How to Reset an <input type=”file”> in JavaScript or jQuery

Last Updated : 20 Sep, 2024

Sometimes, you may want to clear a file that has been selected by the user in an <input type=”file”> field, without having to reload the entire page. This can be useful if the user wants to reselect a file or if you need to reset a form.

There are two main ways to reset a file input in JavaScript/jQuery:

Table of Content

1. Using jQuery’s wrap() Method

In this approach, we temporarily wrap the file input element inside a <form> element, then reset the form. By calling form.reset(), we can reset the file input, clearing any selected files.

Example: In this example, the wrap() method temporarily wraps the file input (#infileid) inside a form element. This allows the reset() method to clear the file input. Afterward, the unwrap() method removes the temporary form.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html> <html>  <head>     <title>Using wrap Method</title>     <script src= "https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js">     </script>      <!-- jQuery code to show the         working of this method -->     <script>         $(document).ready(function () {             $('#resetbtn').on('click', function (e) {                 let $el = $('#infileid');                 $el.wrap('<form>').closest(                     'form').get(0).reset();                 $el.unwrap();             });         });     </script> </head>  <body>     <h2 style="color:green">GeeksforGeeks</h2>     <form id="find" name="formname">         <p>             <label>File</label>             <input id="infileid" type="file">         </p>         <p>             <button id="resetbtn" type="button">                 Reset file             </button>         </p>     </form> </body>  </html>

Output:

How to reset input type = “file” using JavaScript/jQuery?

Explanation:

The file input (<input type=”file” id=”infileid”>) is temporarily wrapped in a form using $(‘#infileid’).wrap(‘<form>’).
We call form.reset() on the wrapped form to clear the file input.
After resetting, the file input is “unwrapped” from the temporary form using $(‘#infileid’).unwrap().

2. Using file.value = ”

This is a simpler and more direct approach. You can reset the file input by setting its value property to an empty string, which removes any selected files.

Example: In this example, we use JavaScript to reset a file input. The resetFile() function targets the file input element with the class .file and clears its value, effectively resetting the file selection.

HTML

<!DOCTYPE html> <html>  <head>     <script src= "https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js">     </script>      <!-- jQuery code to show the         working of this method -->     <script>         function resetFile() {             const file =                 document.querySelector('.file');             file.value = '';         }     </script> </head>  <body>     <h2 style="color:green">         GeeksforGeeks     </h2>     <input type="file" class="file" />     <br>     <button onclick="resetFile()">         Reset file     </button> </body>  </html>

Output:

How to reset input type = “file” using JavaScript/jQuery?

Explanation:

The file input (<input type=”file” class=”file”>) is selected using document.querySelector().
By setting the value property of the file input to an empty string (”), the file selection is cleared, and the input is reset.