Your Google Drive Shared with me view fills up with files you no longer need, and removing one doesn't stop the next unwanted share. The Drive website lets you clear those listings without deleting anyone else's originals. Here's how to remove one file or several, handle the mobile limits, and change access when cleanup alone isn't enough.
Remove an unwanted file on the website
Files shared by other people stay in Shared with me long after you finish using them.
Open drive.google.com in a computer browser.
Click Shared with me.
Right-click the unwanted file.
Choose Remove.
That clears the listing from your view and leaves the owner's original intact. Your access does not necessarily end: opening a link to the file again can bring it back.
Clear several files at once
Open Shared with me on the Google Drive website.
Click a file to select it.
Hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac while clicking the other files you want to remove.
Release the key.
Click the trash-can removal button in the upper-left toolbar.
For the keyboard alternative, focus the file list.
Select the unwanted items.
Press Delete or # to remove the selection.
Tip: Ctrl+A on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command+A on Mac, selects all visible items, so review the selection before removing it.
Use the browser for cleanup on mobile
If you're using Android, iPhone, or iPad, Google's current app deletion guidance says non-owners have no removal option.
For ordinary removal, open drive.google.com on a computer.
Click Shared with me.
Right-click the unwanted file.
Choose Remove.
Android also has a hardware-keyboard option in Drive's web interface. Google documents it for Drive on the web.
With a hardware keyboard connected, select the unwanted items in Drive on the web.
Press Del.
Revoke access when a removed file returns
Reopening a removed file can bring it back because clearing its listing does not revoke your sharing permission.
Ask the owner or someone allowed to change sharing to select the item.
Have them open Share.
Open the dropdown beside your name.
Choose Remove access.
Click Save.
You can perform those actions on your own entry only when you have permission to change sharing. If your access comes from a parent folder, have the owner or authorized person change that folder's permission instead.
Removing a direct permission leaves separate group, organization, or public-link access intact. Each remaining access route needs to be addressed separately.
Move spam out of your shared files
On the Drive website, open Shared with me.
Right-click the unwanted file or folder.
Choose the blocking and reporting option, labeled Block or report or Report or block in Google's help pages.
Click Report.
Select the unwanted-content type.
Choose whether to block the user.
Reporting moves the item into Spam, excludes it from search and suggestions, and stops its comment notifications. Reporting a folder includes its contents. You cannot report items you own or items owned by members of your organization.
For immediate cleanup, open Spam.
Select the reported items.
Click Remove forever.
Otherwise, Google automatically removes reported items after 30 days. Either way, the owner's originals remain intact.
Tip: You can also drag one or several unwanted items into Spam on the website.
Stop repeated sharing from the same person
Unwanted shares keep arriving because removing a file listing does not prevent its owner from sharing with you again.
On drive.google.com, right-click a file belonging to that owner.
Open the same blocking and reporting option (Report or block or Block or report).
Choose Block.
Blocking prevents further sharing between your accounts and removes your ability to access each other's files. The effect extends beyond the selected file, and enforcement can take a short time.
To block someone in the Android or iPhone/iPad Drive app, open the file's three-dot Menu.
Tap Block {email}.
Confirm with Block.
Clean up a shortcut separately
Use this when you also have a shortcut to the shared file, usually in My Drive. Deleting the shortcut leaves the target file's Shared with me listing in place.
On the Drive website, locate the shortcut.
Right-click it.
Choose Remove or Move to trash, depending on which label your menu shows.
The shortcut disappears, while the original shared file stays intact.
To clear the target's listing too, open Shared with me.
Right-click the target file.
Choose Remove.
Resolve work and school account restrictions
Google Workspace Shared drives are separate from Shared with me. All members of a shared drive can still at least view its files and folders unless a folder has limited access.
Ask a shared-drive Manager to remove your membership if you need to leave the drive. This revokes access across the entire drive.
Work and school accounts also cannot block people in their own domain or a separate trusted domain.
If ordinary removal or blocking does not resolve the item, ask the shared-drive Manager or your administrator to address your access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing shared files free up Google Drive storage?
Files owned by others in Shared with me do not count toward your Drive quota. Copies you own do, so clearing shared listings does not free storage.
Can I permanently delete someone else's shared file by emptying Trash?
No. Emptying Trash cannot permanently delete somebody else's original file.
Can I block a Drive sharer from their sharing email?
Yes. In Gmail, open the Drive sharing email. Click its Drive-specific Block the sender link at the bottom. On the website, select your Google Account in the new tab; in the Gmail app, select the account if prompted. Choose Block. Use the link inside the sharing email, which is separate from Gmail's ordinary sender-blocking command.
Will leaving a Google Group stop access to its shared files?
Leaving removes access supplied through that membership, while separate permissions preserve their own access. On the Google Groups website, locate the group. Choose Leave group, then confirm with Yes, leave group. Choosing No email only stops messages and keeps your membership. Work and school users cannot leave administrator-defined all-member groups.