How I was able to access permanently deleted files from Google Drive?

Discovery — A Simple Test That Led to an Unexpected Result

It all started with a simple test — something any curious tech enthusiast might try. I had a PDF file stored in Google Drive. I did what many people do: I shared it via a view-only link. This is a common workflow for collaborating or sharing documents without giving edit access.

But then, I wondered — what happens if I delete it permanently? Would Google Drive instantly remove all traces of it? Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

The Experiment

1. Step 1: I created a shareable link for the PDF and viewed it.
2. Step 2: I opened the link in incognito mode and clicked on the Print option (even though I didn’t print anything).
3. Step 3: Instead of printing, I copied the print preview link from the browser.
4. Step 4: I moved the file to Trash and then permanently deleted it from Google Drive.
5. Step 5: I tried accessing the print preview link I had copied earlier.

The result? The file was still there. It was gone from Drive, gone from Trash, but very much alive through the print preview link.