How Do I Delete Files From Google Takeout?
How do I delete files from Google Takeout? Delete the downloaded zip parts on your computer and any copy in Drive. Your Google Photos stay untouched.
To delete files from Google Takeout, delete the downloaded .zip or .tgz parts on your computer after you have checked the export. If Takeout saved the export to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box, delete it there too. The copy on Google's download page expires by itself.
Deleting Takeout files never deletes anything in Google Photos. The export is a copy. Your photos stay in your Google account until you delete them there.
Where Takeout files can be
A Takeout export can exist in up to three places, and each one is deleted differently:
- On your computer: the zip or tgz parts you downloaded, and the folders you unzipped from them.
- On Google's download page: the archive that waits for you at takeout.google.com.
- In a cloud service: if you chose "Add to Drive", "Add to Dropbox", "Add to OneDrive" or "Add to Box" as the delivery method.
1. Delete the downloaded parts on your computer
Large exports come in several parts with names like takeout-20260930T101512Z-001.zip, -002.zip and so on. Why Takeout splits into parts explains the numbering.
Check the export before you delete these parts. Unzip all of them, open the folders, and look at a few photos from different years. If you plan to fix the dates, do that first and check the result. The zip files are your only complete copy until then. Do I need to keep the Google Takeout zip files? lists what to verify.
Then delete the parts:
- Windows: open the Downloads folder in File Explorer, type
takeout-in the search box, select the zip files and press Delete. Empty the Recycle Bin to free the space. - Mac: open Downloads in Finder, select the
takeout-files and press Command-Delete. Empty the Trash to free the space.
On macOS, Safari can unzip downloads automatically. Then you have both the zip and the unzipped folder, so you use double the space. Delete the zip after the unzipped folder is checked.
Takeout JSON Metadata Fixer works directly from the zip files and writes the dates, GPS and captions into the photos. With the "Delete the input when done" option, it can move the zip files to the Trash after a run without problems, so you do not need to find them by hand.
2. The archive on Google's download page
Open takeout.google.com and choose "Manage exports". The page lists your recent exports with their date and a download button.
You do not need to delete anything here. Download links for an export are valid for 7 days. After that, the archive is no longer available and the entry shows as expired. If you still need the files after that, you must request a new export. Why did my Google Takeout download link expire? covers that case.
The archive on this page does not count against your Google storage.
3. Exports saved to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box
If you chose a cloud service as the delivery method, Takeout put the zip parts there. They stay there until you delete them, and they use your storage in that service. With Google Drive, they count against the same 15 GB free quota (or paid Google One plan) as your photos and Gmail.
Google Drive: open drive.google.com and search for takeout-. Takeout usually puts the files in a folder called "Takeout". Select the zip files, move them to the bin, then open Bin and choose "Empty bin". Files in the bin still use storage until the bin is emptied, or until Drive removes them automatically after 30 days.
Dropbox, OneDrive and Box: search for takeout- in the web page or app of that service. Delete the files, then empty the deleted-files area of that service if you want the space back at once.
Download the files from the cloud service to your computer first if you have not done so yet.
Cancel an export that is still running
If you started an export by mistake, or chose the wrong settings, open takeout.google.com, choose "Manage exports", and click "Cancel export" next to the export that is in progress. Nothing is created, and you can start a new export at once.
Delete only the JSON files
Many people only want to remove the thousands of .json files from the unzipped folders. These are sidecars with each photo's date, location and caption. Delete them only after that data is written into the photos. Can I delete JSON files from Google Takeout? shows how to check and delete them on Windows and Mac.
Deleting Takeout files does not delete Google Photos
This point is important, because two different things are called "deleting":
- Deleting Takeout files removes your copy: the zips, the unzipped folders, the files in Drive. Google Photos is not changed. Your library, albums and shared albums stay as they were.
- Deleting photos in Google Photos removes them from your Google account and from every synced device. Deleted items go to the Google Photos Trash first.
If you want to leave Google Photos, delete the photos there only after your export is complete, fixed and backed up in a second place. Is it safe to delete my Google Photos after exporting? gives the order.
Frequently asked questions
Does deleting a Google Takeout export delete my photos?
No. The export is a copy. Deleting the zip files, the unzipped folders or the files in Drive does not change Google Photos.
How do I delete a Takeout export from Google Drive?
Search Drive for takeout-, move the zip files to the bin, and empty the bin. The space is free after the bin is emptied.
Can I delete an export from the "Manage exports" list?
You do not need to. The download links are valid for 7 days, and then the archive expires by itself. It does not use your Google storage.
Is it safe to delete the zip files after unzipping?
Yes, after you have checked the unzipped photos and, if you fix the dates, checked the fixed photos. Until then, keep them.