To cancel a Google Drive upload in a web browser, look at the upload panel in the bottom-right corner of the Drive page. Click Cancel to stop every upload in progress, or hover over one file and click its X (or the circle next to it) to cancel just that file. In the Google Drive app on a phone, tap the file that’s uploading (or the upload notification) and tap X or Cancel. On a computer using Google Drive for desktop, pause syncing or move the file out of your Drive folder.
Files that already finished uploading aren’t removed when you cancel. Below is how to cancel on each device and how to delete anything that got through.
Cancel an upload on drive.google.com
- Find the upload panel in the bottom-right corner. If it’s minimized, click its title bar to expand it.
- To stop everything, click Cancel (next to the time remaining), then confirm with Cancel upload.
- To stop one file, hover over it in the list and click the X that appears where the progress circle was.
Closing the browser tab also stops uploads that haven’t finished, but Drive may warn you first. Canceling from the panel is cleaner.
Cancel an upload in the Google Drive app (Android and iPhone)
- Open the Google Drive app.
- Tap the uploading file in your file list, or open the upload progress banner or notification.
- Tap the X or Cancel next to the file.
On Android, you can also pull down the notification shade and tap Cancel on the Drive upload notification.
Stop uploads in Google Drive for desktop
Drive for desktop uploads anything you add to your Google Drive folder on your computer.
- Click the Google Drive icon in the taskbar notification area (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
- Click the gear icon and choose Pause syncing.
- Move the file you don’t want uploaded out of the Google Drive folder, or delete it there.
- Click the gear icon again and choose Resume syncing.
If a folder is being backed up from your computer (not just synced), open Drive for desktop’s Preferences, click My Computer, and remove the folder from backup.
Delete files that already uploaded
- In Google Drive, find the file. Sort by Last modified or open Recent to find new uploads quickly.
- Right-click it and choose Move to trash.
- To free up storage right away, open Trash and empty it. Otherwise, trashed files are deleted automatically after 30 days.
To remove many files at once, see how to delete multiple files in Google Drive.
If an upload is stuck
- Refresh the page or restart the app. Stuck uploads usually disappear, and you can start over.
- Check your storage. If your Google storage is full, uploads stop. Check at drive.google.com/settings/storage.
- Try a smaller batch. Uploading thousands of files at once from a browser can stall. Drive for desktop handles large uploads better.
- Check your connection and turn off a VPN or proxy if uploads keep failing.
Frequently asked questions
Does canceling an upload delete the file from my computer?
No. Canceling only stops the copy to Google Drive. Your original file stays where it was.
Can I pause an upload in the browser and resume it later?
No. The web version doesn’t have a pause button. You’ll need to cancel and upload again. Drive for desktop can pause and resume syncing.
Why does a canceled file still show in Drive?
It finished uploading before you canceled, or it was partly processed. Move it to the trash to remove it.
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.