张博
Original Poster
Jul 22, 2019

I can't remove files shared with me on Google Drive


After I clicked on someone else's share link, I found that I can't remove it from here like other shared files. Why?
If I don't want these two files to appear here, what should I do?
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Email Migration and Synchronization (POP/IMAP),A Google Workspace end user
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Recommended Answer
Wan-Rong Jih
Oct 11, 2019
For spreadsheet, instructions of Remove files or folders that people have shared with you works for me.  From my laptop, I do the following steps to remove those files: 
  1. Go to Google Drive.
  2. Click "Shared with me" on the left sidebar.
  3. Move the cursor to the file that you don't need and right-click, a menu will pop-up and tap "Remove" on the bottom. Or you can check the file and press the trash can icon on the top right to remove it.
I've tried to remove files by using Google Docs and Sheets, the Docs can remove unwanted files (docs only), but the Sheets cannot remove files that someone shared with me.  Maybe we should use Google Drive to manage files, especially for removing sheets, it only works on Drive.

BTW, the "After you remove files that people have shared with you" mentions that:
  • If you reopen the removed-shared files, they will show up again.
  • The Google Drive search may find the files that have been removed.
Marvin - Workspace Admin Community recommended this
Helpful?
All Replies (16)
张博
Original Poster
Jul 22, 2019
If I want to delete them, I need to contact the publisher to add the editing permission ？
thx
Steph KG
Sep 17, 2019
Thank you Matt Richardson 4603, you're brilliant! I couldn't remove files and it was making me crazy. Dragging to the trash worked. Thanks!!
Robert Spiegel
Oct 3, 2019
I have been unable to remove an untitled, sheets file that I never asked to share. When I enter File, "Remove" is greyed out. When I drag to Trash it bounes back. The three dot method does not work.
Benjamin 6479
Oct 5, 2019
Typically Google-UX. How about empowering users to _consistently_ remove _any_ entry in their accounts -- no matter which device?
How many PhDs more does it need to get even the basics right?
Diego Rodriguez Rivera
Oct 7, 2019
me either i don't even know i am at school
Johan Sandvik
Oct 8, 2019
'Remove' option is greyed out. Sharing option is set to "anyone with the link"
Wan-Rong Jih
Recommended Answer
Oct 11, 2019
For spreadsheet, instructions of Remove files or folders that people have shared with you works for me.  From my laptop, I do the following steps to remove those files: 
  1. Go to Google Drive.
  2. Click "Shared with me" on the left sidebar.
  3. Move the cursor to the file that you don't need and right-click, a menu will pop-up and tap "Remove" on the bottom. Or you can check the file and press the trash can icon on the top right to remove it.
I've tried to remove files by using Google Docs and Sheets, the Docs can remove unwanted files (docs only), but the Sheets cannot remove files that someone shared with me.  Maybe we should use Google Drive to manage files, especially for removing sheets, it only works on Drive.

BTW, the "After you remove files that people have shared with you" mentions that:
  • If you reopen the removed-shared files, they will show up again.
  • The Google Drive search may find the files that have been removed.
Marvin - Workspace Admin Community recommended this
Nawaf A
Nov 7, 2019
Thank you Matt Richardson 4603!! Your suggestion worked for me.. I had files that I wanted to get rid of for a long time. Drag and drop to trash folder then removing them from trash worked for me.
Shacoria R
Dec 3, 2019
Thank you Matt. Your solution worked.
User 4487159233653082790
Dec 9, 2019
I am having this same problem, and it's very frustrating. There is a public document that I opened once, and now it appears in my "Shared with me" list and cannot remove it. Remove is greyed out in the menu when I click on it, and when I try to drag it to the trash, I get the error: "File is already in a shared drive. You can't add to My Drive".
Tracy Heyd
Dec 10, 2019
You can't drag a file to the "trash" bin if it's already in a shared folder. That's the issue I'm seeing. I'm unable to delete those files, remove isn't an option. I had the owner of the document give me "editing" permissions but that still won't do the trick.
OmniZenTech
Dec 11, 2019
One Solution: I could not remove a shared link that had the Remove option disabled. I was however able to drag & drop the file into the MAIN Trash and that worked. I'm talking about the Trash Icon on the left hand side - not the one on the top right. Hope that might work for you
Senhuei Chen
Dec 12, 2019
I used IOS device. It is easy to remove it. And I just did. I do not know why the "remove" dies not show in Android.
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