To archive a class in Google Classroom, go to classroom.google.com, find the class card, click More (the three-dot icon) and choose Archive, then click Archive again to confirm. The class moves out of your active classes into a separate Archived classes area, and its materials, student work and posts are kept.
Archiving is reversible: you can restore the class at any time. Deleting is not, and Google requires you to archive a class before you can delete it. This guide covers archiving on a computer and in the mobile app, what students see afterward, how to restore, and when (and how) to delete.
Quick Answer
- Sign in at classroom.google.com with your school account.
- Find the class card in the Classes module on your homepage.
- On the class card, click More > Archive.
- Click Archive to confirm.
- To find it later, click Menu > Archived classes.
In This Guide
- Before You Start: Who Can Archive
- Archive a Class on a Computer
- Archive a Class in the Android or iPhone App
- What Happens When You Archive a Class
- Find and View Archived Classes
- Restore an Archived Class
- Delete a Class Permanently
- Reuse an Archived Class for Next Year
- Archive or Delete: Which Should You Choose?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start: Who Can Archive
This guide covers Google Classroom on the web and in the Classroom app for Android, iPhone and iPad, as of September 2026. The steps and rules come from Google’s official Classroom Help pages.
Permissions matter here, and they’re different for archiving and deleting:
| Role | Archive | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| Primary teacher (class owner) | Yes | Yes, after archiving |
| Co-teacher | Yes | No |
| Student | No | No |
Google states that “teachers and co-teachers can archive a class, but only the primary teacher can delete a class,” and that students can’t archive or delete a class. A co-teacher is another teacher who was invited to help manage the class; the primary teacher is usually the person who created it.
Before you archive at the end of a term, it’s a good idea to finish grading, return work, and export or record grades according to your school’s process. Archiving keeps everything, but it’s easier to wrap things up while the class is still active.
Archive a Class on a Computer
- Go to classroom.google.com and sign in with your teacher account.
- On your homepage, find the Classes module and locate the card for the class you want to archive. Google places this module at the bottom of the homepage in the current layout; if your screen looks different, look for your class cards on the main Classes page.
- On the class card, click More (the three vertical dots). Expected result: a small menu opens.
- Click Archive. Expected result: a confirmation box appears.
- Click Archive to confirm. Expected result: the class card disappears from your active classes and moves to the archived area.
You can repeat these steps for each class you want to archive. Google’s Archive or delete a class help page has the official computer instructions.
Archive a Class in the Android or iPhone App
The Classroom app for Android, iPhone and iPad offers two ways to archive. The labels are the same on both platforms.
From the class card
- Open the Classroom app.
- On the class card, tap More (three dots).
- Tap Archive.
- Tap Archive again to confirm. Expected result: the class leaves your list of active classes.
From inside the class
- Open the class you want to archive.
- At the top, tap Settings (usually a gear icon).
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Archive.
- Tap Archive to confirm.
See Google’s Android instructions for archiving a class if your app looks different. Menus can shift slightly between app versions.
What Happens When You Archive a Class
According to Google, when you archive a class:
- It moves to a separate area. The class is placed in a separate area to preserve the class materials, student work and posts. You won’t see it with your active classes on the Classes page.
- Everyone can still find it. You and your students can find an archived class in the archived area.
- Drive files stay available. You and your students can still access class materials in Google Drive, in the class Drive folder.
- Students can’t unenroll. Students can’t remove themselves from an archived class.
- The calendar stays. The class calendar remains in your Google Calendar and in your students’ calendars. If you use Calendar to organize school work, our guide on using Google Calendar for school covers how Calendar fits into a school routine.
What students can and can’t do
Google’s help page confirms that students can find an archived class and still open its files in Drive. It doesn’t list every student action, but an archived class is meant to be a preserved record rather than a working class. In practice, treat it as view-only: don’t expect students to turn in new work, and if a student still needs to submit something, restore the class first, let them submit, then archive it again.
It’s worth telling students before you archive, so they know where the class went and that the materials are still available.
Find and View Archived Classes
On a computer
Google lists two ways:
- From the homepage: scroll to the bottom of the Classes module and expand the Archived Classes section.
- From the menu: at the top left, click Menu (usually three lines), scroll down and click Archived classes.
In the Android or iPhone app
- Open the Classroom app.
- On the left, tap Menu.
- Scroll down and tap Archived classes.
- Tap the class card to open the class.
If you prefer a darker screen while reviewing old classes, see how to make Google Classroom dark mode.
Restore an Archived Class
Restoring brings the class back to your active classes. Google says you’ll find the class card again with your current classes and can use its posts, assignments, comments and materials again.
- Open your archived classes (Menu > Archived classes, or the Archived Classes section on the homepage).
- On the class card, click or tap More.
- Choose Restore.
- Click or tap Restore to confirm. Expected result: the class card returns to your active classes.
Google’s help page spells out who can archive and who can delete, but not who can restore. If the Restore option doesn’t appear for you, ask the primary teacher to restore the class.
