---
title: "Downloading, moving, or deleting Drive files in bulk"
description: "Download, move, delete, preview, and share several Drive files at once. Whole folders download as a single zip; the other bulk actions apply to individual files."
category: collaboration
section: drive-and-files
type: Tutorial
lastUpdated: 2026-08-26
locale: en
canonical: https://support.talkspirit.com/en/collaboration/download-move-delete-files-from-the-drive-in-bulk
---

# Downloading, moving, or deleting Drive files in bulk


You can download, move, delete, preview, and share several Drive files at once from the bulk-actions toolbar that appears when you select one or more items. Whole folders download as a single zip archive, including their nested sub-folders and files. Moving, deleting, previewing, and sharing apply to individual files: those actions are hidden when a folder is part of your selection.

On your personal drive, bulk actions are available to everyone. On a group Drive, you need permission to create, edit, and delete files, and an administrator or group manager can restrict bulk actions to group managers only. When you lack the required permission, the actions are greyed out with the tooltip **Restricted to group managers**.

## How do I download files and folders?

Select the files and folders you want, then select the **Download** icon. Talkspirit builds a single zip archive: a **Generating zip folder** notification appears while it is prepared, and the archive downloads to your computer once it is ready.

1. Select the files and folders you want to download.
2. Select the **Download** icon.

Folders download as part of the same zip, with their entire tree of nested sub-folders and files. You do not need to open a folder and select its contents individually.

External drives and snippets cannot be downloaded. If your selection mixes downloadable and other items, the archive skips the rest and the notification reports how many files could not be downloaded. When a folder holds only such items, a **Nothing to download** notification appears instead.

If your browser blocks the download, a **Download blocked by your browser** notification appears with a **Download the file** button. Select it to start the download.

## How do I move files to another Drive?

Bulk move applies to files only. If your selection includes a folder, the **Move to** action is hidden.

1. Select the files you want to move.
2. Select the **Move to** icon.
3. Choose the destination drive and folder.

You need permission to create, edit, and delete files in the destination drive.

![Move to destination picker listing My drives and the General group drive as destinations](/images/collaboration/download-move-delete-files-from-the-drive-in-bulk/02-move-to-destination-picker.png)

## How do I delete files?

Select the files you want to delete, then select the **Delete** icon. A confirmation dialog appears, warning that the selected files will move to the trash.

1. Select the files you want to delete.
2. Select the **Delete** icon.
3. Select **Delete** in the confirmation dialog.

Deleted files move to the trash, where they stay for 30 days before they are permanently deleted. Like the other bulk actions, deleting is available for files, not folders.

## How do I preview files?

Select the files you want to view, then select **View**. The first file opens in preview; use the left and right arrows to move between the selected files. Folders are skipped: only files open in preview.

## How do I share personal files?

Bulk sharing is available on your personal drive views only, and for files rather than folders. Shared files appear in each recipient's **Shared with me** section.

1. Open **My drive**, **Shared with me**, or **Recordings**.
2. Select the files you want to share.
3. Select **Share**, then choose the members to share with.
4. Select **Save changes** to confirm.

The first time you share a file, the confirmation button reads **Share** instead of **Save changes**.

![Share dialog with a recipient added to the "Add users" field and the Share button ready to confirm](/images/collaboration/download-move-delete-files-from-the-drive-in-bulk/05-share-dialog.png)

## What's Next?

- [Enabling bulk actions on the Drive](/collaboration/enable-bulk-actions-on-the-drive)
- [Drive rights management](/collaboration/drive-rights-management)
- [The Drive trash](/collaboration/talkspirits-trash)
- [Importing a folder into my Drive](/collaboration/import-a-folder-in-your-drive)