How to Delete a Folder

This wikiHow teaches you how to delete a folder from your PC or Mac, as well as how to remove different types of folders from your Android, iPhone, or iPad.

Method 1
Method 1 of 8:
Windows

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    1
    Locate the folder you want to delete. You can search for folders using Windows Search, or open the File Explorer by pressing ⊞ Win+E.
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    2
    Right-click the folder you want to delete. A menu will expand.
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    3
    Click Delete. This moves the folder to the Recycle Bin, where it will remain until you empty it.
    • Depending on the folder, you may have to enter an administrator password to confirm.
    • If you see an error about a file being “write-protected,” this means that the folder contains read-only files and cannot be deleted. You may see this error if you’re trying to delete a folder that’s necessary to run Windows.

Method 2
Method 2 of 8:
macOS

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    1
    Click Finder
    Image titled Macfinder2.png
    on the Dock.     It’s usually at the bottom of the screen.
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    2
    Navigate to the folder you want to delete. Don’t open the folder—just bring it up on the screen.
    • If you’re having trouble finding the folder, you can use Spotlight to search for it. To do so, click the magnifying glass near the top-right corner of the screen, then type the folder’s name.
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    3
    Drag the folder to the Trash. The Trash icon is on the Dock at the bottom of the screen. This moves the folder to the Trash, where it will remain until you empty it.
    • You can also right-click the folder and select Move to Trash .

Method 3
Method 3 of 8:
iPhone or iPad Home Screen

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    1
    Tap the folder on the home screen. This opens the folder to display the apps inside.
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    2
    Tap and hold any app icon in the folder. The icons will begin to jiggle, but don’t lift your finger from the screen.
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    3
    Use a different finger to drag each app icon to the first. Keep the original finger on the screen. This creates a “stack” of app icons.[1]
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    4
    Drag the “stack” outside of the folder. Anywhere outside of the square boundary of the folder is fine. This removes the selected apps from the folder.
    • You can also drag each icon out of the folder individually.
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    5
    Press the Home button or Done (iPhone X). This stops the icons from jiggling.

Method 4
Method 4 of 8:
iPhone or iPad Files App

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    1
    Open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad. It’s the blue folder icon typically found on the home screen.
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    2
    Tap Browse. It’s at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
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    3
    Locate the folder. Tap any of the locations under the “Locations” header to see a list of folders at that location.
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    4
    Long-tap the folder you want to delete. Lift your finger after about a second and a black menu will appear.
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    5
    Tap Delete or Delete Now in the menu. A confirmation message will appear.
    • If you don’t see one of these options, you may have to tap the arrow on the right side of the menu to see more options.
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    6
    Tap Delete to confirm. This removes the selected folder from your iPhone or iPad.

Method 5
Method 5 of 8:
Android Home Screen

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    1
    Tap and hold the folder you want to delete. This selects the folder.[2]
    • Use this method to delete folders containing grouped apps from your Android's home screen.
    • The steps to delete app folders from the home screen will vary by Android. Most of these steps should be pretty standard, but you may see different menu names and icons.
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    2
    Tap Delete folder or Remove. If you see a menu that gives you the option to delete the folder, tap the appropriate menu item. On some Androids, you’ll have to drag the selected folder to an area that displays a trash can icon or the word “Remove” instead.[3]
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    3
    Confirm the deletion. Depending on your Android, you may have to tap a button to confirm that you really want to delete the folder.

Method 6
Method 6 of 8:
Android (Samsung Galaxy) App Drawer

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    1
    Open the app drawer on your Galaxy. You can usually do this by tapping a button called Apps that contains several dots, or by swiping up or down on the home screen.[4]
    • Use this method to delete folders containing grouped apps from the Galaxy's app drawer.
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    2
    Tap Edit. It’s usually at the top-right corner of the screen.
    • If you don’t see this option, tap and hold the folder you want to delete until options appear, and then tap Delete folder.[5]
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    3
    Tap the minus (-) sign on the folder. A confirmation message will appear.
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    4
    Tap Delete. This deletes the folder from the app drawer.

Method 7
Method 7 of 8:
Android (Non-Samsung Galaxy) App Drawer

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    1
    Open the app drawer on your Android. You can usually do this by tapping a button called Apps that contains several dots, or by swiping up or down on the home screen.
    • Use this method to folders containing grouped apps from the app drawer of any non-Samsung brand Android.
    • The steps to delete app folders from the app drawer screen vary by Android. You may see different menu names and icons on your screen.
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    2
    Tap + or Edit. It’s usually at the top of the screen. On many Androids, this allows you to edit the app drawer.
    • If you don’t see one of these options, browse to the folder you want to delete, tap and hold it until a menu appears, and then select the Delete option. If this works, you don’t have to continue with this method.
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    3
    Tap the folder you want to delete. This opens the contents of the folder.
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    4
    Remove the apps from the folder. Once the apps are removed, the folder will be deleted. You'll usually do this in one of three ways:
    • Tap the minus sign at the top of every app in the drawer, and then tap OK.
    • Remove the check marks from every app in the drawer, and then tap OK.[6]
    • Tap and hold an app icon to select it, then drag it anywhere outside of the folder. Repeat this until you’ve dragged every app outside of the folder.

Method 8
Method 8 of 8:
Android File Managers

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    1
    Open your Android’s file manager. On a Samsung Galaxy, for example, this app is called My Files.[7] Other names for this app are Files, File Manager, and Downloads.
    • Use this method to delete a folder of files from your Android's SD card or internal storage.
    • These steps will vary depending on your Android model and file manager app.
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    2
    Browse to the folder you want to delete. You’ll usually start by tapping the location of the folder, such as SD Card or Internal Storage.
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    3
    Tap and hold the folder you want to delete. This usually brings up a menu or list of options at the top of the screen.
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    4
    Tap Delete (or a similar option). A confirmation message will usually appear.
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    5
    Tap Delete to confirm. This removes the folder from your Android.

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.imore.com/how-to-customize-home-screen-iphone-ipad#deletefolder
  2. ↑ https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-210737/
  3. ↑ https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-216708/
  4. ↑ https://9to5google.com/2017/04/18/how-to-enable-app-drawer-galaxy-s8-android-basics/
  5. ↑ https://www.sammobile.com/2017/05/26/galaxy-s8-tip-create-folders-inside-app-drawer/
  6. ↑ https://www.androidcentral.com/how-remove-app-drawer-folder-lg-g6
  7. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/how-to-delete-files-from-the-microsd-card/

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 12,196 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: July 2, 2019
Views: 12,196
Categories: Basic Computer Skills