Delete a Class Permanently
Warning: Google says there’s no way to undo deleting a class. Once it’s deleted, you no longer have access to any class posts or comments. Only delete a class you’re certain you’ll never need, and check your school’s record-keeping rules first.
What survives deletion: you and your students can still access class files in the class Drive folder. Posts, comments and the class stream are gone.
Only the primary teacher can delete, and the class must be archived first.
On a computer
- Archive the class if you haven’t already.
- Open your archived classes (homepage Archived Classes section, or Menu > Archived classes).
- On the class card, click More > Delete.
- Read the warning, then click Delete to confirm.
In the Android or iPhone app
- Tap Menu > Archived classes.
- On the class card, tap More > Delete.
- Tap Delete to confirm.
Because the class Drive folder stays in Drive after deletion, you may want to clean it up separately. Our guide on deleting multiple files in Google Drive can help, but only remove files you’re sure you and your students no longer need.
Reuse an Archived Class for Next Year
You don’t need to restore an old class to reuse it. Google lets you copy classes before or after you archive them, and when you copy an archived class, the copy becomes an active class.
- On a computer, go to classroom.google.com. Copying is done on the web.
- Open your archived classes and find the class card.
- Click More > Copy.
- Optionally edit the class title and details.
- Click Copy. Expected result: Classroom creates the new class and emails you when the copy is finished.
According to Google’s Copy a class help page, a copy includes class information, topics, assignments, questions, materials, rubrics and your grading setup. Copied assignments are saved as drafts. Students, co-teachers, announcements and student posts aren’t copied, and the class code and room number aren’t carried over. The teacher who makes the copy becomes its primary owner.
Archive or Delete: Which Should You Choose?
| Question | Archive | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| Can it be undone? | Yes, restore any time | No |
| Posts, comments and student work kept? | Yes | No |
| Class Drive folder kept? | Yes | Yes |
| Who can do it? | Teachers and co-teachers | Primary teacher only |
| Can you copy it later? | Yes | No |
For most teachers, archiving at the end of each term is the safer choice. It clears your homepage while keeping a record of assignments, grades and discussions in case a student, parent or administrator asks about them later. Delete only test classes, duplicates created by mistake, or classes your school tells you to remove.
A simple end-of-term routine
If you teach several sections, archiving them one by one is quick, but a consistent routine prevents surprises when the new term starts:
- Finish grading. Return any outstanding work and make sure final grades are recorded wherever your school keeps official records.
- Tell students and co-teachers. Let them know the class will be archived, that it will move out of the main class list, and that files stay in Google Drive.
- Copy the classes you’ll teach again. Use More > Copy on the web so next term’s class starts with your assignments and materials as drafts, without last year’s students.
- Archive the originals. Use More > Archive on each class card and confirm.
- Review the archive once a year. Check your school’s retention rules before deleting anything, and delete only classes that are truly no longer needed, such as test classes.
Following this order means you never need to restore an old class just to grab its assignments, and your homepage only shows the classes you’re actually teaching.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see the Archive option
Check that you’re signed in with the teacher account that belongs to the class. Students don’t have this option. On a computer, make sure you’re clicking More on the class card itself, not inside a class post.
I can’t find the Delete option
Two rules apply: the class must already be archived, and only the primary teacher can delete. Co-teachers won’t see Delete. Look for the class under Archived classes, then open More on its card.
A student says the class disappeared
Once archived, the class no longer sits with active classes, and students may notice it’s gone from their main list. Tell them to look in Archived classes in the menu, and remind them that class files are still in Google Drive.
I archived the wrong class
No harm done. Open Archived classes, click More on the class card and choose Restore.
Class events still appear in Google Calendar
That’s expected. Google says the class calendar remains in your calendar and your students’ calendars after archiving. If it’s cluttering your view, you can usually hide that calendar from your calendar list in Google Calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does archiving a Google Classroom delete anything?
No. Archiving moves the class to a separate area and preserves the class materials, student work and posts. You can restore it at any time.
Can students still see an archived class?
Yes. Google says you and your students can find an archived class, and students can still open class materials in Google Drive. They can’t unenroll from it.
Can a co-teacher archive a class?
Yes. Teachers and co-teachers can archive, but only the primary teacher can delete a class.
Can I archive a class from my phone?
Yes. In the Classroom app, tap More on the class card and then Archive, or open the class, tap Settings, scroll to the bottom and tap Archive.
Can I recover a deleted class?
No. Google says there’s no way to undo deleting a class. Files in the class Drive folder remain, but posts and comments are gone.
Can I reuse assignments from an archived class?
Yes. Either copy the archived class on the web, which creates a new active class with assignments saved as drafts, or restore the class to use its posts and materials again.
Summary
- Go to classroom.google.com and find the class card.
- Click More > Archive, then confirm.
- Find archived classes under Menu > Archived classes.
- Restore any time with More > Restore.
- Delete only after archiving, and only as the primary teacher; deletion can’t be undone.
- Copy an archived class to reuse its assignments next term.
Next step: before archiving your classes for the term, decide which ones you’ll reuse, copy those first, and then archive the originals so your homepage only shows current classes.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.