How to Recover Deleted Files From Dropbox (2026)
Dropbox keeps deleted files for a recovery window — 30 days on Basic/Plus, longer on higher plans. Here’s how to get them back, including older versions of a file.
1. Restore Deleted Files (Web)
- Sign in at dropbox.com.
- Click Deleted files in the left sidebar.
- Browse or search for the file or folder.
- Tick the items and click Restore.
They return to their original folder. You can restore an entire folder at once the same way.
2. Recover an Earlier Version of a File
If a file was overwritten rather than deleted:
- Right-click the file on dropbox.com and choose Version history (or Activity).
- Review the list of previous versions with timestamps.
- Click the version you want and choose Restore.
3. Recover Within the Time Window
- Basic & Plus: deleted files and prior versions are kept for 30 days.
- Professional / Business: 180 days (and Extended Version History add-ons go further).
After the window passes, files are permanently purged and can’t be recovered.
4. Find Who Deleted It (Shared Folders)
In a shared folder, open Deleted files or the folder’s Activity to see who deleted an item and when — then restore it.
5. Troubleshooting
The file isn’t in Deleted files
It may be past the recovery window, or it was permanently deleted. Check whether it lived in a shared folder — ask other members, who may still have it.
Restore put it in the wrong place
Dropbox restores to the original path. If that folder was also deleted, restore the parent folder first, then the file.
I need something older than 30 days
Only possible with Extended Version History or a Business/Professional plan. Without it, files older than the window are gone.
Related Dropbox guides: How to delete files · How to free up space · How to add Dropbox to File Explorer · How to unlink Dropbox. To automatically back up email attachments into Dropbox, see Carly’s Dropbox integration.
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