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Forum Discussion
Permanently delete option does not show anywhere
I have trawled all the articles here and read the Help article from April 2025. I can't beleive a major cloud provider cannot make something as simple as permanently delete...simple.
In most articles it says "click deleted items in left sidebar" but this does not exist
If I click on a folder I do not get any option to permanently delete
If I go to the gear wheel and show deleted files, I can see a deleted file but I cannot permanently delete it.
Can someone please explain
a) how to permanently delete a file and in way that actually relates to the website
b) optional - explain how this can be made so difficult?
4 Replies
- Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi JamrockN16, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Are you able to navigate to the deleted files page to locate the file you want to permanently delete?
On that page, you'll be able to permanently delete files using the steps on this page.
If you need any further assistance, please let me know.
Hi
If I follow that approach, I have to select a time period and it takes ages and I have to guess when the files were deleted or manually try and click back years, a month at a time.
However if I go to this view
then I see deleted files dating back years but when I select, I don't get the option to permanently delete
If they just made this simple thing, simple, then there wouldn't be so many forum requests about this topic !
- Megan
Hey JamrockN16, thanks for the heads up!
I suggest that you post this under our "Ideas" section as a feature request.
Just make sure to specify how you'd like for this to work, and specifically that you want it to be under the "All files" page.
If you need something else, please let me know and I will be more than happy to help every step of the way. - Rich
Super User II
I have to select a time period and it takes ages and I have to guess when the files were deleted or manually try and click back years, a month at a time.
If you set the date filters to cover a long period, then the Deleted Files page works just like it used to.
You'll see everything deleted between those dates, and you can easily select a file or files and click Permanently delete on the right side of the page.
