I’ve been working with the Google Drive Android API lately and I’m still getting used to it. I’m trying to figure out how to remove files from Google Drive programmatically through my Android app but I’m having trouble finding clear documentation or examples.
I can upload and read files just fine, but when it comes to deleting them I’m stuck. The API documentation seems unclear on this specific operation. I’ve searched through various tutorials and stackoverflow posts but most focus on other operations.
Has anyone successfully implemented file deletion using the Google Drive Android API? I would really appreciate some code examples or at least pointing me in the right direction. Any help would be great!
Had this exact problem building a backup manager app. Use mDriveService.files().delete(fileId).execute() in a background thread - it’s a network call so you can’t run it on the main thread. Make sure your permissions and GoogleApiClient connection are set up right. Heads up though - deleted files sometimes show up in queries for a bit because of API sync delays, so don’t count on instant verification. Also triple-check you’re using the right file ID format. I spent hours debugging because I passed the wrong identifier type.
Honestly, I’ve dealt with this same headache across multiple projects and ended up automating the whole Google Drive file management workflow instead of wrestling with the Android API directly.
The other approaches work, but you’ll need to handle authentication, error handling, thread management, and API rate limits yourself. That’s a lot of moving pieces.
I built a solution using Latenode that handles all the Google Drive operations through automated workflows. You can set up triggers for file deletion based on conditions, handle bulk operations, and chain multiple Drive actions together without complex Android code.
What’s great is you can test the deletion logic outside your app first, then integrate it through simple HTTP calls or webhooks. No more dealing with OAuth refreshes or background thread complications.
I use this pattern for most of my file management needs now. The automation handles the heavy lifting while my app just sends simple requests.
The Drive REST API v3 delete method is straightforward once you get it. Just call the delete endpoint with an HTTP DELETE request to the file resource. Make sure your OAuth2 auth is set up right and you’ve got at least the drive.file scope. Here’s what tripped me up - you need to run this in an AsyncTask or background thread since it’s a network call. Success gives you an empty response with 204 status. Watch out though - shared drive files or files with special permissions can throw permission errors even when you can read them fine.
File deletion gets tricky fast. I got burned by orphaned file references - the Android client caches metadata locally even after the server confirms deletion. Had to manually clear local cache entries and refresh file listings, otherwise ghost files kept showing up in the UI. If you’re deleting files created by other apps through the Drive API, you’ll probably need more than the basic drive.file permission. The actual delete REST call works fine, but I needed extra cleanup code to handle the client-side mess afterward.
Been there with the documentation maze. What saved me was figuring out permanent deletion vs moving to trash. For permanent removal, use files().delete(fileId), but check delete permissions first with files().get(fileId).setFields("capabilities/canDelete"). Learned this when my app kept crashing on shared files. Google Docs need special handling since they don’t act like regular uploaded files. The error messages suck, so wrap your delete calls in proper exception handling. If you’re deleting tons of files, use the batch API or you’ll hit rate limits.
the delete api is annoying but works once u figure it out. just make sure the file exists b4 deleting it - otherwise u’ll get strange errors. also, files sometimes take ages to disappear from the drive ui even after they’re successfully deleted.
yeah, had a similar problem! try using the trash() method instead of directly deleting files. it’s safer and you can recover them if needed. just run driveService.files().update(fileId, null).setAddParents("trash").execute() in a background thread. way better than permanent deletion!