Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that allows you to download and upload files. With Google Drive, files can be accessed by you or others at different locations and from different devices. Google Drive is a safe place to keep any file– there are no file type restrictions and all data is encrypted, requiring you to grant permission for others to access, edit, or view the files.
Jul 29, 2018. Google Drive offers an extra storage space for your files and it is quite easy to use. Here is a brief tutorial for you on how to set up and use Google Drive on your Mac. You can set up a Google Drive for Mac only if you have an account with Google. You can easily create an account by visiting Google.com. Once you have created an account, you.
The only file restriction imposed by Google Drive is that individual file/folder uploads cannot exceed five TB (Terabytes) in size.
The Google Drive storage space you receive for free is 15 GB (Gigabytes) and can be upgraded to more space if needed. Upgrade prices are as follows:
100 GB – $1.99/mo.
1 TB – $9.99/mo. (most popular)
10 TB – $99.99/mo.
20 TB – $199.99/mo.
30 TB – $299.99/mo.
It is highly unlikely you will need any more space than one TB unless you are using Google Drive for your computer hard drive backups, as well as large photo or video libraries. In most cases, you shouldn’t need to upgrade from the free 15 GB storage space provided.
Keep in mind, true Linux, Mac, and PC hard drive backups (hard drive clones) are the size of your computer’s entire hard drive and Google Drive is not recommended for this purpose if you are using a metered internet connection. If you choose to use this method of safe file keeping, then it is crucial you check with your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to make sure that your service is not metered. Metered internet has an allowance cap and using extra data will cause your bill to increase.
If you plan to use Google Drive as a storage facility for all the photos you take with your phone or tablet, then it is important that you shut off the “sync over metered connections” or “background app refresh” setting from the Google Drive app on your mobile device. This will ensure your monthly statements don’t shock you with data overages.
Like many people, you might want to use Google Drive to solely sync files from your smartphone or tablet to your computer.
Getting started with Google Drive
If you have a Google account, then you already have access to Google Drive. If you do not have a Google account, you can sign up easily by creating a new account from the accounts.google web page. Consumer accounts are free and business or enterprise accounts may be provided by your employer.
Once you have a Google account, you can upload, store and share your files using Google Drive by means of three different methods:
Google Drive online
Google Drive computer application
Google Drive mobile application
While Apple’s iCloud and Microsoft’s OneDrive offer similar features and apps, Google Drive is the only cloud storage service that rivals DropBox by spanning out into less popular OS platforms. Google Drive is heavily integrated into ChromeOS (Chromebook),as well as available for many other Linux desktop distributions.
The free 15 GB of storage is incorporated across all your Google services. What does this mean? The storage for Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail is shared. Gmail, if used heavily to send large attachments will consume your storage. This will also happen rapidly with Google Photos if you choose to upload original or high quality images. Manage your data wisely!
How to use Google Drive online
To use Google Drive from any modern web browser, simply open the browser of your choice. Navigate to drive.google.com. If you are not already signed into Google, you will be asked to enter your Google account credentials to sign in.
The Google Drive homepage has a simple user interface (UI). The Dashboard along the top of the browser window allows you to adjust settings, perform Google Drive content searches, and manage or share files. To use the dashboard:
Click or tap the Search box and enter in keywords to perform a search of your Google Drive content.
Click or tap the Google Apps icon to access other Google services, like Gmail or YouTube.
Click or tap the Notifications icon to view account notifications.
Click or tap the Google Account icon to sign in and out of your account.
Click or tap the New button to create a new file with one of the connected apps, create new folders, and upload files and folders to your cloud.
Click or tap the link icon to get a shareable link to your file which allows you to grant access to others.
Click or tap the share icon to send a shareable copy of your file directly via email.
Click or tap the remove icon to move a file or folder from your cloud to the trash.
Click or tap the more actions icon for more file management options (folder colors, open files with connected apps, file/folder sorting, and file/folder downloads).
Click or tap the View/Layout icon to change the file and folder arrangement from list view to grid view.
Click or tap the View Details icon to view file details such as size, type, previews, and shared status.
Click or tap the Settings icon for Google Drive settings.
Along the left hand side of the browser window is a sidebar that organizes the content and features in an easy-to-digest layout. To use the sidebar:
Click or tap My Drive to view and manage the files stored on your cloud.
Click or tap Computers to view and manage all the computers and mobile devices synced to your Google Drive account.
Click or tap Shared with me to view and manage other’s files stored on other Google Drive accounts that have been shared with you.
