-click on them, and choose “Restore.”

Method 3: Recover a Deleted Document from a Google Account

Recovering from Google Drive isn't as complicated as it seems. There are several ways to get back the content in your Google Drive. Here are the steps to recover deleted files for Google Account users:

Step 1: Sign in to your G Suite administrator account and go to the Admin console. Choose “Users.”

Step 2. Next, find the person you want to retrieve the file from. Hover over their name, then right-click. Now, click on “More.” A drop-down menu will appear. Select “Restore Data” from the list.

Select the data to restore

Step 3: Once you click on “Recover Data,” a window will appear. Just hit “Recover” and any files deleted within the last 25 days will be restored. If you don't want to recover these files and would rather retrieve something deleted earlier, select a specific date from within the date range, then hit “Recover” to get your file back quickly.

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Method 4: Retrieve Documents with Google Vault

If you have Google Vault subscription, you can restore Google Docs from the trash in Google Workspace up to 30 days after deletion. Its purpose is to store, search, and transfer information from Chat, Groups, Drive, Google Docs, and Gmail. Here's how to recover Docs using Google Vault:

Step 1: Go to the Google Vault website and sign in.

Step 2: Go to Activities > Sales Commitments > Search.

Step 3: Select “Drive” from the list of services.

Select the “Drive” option

Step 4. Enter details to search for the deleted Google Document in your Google Drive, then click Search.

Step 5: Browse through the found files and install them in their specific locations for recovery.

Method 5: Restore a previous version of Google Docs If you accidentally deleted or modified your Google Docs document, you can try restoring an earlier version. Follow these steps: 1. Open Google Drive and locate the folder containing the altered document. 2. Click on the Google Docs file you want to restore, so it opens in your browser. 3. In the menu bar at the top of the document, click "File" (or "Datei" in German). 4. From the dropdown menu, select "Version history" (or "Versionen" in German). 5. You will now see a timeline displaying different versions of the document. Scroll through these versions to find the specific one you want to restore. 6. Hover your mouse over that version, then click "Restore this version" (or "Diese Version wiederherstellen" in German). 7. The document will automatically revert to the selected version and save as a new draft. Please note that this feature might take some time to display recent changes, so if your latest edits don't appear immediately, try again after a short wait.

Google Drive offers several ways to recover deleted Google Docs files. The problem is that the many built-in options available can, intentionally or unintentionally, lead to information being overwritten. This becomes a bigger issue when you save over information.

Now, reinstalling an earlier version may seem like a daunting task, but Google has an option that lets you revert to a previous version. Here's how to restore a previous version of Google Docs:

Step 1: Go to your Google Drive and right-click the file.

Step 2: You'll see an "Manage Versions" option in the drop-down menu. Click it to view different versions of the document. To help you keep track, the date and time are displayed beside each version.

Step 3. Choose the version you want to restore. Click the “Three Dots” icon next to the file.

Step 4. You will see the "Download" option; select it to restore an earlier version.

Abstract

Restoring a file to the trash makes it easy to recover a lost Google Doc from Google Drive. Plus, if you have a backup copy of the document or saved it on your Mac, Windows PC, or another storage system, you can still access a permanently deleted Google Doc. In any case of data loss, it's recommended to use a reliable data recovery tool like Data Recovery Wizard.

Google Docs Recovery FAQ

Here are some common issues to consider:

1. How can I recover permanently deleted Google Docs?

If you're using a Windows computer, you can recover a permanently deleted Google Document by following these steps:

1. Open the Start menu, type "Restore files," then hit Enter. 2. Search for "Google Docs" in the folder where you saved the file. 3. Click **Restore** to recover the permanently deleted Google Doc.

2. Does Google keep deleted documents for a period of time?

When you delete something from Google Drive, it gets moved to the Trash. To permanently delete the files, you have to go into the Trash folder and click “Empty Trash.”

3. How to Recover Deleted Google Docs on Mac?

On a macOS, you can use "Time Machine" to restore your deleted Google Docs on your Mac. First, open "Applications" > "Time Machine," launch the program, and enter "Time Machine." Then, navigate to the "Documents" folder, find or search for your deleted Google Docs on your Mac. Finally, select a version of the deleted Google Doc from the timeline, press Space to preview different versions, and choose the one you want to restore.