Starting May 2026, Microsoft will stop sending cloud-deleted OneDrive files to the local Recycle Bin or Trash

OneDrive users might be aware that if they delete a OneDrive file, it is transferred to their local recycle bin or trash. From there, they can restore the file if needed. But this is about to change starting next month.

Folks at Neowin found that Microsoft has sent out a message via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center with message ID MC1269861. In the message, the company has informed that from next month, files deleted from the OneDrive cloud will no longer appear in the local Recycle Bin or Trash.

But this doesn’t mean that you cannot recover your OneDrive deleted file. To recover a deleted file, you can restore it from the OneDrive or SharePoint web recycle bin. As per the company, this change is made to improve the OneDrive sync performance and make file recovery more predictable. Delete operations will be faster, and restores will be simple with a single authoritative copy in the appropriate web recycle bin (via OneDrive or SharePoint).

Starting May 2026, when a file is available locally and is deleted from the cloud interface, it will no longer appear in the Recycle Bin on Windows or the Trash on macOS; it will be gone from the local system as well.

This new change will begin rolling out to Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, and DoD tenants in early May, with a complete rollout expected by late May. It will affect all OneDrive users on Windows and macOS, and admins cannot opt out.

Admins are also recommended to inform users that cloud-deleted locally available files must be restored from the web recycle bin on OneDrive or SharePoint.