Click or tap Recent to view all recent Google Drive activity.
Click or tap Google Photos to view and manage your photo storage.
Click or tap Starred to view all of your favorite or important files.
Click or tap Trash to view or empty items you placed in the trash for removal.
Click or tap Backups to view and manage backups of device and app data.
Click or tap Upgrade Storage to be routed to a web page containing larger tier storage price plans.
We all love Google Drive. Don’t we? But everything has a dark side. At times, it starts acting up when we want to download multiple files. That’s because instead of downloading the files directly, Drive starts zipping them. So we will tell you how to download files from Google Drive without zipping them.
To be fair to Google, it’s not their mistake. If you try to download large or a bundle of files from anywhere on the internet, Google will zip before downloading. The issue with zipping the files is that the overall process takes a lot of time. First, the files are zipped, then you have to extract them before using them.
Many users want to avoid the zipping process. They want to download multiple files directly. If you also want the same, check out these four methods to download files without zipping on Drive.
1. Using Google Drive App on PC
The Google Drive zips files only when you download them via a browser. If you use the Drive apps provided by Google, then such a step is no longer required. People with regular accounts have to use the Backup and Sync app while business owners can download Drive File Stream.
The Google Drive app for PC does not let you view the files in its interface. It creates a new folder on your PC that houses various files.
Here are the steps to use the Backup and Sync app.
Step 1: Download the app from the given link.
Download Backup and Sync
Step 2: Once installed, you will be asked to sign in to the app with your Google account. Log in with the account from which you want to download files.
Step 3: Since Backup and Sync works two ways i.e., it uploads selected folders to Google Drive and syncs files from Drive to PC, you will be asked to select the folders that you want to sync from PC. Uncheck all the folders if you aren’t interested in that. Leave the rest untouched and hit Next.
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Step 4: This is an important step for our tutorial. Now you will have to select the Google Drive folders from where you want to download files. You can change this later in the app settings. The folders that you select will be synced to your PC. Select 'Sync only these folders' if you want to choose the folders. If case you want to sync everything from Drive, choose Sync everything. Then hit Start.
Note: You will find your files in the folder location mentioned in this step.Note: The files that are present outside the folders will sync automatically.
Step 5: A new folder known as Google Drive will be added to your PC. You will find all the synced files from Drive in this folder. Now simply copy or cut the files from this folder to the required folder on your PC.
In case you are facing trouble while setting up the Backup and Sync app, check our detailed guide on it.
2. Using Image Downloader Extension
As the name suggests, you can use this Chrome extension for images only. The extension lets you download images in bulk not only from Google Drive but from all websites having images.
Tip: You can use this extension for downloading pictures from Google Photos too.
To use this extension, follow these steps:
Step 1: Install the extension on Chrome from the following link.
Install Image Downloader
Step 2: Once installed, an icon will be added to the Chrome extension bar. Now open the Google Drive website, followed by launching the folder from where you want to download images.
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Step 3: Click on the Image Downloader extension. Scroll down, and you will find all the images on the page. Select the images and hit the Download button. All of them will be downloaded without zipping on your PC.
Note: You will be asked to confirm whether you want to choose the download location once or keep it the same for every file you download. Select later.
3. Download on Mobile
Google Drive doesn’t create a ZIP folder if you download multiple files from the Drive mobile apps. All files are downloaded separately and instantly. So you can use this workaround to download files without zipping.
Download Google Drive on AndroidDownload Google Drive on iPhone
Once the files are downloaded, you can use various methods to transfer these files to your PC. For instance, you can connect the phone via the USB cable, use file-sharing apps such as SHAREit, Xender, and Feem. You can even share it via FTP.
4. Using Drive Multiple Downloader
Another way to achieve this is to use the Drive Multiple Downloader website. In this website, sign in to your Google account by tapping on 'Select files, folders, from Google Drive' option. Your files will be listed in the available section. Select the files that you want to download and hit the Download All button.
Note: Kindly read the privacy policy of the website before using it.
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Download Smartly with Google Drive
Nobody likes to wait. The zipping feature feels quite annoying when you are in a rush to download files from Google Drive. We hope the above methods were able to help you in downloading files instantly from Drive. In case you want to share Drive files, read our Drive sharing permissions guide.
Next up: Are you downloading files from Drive because the storage is getting full? Know what counts and what doesn't count towards Google Drive storage before taking the step.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextGoogle Drive Storage Guide: What Counts and What Doesn'tAlso See
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Did You Know
On August 30, 1998, the first-ever Google Doodle came out.
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