Can I Delete a .JSON File?
Can I delete a .json file? Yes, if nothing uses it: old downloads, exports, Takeout sidecars after merging. Not app settings, game saves or projects.
You can delete a .json file if no program depends on it, such as an old download, an export you no longer need, or Google Takeout sidecars after their data is in the photos. Do not delete .json files that belong to an app, a game, a browser or a project, because that program stops working correctly or loses your settings.
The file extension alone does not tell you which case you have. The folder the file sits in does. This page explains what a JSON file is, how to find out what it belongs to, and how to delete it on Windows and Mac so you can get it back if you were wrong.
What a .json file is
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a plain-text format for structured data. A .json file contains names and values in curly braces, for example "theme": "dark". It contains no program code that runs, so it is not a virus and it cannot harm your computer by itself.
Programs use JSON files for many jobs:
- Settings. Apps and code editors store preferences in files such as
settings.jsonorconfig.json. - Saved data. Some games and apps keep save files, lists or caches as JSON.
- Project files. Software projects have files such as
package.jsonthat the project needs to build. - Data exports. When you download your data from a service, such as Google Takeout, Facebook or Instagram, much of it arrives as JSON.
- Sidecar files. A sidecar file sits next to a photo or video and holds information about it. Google Takeout adds one JSON file per photo.
When deleting a .json file is safe
Deleting is safe when the file is a copy of data that you do not need, or that exists somewhere else:
- Files in your Downloads folder that you saved from a website and no longer use.
- Old data exports from an account, after you have looked through them or saved what you want.
- Google Takeout sidecars after merging. The
.jsonfiles next to your photos hold the real date, location and caption. After a tool has written that information into the photos, the sidecars are no longer needed. Can I delete JSON files from Google Takeout? gives the steps. - Copies you made yourself, such as a backup of a settings file that you have since replaced.
When not to delete it
Keep the file if it is part of something installed or something you are working on:
- App configuration. Files inside an app's own folder, or inside
AppDataon Windows or~/Libraryon Mac. Deleting them can reset the app or stop it from starting. - Game saves. Some games store progress in JSON. Deleting the file can delete the progress.
- Project files. A
package.json,tsconfig.jsonor similar file inside a code project. The project does not build without it. - Browser and extension data. Browser profiles and extensions store settings and state in JSON files. Deleting them can remove bookmarks, extension settings or logins.
- Takeout sidecars before merging. Before the merge, these files are the only copy of many photo dates. See do I need the JSON files from Google Takeout.
How to check what a .json file belongs to
- Look at the folder. A file in Downloads or in an unzipped export is usually yours to remove. A file inside Program Files, AppData, Library, a game folder or a code project belongs to that program.
- Open it in a text editor. Use Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac. Opening a JSON file changes nothing. The names inside usually tell you what it is:
photoTakenTimeandgeoDatamean a Google Photos sidecar, and words likewindow,themeorversionmean a settings file. - Look at the date. Explorer and Finder show when the file was last changed. A file that an app changed today is still in use.
- Search for the filename. If you still do not know, a web search for the exact name often shows which program creates it.
If you are not sure, move the file to another folder first instead of deleting it. If nothing breaks after a few days, delete it.
How to delete a .json file on Windows
Select the file in File Explorer and press Delete, or right-click it and choose Delete. Windows moves the file to the Recycle Bin.
To get it back, open the Recycle Bin on the desktop, right-click the file and choose Restore. Windows puts it back in the original folder.
Three cases skip the Recycle Bin: Shift+Delete, files on most USB sticks and memory cards, and files on network drives. Those files are deleted at once. Use them only when you are sure.
How to delete a .json file on Mac
Select the file in Finder and press Command-Delete, or drag it to the Trash. macOS moves it to the Trash.
To get it back, open the Trash in the Dock, right-click the file and choose Put Back. The file returns to its original folder. After you empty the Trash, the file is gone.
Deleting many JSON files at once
For a Google Takeout folder with thousands of sidecars, use the search in File Explorer or Finder to find .json files inside that folder only, then select them all and delete them. Make sure the search covers that folder and not your whole computer, or you also select app settings.
If the sidecars are still in their zip files and you want the dates in the photos first, Takeout JSON Metadata Fixer writes them in for you on Mac, Windows and Linux. The first 500 photos are free.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a JSON file?
It depends on what created it. A photo sidecar from Google Takeout is needed until its date and place are merged into the photo; see Do I need the JSON files from Google Takeout? A settings or data file that an app created is needed by that app for as long as you use it.
What happens if I delete a JSON file?
It depends on what it belongs to. An old download: nothing happens. An app's settings file: the app resets to defaults or shows an error. A Google Takeout sidecar before merging: that photo loses the date and location that were only in the file.
Can a JSON file be a virus?
No. JSON is plain text that holds data and does not run. A file can pretend to be JSON with a double extension such as data.json.exe, so check the full name if something looks strange.
Can I recover a deleted JSON file?
Yes, from the Recycle Bin or the Trash, until you empty it. After that, only a backup can bring it back.
Why do I have so many JSON files?
The most common reason is a data export. Google Takeout creates one JSON file for almost every photo, so a large library has tens of thousands. What the JSON files in Google Takeout are explains them.