How to recover missing files in your Dropbox account
This article describes a feature available to all Dropbox users, unless otherwise stated.
Your Dropbox files or folders may be missing because they were moved, renamed, or deleted by you or someone you are sharing it with.
If your file or folder is missing for another reason, see below for options on how you can recover it.
Why are my Dropbox files missing?
There are several reasons why your Dropbox files may be missing:
- The files or folders did not sync form your device. Try logging into your account on dropbox.com to see if they are there.
- You or someone who shared or unshared the files or folders may have accidentally moved, renamed, or deleted them.
- Your ability to recover deleted files depends on the version history associated with your Dropbox plan.
- Files deleted directly from the Send and Track feature are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.
Recover missing files
If the file or folder is missing because it was moved, renamed, or deleted by you or someone you are sharing it with:
- Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Family accounts can recover any file edits or deletions made within the last 30 days.
- Dropbox Professional, Essentials, Standard, and Business accounts can recover any file edits or deletions made within the last 180 days.
- Dropbox Advanced, Business Plus, and Enterprise accounts can recover any file edits or deletions made within the last 365 days.
Important:
- Standard file recovery periods and options don’t apply to files deleted directly from the Send and track feature. Deleting a file from Send and track is permanent, and any associated metadata or data analytics can’t be recovered once the file is deleted.
- Any files added to Send and track before February 15, 2024 won’t be added to the “Send and track” folder on your Dropbox account. Deleting these files is permanent, and any associated metadata or data analytics can’t be recovered once the files are deleted.
Dropbox Rewind
This feature is only available to Dropbox Plus, Family, Professional, Essentials, and team accounts.
Learn how to upgrade your account.
Dropbox Rewind is a tool that lets you take a folder or whole account back to a point in time.
It’s best for:
- When a virus encrypts your files with ransomware
- Accidental moves and deletions of a large number of files
Learn how to use Dropbox Rewind.
Version history
Your version history page lets you preview and restore older versions of files.
It’s best for:
- Viewing or restoring an older version of a document
Learn more about version history.
Deleted files
Your deleted files page shows you a list of all files or folders that have been deleted.
It’s best for:
- Recovering a deleted file or folder
- Finding a file or folder that appears missing
Notes:
- When you permanently delete a file or folder, it’s no longer visible in any of your folders and you can't recover it. Learn what happens when you delete a file from your Dropbox account.
- To see a list of recent activity, navigate to dropbox.com/events in a new browser tab.
Contact support
If none of the above methods worked, you can contact support and we’ll do our best to help you find what you need.
Note: If you're on a paid Dropbox plan, you can also follow these steps to request file recovery from Dropbox support.
