I'm looking for a way to completely hide or archive a folder in Google Drive. I recently backed up a bunch of files from my computer, and now I have a folder called "Old Files" filled with old PDFs, Docs, and other files that I hardly ever use. The problem is, even though they're in that folder, they still show up in the recommended or recent sections of various Google apps, making it hard for me to find what's important.
I want to keep these files safely stored but entirely out of sight on the Google Drive homepage and in the other apps like Docs and Sheets. I haven't found any 'Archive' option like the one in Gmail. Also, I'm not looking to move these files to a different Google account or compress them, since I'd prefer to access the individual files later without hassle.
Is there a way to hide or exclude certain folders from showing up in Google Drive or its associated apps without deleting or moving them?
3 Answers
Since you don't want to move files to another account, another thought is if you have a Google One plan, you could share your storage with a secondary account. That way, you can move the files there and keep them off your main view without needing a new subscription. Just a thought!
Have you thought about using Google Drive's vault feature? It adds an extra layer of security with a password and can keep your data safe and hidden from regular view, which might help you achieve what you're aiming for.
One workaround is to create a compressed file like a 7z or zip file to store your old files. Once you do that, you can safely delete the old files folder. This way, your files don't take up space in your main Drive area, and they are still accessible when you need them. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to unzip them to access individual files later, which could be a hassle.
True, but if space is an issue and organization is key, it might be worth it just to archive them for now!
That’s a good option, but the original poster mentioned wanting to avoid that due to convenience. I understand where you’re coming from, though!