In terms of file deletion, the way Dropbox works is pretty similar to Windows and other operating systems. If you delete a file, Dropbox won’t remove the file right away. Instead, it will be moved to a temporary folder called “Deleted files”, much like Recycle Bin on Windows.

If you use the free version of Dropbox, your deleted files will last for 30 days on the “Deleted files” folder before get deleted permanently by Dropbox. If you don’t want Dropbox to hold the files you want to delete, you can empty the “Deleted files” folder right after deleting files.

To do so, login to Dropbox and and click the Files link to open Dropbox file manager.

Next, click the Deleted files link to see all of the files you have deleted in the last 30 days.

Select files you want to permanently delete from Dropbox and click the Permanently delete link on the right panel.

Using free version of Dropbox requires you to save the given storage space, in which only 2GB. Emptying the “Deleted files” folder help you reclaim some Megabytes of storage space. If you need more storage space, but unwilling to use the premium version, there are several Dropbox alternatives that offer more storage capacity for free users.

While Dropbox allows you to permanently delete files, you can also restore the files you have deleted, as long as the files were deleted less than 31 days ago.