Remove Google Drive Files/Backups Permanently not Recycle Bin

thickconfusion · June 14, 2025, 6:05pm

I have Home Assistant connected to Google Drive using the official integration. I have HA backups working successfully pointing to my Google Drive.

However, I notice on my Windows machines’ Recycle Bins, I am seeing all of the deleted backups show up there after they are rotated out. I then have to manually delete these from the recycle bin to free up space. I would like for the Drive Integration, or even HA Backup, to at least have the option of permanently deleting the older backups.

Outside of Home Assistant I have some configuration files being synced to Google Drive and then rotated out using rclone. When deleted those backups do not appear in my Windows Recycle Bin.

Sir_Goodenough · June 14, 2025, 10:09pm

Hi thickconfusion,

This really sounds like a windows problem.
If Home Assistant Deleted the file, then whatever else you got going has to deal with it. It’s out of HA’s scope of influence.

francisp · June 15, 2025, 2:59am

Just checked, no Google drive on windows here

thickconfusion · June 20, 2025, 7:09pm

But I too see nothing in my Google Drive Trash folder online. So it seems the Google Windows app is downloading the file locally, then recycling it. This is occurring on all of my Windows PCs where that account is tied to.

Hotschke · November 19, 2025, 8:32am

I have the same issue on macOS. I am using Google Drive for Desktop Version 117.0.0.0 (Intel) for macOS with file mirroring for Google Drive “My Drive” enabled.

Afaik, Home Assistant actually removes the old backups permanently from the cloud storage without moving them to the cloud trash:

github.com/home-assistant/core

homeassistant/components/google_drive/backup.py

82d319001


      
          async def async_delete_backup(
              self,
              backup_id: str,
              **kwargs: Any,
          ) -> None:
              """Delete a backup file.
          
              :param backup_id: The ID of the backup that was returned in async_list_backups.
              """
              _LOGGER.debug("Deleting backup_id: %s", backup_id)
              try:
                  file_id = await self._client.async_get_backup_file_id(backup_id)
                  if file_id:
                      _LOGGER.debug("Deleting file_id: %s", file_id)
                      await self._client.async_delete(file_id)
                      _LOGGER.debug("Deleted backup_id: %s", backup_id)
                      return
              except (GoogleDriveApiError, HomeAssistantError, TimeoutError) as err:
                  raise BackupAgentError(f"Failed to delete backup: {err}") from err
              raise BackupNotFound(f"Backup {backup_id} not found")

github.com/home-assistant/core

homeassistant/components/google_drive/api.py

82d319001


      
          async def async_delete(self, file_id: str) -> None:
              """Delete file."""
              await self._api.delete_file(file_id)

github.com/tronikos/python-google-drive-api

google_drive_api/api.py

e57b6188c


      
          async def delete_file(self, file_id: str, **kwargs: Any) -> aiohttp.ClientResponse:
              """Permanently delete a file owned by the user without moving it to the trash."""
              return await self._auth.delete(f"{DRIVE_API_FILES}/{file_id}", **kwargs)

However, the Google Drive Desktop client moves the mirrored files which are permanently deleted from the cloud storage, locally only to the local trash. It is probably a safety measure. But in my case the backups in the trash occupy precious SSD disc space for 30 days until they are automatically deleted from macOS.

I have not found options to either

exclude a directory for mirroring from “My Drive” or
telling Google Drive for Desktop when I mean delete permanently online, I also mean to delete permanently on mirrored devices.

I will try out “File Streaming” for “My Drive”.