Is it safe to delete Google Drive folder?
Your streamed Google Drive, with the Drive files that are downloaded to this Mac.
Usually safe
It can be recreated, but it takes a download, a reinstall or the tool's own command.
~/
What it is
Google Drive for desktop keeps a folder here for each account when it streams files, and shows it under Locations in Finder. Files you've opened or made available offline take up space on this Mac. Deleting a file here, or moving it out of the folder, moves it to the trash in Google Drive too.
If it's removed
Files download again when you open them, which needs an internet connection. They stay in Google Drive.
What to do instead
In Finder, open Google Drive, Control-click folders you don't need offline, and choose Offline access > Available offline to turn it off.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it, with these steps. The app doesn't remove it for you.
Sources
- support.google.com/drive/answer/12178485
- support.google.com/drive/answer/16631477
- support.google.com/drive/answer/13401938
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.