Are files disappearing from your Google Drive? If so, you may be one of the unlucky users affected by a worrying bug.

Google Drive is one of the world’s most popular cloud-based file storage and synchronization services. It allows you to store your files on Google’s servers, making them accessible from any device with an internet connection. It’s used by a staggering one billion people across the globe, so if there is an issue with the system then it has the potential to become a huge problem.

How can I stop my Google Drive files from disappearing?

Don’t panic. The good news is the reports of “disappearing” files appear to be confined to a very small number of users currently. Several customers reported the issue on a Google Support forum and employees of the Silicon Valley giant are now investigating the issue.

A response from a verified Google employee stated: “We’re investigating reports of an issue impacting a limited subset of Drive for desktop users and will follow up with more updates.”

The technical support worker advised customers to not click “Disconnect account” within Drive for desktop, to not delete or move the app data folder, and (if the computer has space),
make a copy of the app data folder. The last step is likely overkill for the average user but if you want to be completely confident your important files are safe, copy them to your hardrive.

The problem was first flagged by a person named Yeonjoong, who noticed files from May 2023 onwards were gone on Nov, 22. They said even the folder structure within Drive had reverted to how it was in May despite no files being deleted manually.

At the time of writing, there appears to have been no resolution. Until Google technicians can fix the issue, the advice remains not to remove files from critical folders and to create new backups.

The Google Drive mobile app is available for both iOS and Android, and comes with the functionality to download important files for offline use.

Featured image: Ivan Radic via Flickr under a CC.20 license.

Sam Shedden

Sam Shedden is an experienced journalist and editor with over a decade of experience in online news. A seasoned technology writer and content strategist, he has contributed to many UK regional and national publications.