Dropbox saves deleted and previous versions of files for a specific period of time so you canrecover themif desired. After that time, the deleted files are marked for permanent deletion in our system and are removed from our storage servers. Once they’ve been deleted, they can no longer be recovered or restored.
Your default file recovery period depends on your Dropbox plan:
- Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Family customers have 30 days.
- Dropbox Professional, Standard, Essentials, and Dropbox team users have 180 days.
- Dropbox Advanced, Enterprise, Education, and Dropbox team Plus users have 365 days.
However, there are several add-ons that extend your file recovery period. Learn more about extended version history.
Permanently deleting files
When you mark files for permanent deletion, you can initiate the deletion of your files from our servers immediately.
Learn how to permanently delete files.
If you’re a member of a Dropbox team account, your team admin may havelimited your ability to permanently delete files.
Deleting your Dropbox account
If you delete your Dropbox Basic, Plus, Family, Professional, or Essentials account, we’ll initiate deletion of the files you store on your account.
See theRetentionsection of our Privacy Policy for more details.
If you’re a member of a Dropbox team account, only your admin can disable your account and delete your files.
Deleting Send and track files
Adding a file to the Send and track feature from your local drive, OneDrive, or Google Drive creates a file copy in the “Send and track” folder. This copy takes up storage space and counts towards your storage limit.
Deleting this copy from the “Send and track” folder automatically removes the file stored inSend and track, along with any associated metadata and analytics. Restoring the file copy restores the Send and track file and its data.
Adding a file to Send and track directly from your Dropbox account doesn’t create an additional file copy in the “Send and track” folder.
Deleting the original file from your Dropbox account automatically removes it, and any associated metadata and analytics, from Send and track as well. Restoring the original file restores the Send and track file and its data.
Note: Deleting file copies in Send and track is permanent. Any metadata and data analytics associated with that file can’t be recovered, even if the source file is left intact.
Deleting files directly in Send and track won’t affect the source files in your Dropbox account, local drive, OneDrive, Google Drive, or the “Send and track” folder.
