Sometimes it may be helpful to view or restore to a previous version of a file. If you loose large portions of a Word document, or hours of work in PowerPoint are deleted, Google Drive may be able to help.

Save and restore recent versions

Only the most recent versions of past documents will be saved, unless you click Keep forever.

Download recent versions

You can download and keep old copies of PDF files, images, and other files stored in Google Drive.

1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
2. Click on the file you want to download.
3. At the top right, click More .
4. Click Manage versions.
5. Next to the version you want to download, click More .
6. To save a copy to your computer, click Download.

Upload a new version

1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
2. Click on the file you want to replace.
3. At the top right, click More .
4. Click Manage versions.
5. Click Upload new version.

Note: If you upload a new version of a file owned by someone else, the original owner will stay the same.

Delete an older version

1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
2. Click on the file you want to replace.
3. At the top right, click More .
4. Click Manage versions.
5. Next to the version you want to delete, click More Delete.

Version history for Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides is different than file versions in Google Drive. Learn how to see the history of changes for Google files.