---
id: cloud-accounts.uninstalling-a-cloud-app-and-my-files
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/uninstalling-a-cloud-app-and-my-files
category: "Cloud accounts"
subcategory: "Cloud files and your Mac's space"
question: "If I uninstall Google Drive for desktop or Dropbox, are my files deleted?"
alt_questions:
  - "uninstall Dropbox will I lose files"
  - "remove Google Drive for desktop from Mac safely"
  - "sign out of OneDrive what happens to files on Mac"
  - "does deleting the Dropbox app delete my Dropbox"
  - "stop syncing cloud app but keep my files"
short_answer: "No — your files stay in your cloud account. Local copies may be left or removed depending on the provider, so let syncing finish and copy anything you need offline before you uninstall."
tags: ["google drive", "dropbox", "uninstall"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/how-do-i-add-a-cloud-account", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/do-i-need-to-install-anything-to-add-cloud-accounts"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# If I uninstall Google Drive for desktop or Dropbox, are my files deleted?

Your files stay in your cloud account — uninstalling or signing out of the app doesn't delete them online. What happens to the copies on your Mac depends on the provider: some leave the downloaded files behind, others remove the folder when you sign out, and online-only placeholders are of no use once the app is gone.

Before you uninstall:

1. Let the app finish syncing, so nothing is waiting to upload.
2. If you want a local copy, make the folders you need available offline first, or copy them somewhere outside the cloud folder.
3. Then sign out and uninstall following the provider's own instructions.

After that, you can still reach a Google Drive or Dropbox account from Storage Studio by [adding it as a cloud account](https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/how-do-i-add-a-cloud-account) — it connects directly, without the provider's app.