How to restore or recover deleted files or folders in Dropbox

Updated Apr 26, 2024

This article describes how you can recover deleted files and folders in your Dropbox account.

If you’d like to restore an earlier version of a file instead, learn how to return to an older version of a file or learn more about version history.

Important: You can only restore a shared file if you have Can edit access to it. If you have Can view access to a shared file, you won’t be able to restore it.

Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox makes file recovery and history easy.

How to restore deleted files or folders

Dropbox saves all your deleted files for 30 days (or longer for customers on Dropbox Professional and team plans). To restore deleted files or folders:

Log in to dropbox.com.
Click Deleted files in the left sidebar.
Click on the name of the deleted file or folder you want to recover.
- You can select multiple files or folders at once by clicking the checkbox icon.
Click Restore.

Note: Restorations can take time if you’re restoring a large number of files.

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.