The fastest way to delete a OneNote notebook

To delete a notebook in OneNote, right-click the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Delete. The notebook moves to your Recycle Bin, where it stays for 93 days before OneNote removes it permanently. If you change your mind within that window, you can restore it from the Recycle Bin.

The exact steps depend on which version of OneNote you use — the newer web and desktop app (called Microsoft OneNote) works differently from OneNote 2016, which is the older standalone version. Both let you delete, but the menus are in different places.

Before you delete, check whether the notebook is stored in OneDrive, SharePoint, or your local computer. This matters because shared notebooks (the ones on OneDrive or SharePoint) affect other people if you delete them, and the recovery process is slightly different.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click the notebook name in the sidebar and choose Delete to move it to the Recycle Bin, where it stays for 93 days.
  • Deleted notebooks can be restored from the Recycle Bin if you change your mind within 93 days.
  • Shared notebooks (stored on OneDrive or SharePoint) should be deleted only if you are sure no one else needs the notes inside.
  • Local notebooks stored only on your computer are deleted when ready and cannot be recovered after the Recycle Bin empties.

Deleting a notebook in the new OneNote app

Open OneNote and look at the left sidebar where all your notebooks are listed. Find the notebook you want to delete, right-click on its name, and a menu will appear. Click Delete. OneNote will ask you to confirm — click Delete again.

The notebook now sits in your Recycle Bin. You can see it there by clicking the three dots (menu icon) at the bottom left of OneNote, then selecting Recycle Bin. From the Recycle Bin, you can restore the notebook by clicking it and choosing Restore, or you can permanently delete it by clicking Delete permanently.

If you do not see a Recycle Bin option in your menu, you may be using OneNote 2016 instead of the newer version. Check which version you have by clicking File at the top left, then Account or Help — it will tell you the version number.

Deleting a notebook in OneNote 2016

In the older OneNote 2016, the process is similar but the menu location is different. Right-click the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Close This Notebook. This does not delete it — it just removes it from your view.

To actually delete the notebook, you need to find where it is stored on your computer. Click File at the top, then Open, and look at the list of notebooks. Right-click the notebook you want to delete and choose Delete Notebook. OneNote will ask for confirmation.

OneNote 2016 notebooks deleted this way go to your computer's Recycle Bin, not OneNote's own Recycle Bin. You can restore them from there if you need to, but once your computer's Recycle Bin is emptied, they are gone permanently.

What happens to shared notebooks when you delete them

If the notebook is stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, other people may have access to it. When you delete a shared notebook, it goes to the Recycle Bin, but the people you shared it with will no longer see it in their OneNote. They cannot restore it themselves — only the person who deleted it (usually the owner) can restore it from the Recycle Bin.

Before you delete a shared notebook, think about whether anyone else is still using the notes. If you are not sure, you can ask them first, or you can remove yourself from the notebook instead of deleting it. To remove yourself, right-click the notebook and look for an option like Leave Notebook or Stop Sharing — this keeps the notebook intact for others but removes it from your view.

Recovering a deleted notebook within 93 days

If you deleted a notebook by mistake, you have 93 days to get it back. Open OneNote, click the menu icon (three dots) at the bottom left, and select Recycle Bin. Find the notebook you deleted, click on it, and choose Restore. The notebook will return to your sidebar exactly as it was.

This works for notebooks stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. If you deleted a local notebook (one stored only on your computer), it goes to your computer's Recycle Bin instead. Open your computer's Recycle Bin, find the notebook folder, right-click it, and choose Restore.

Permanently deleting a notebook so it cannot be recovered

If you want to make sure a notebook is gone forever and cannot be restored, you can permanently delete it from the Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin in OneNote, find the notebook, and click Delete permanently. OneNote will ask you to confirm one more time. After you confirm, the notebook cannot be recovered.

For local notebooks stored on your computer, you can also permanently delete them by opening your computer's Recycle Bin, finding the notebook folder, right-clicking it, and choosing Delete permanently instead of Restore. Once you do this, the notebook is gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a notebook if I do not own it?

No. If someone else owns the notebook and shared it with you, you can only remove yourself from it by clicking Leave Notebook or Stop Sharing. The owner can delete it, but you cannot. If you need the notebook deleted, ask the owner to do it.

What if I delete a notebook by mistake and it has been more than 93 days?

Once a notebook is past the 93-day recovery window, OneNote cannot restore it. If it was a local notebook stored only on your computer, it may still be recoverable using file recovery software, but OneNote itself cannot help. For shared notebooks on OneDrive or SharePoint, contact your IT department or OneDrive support — they may have backups.

Does deleting a notebook delete the files inside it?

Yes. When you delete a OneNote notebook, all the pages and notes inside it are deleted too. They go to the Recycle Bin together, so if you restore the notebook, all the pages come back. If you only want to delete some pages, open the notebook, right-click the page name, and choose Delete Page instead.

Can I delete a notebook from my phone or tablet?

Yes, but the steps are slightly different. In the OneNote mobile app, swipe left on the notebook name (on iPhone or iPad) or long-press it (on Android), then tap Delete. The notebook goes to the Recycle Bin just like on a computer, and you have 93 days to restore it.