How to Upload Files to Google Drive? Step-By-Step

It is a cloud solution that supports all types of files and allows us to collaborate with others. Some of the files that you can edit in Google Drive such as Microsoft Office, PDFs, and other text files. Google Drive also restricts some files that cannot be edited such as music, videos, .zip files, and others.

You can also preview some of the files that are not accessible on the local system. For example, you can preview the files, Photoshop files with Google Drive without installing it on a local device. Because of these reasons, users Copy Files from OneDrive to Google Drive.

Before discussing the solution of how to upload files to Google Drive, let’s know some major benefits of using Google Drive instead of local storage.

Advantages of Adding Files to Google Drive

1. It is compatible with many different devices.
2. You can instantly access your files without much delay.
3. You can also quickly search for your files.
4. Google drive has an ability to view several types of files.
5. You can store up to 15GB worth of data for free.
6. It has an excellent user interface that makes it very simple to use.
7. The files are safe and secure since Google Drive is a highly secure platform that integrates the latest security algorithms.
8. Google Drive automatically backs up the files regularly so that you never lose the essential files.
9. Google Drive is always updated with the latest features to improve user experience.
10. You can also set the restrictions on the file while sharing with others such as edit, view, and so on.
11. It has SSL Encryption.

How to Upload Files to Google Drive?

By importing all the files to Google Drive, Moving Files from One Google Drive to Another also becomes easy. You can transfer files and folders to Google Drive in several ways.

Method 1. Upload Files to Google Drive From the File Upload Menu

1. Go to the google drive website.
2. Sign in with your Google account if required.
3. Click on the new button.
4. Then choose the option of file upload.
5. Now browse the file you want to upload and hit Open.
6. After a while, the file will be uploaded to Google Drive.
7. Once the file has been successfully uploaded, you can drag the file to any folder you want to place the file in.

Method 2. Upload to a Folder to Google Drive

1. Go to the google drive website.
2. Sign in with your Google account if required.
3. Open or create a folder that you want to place your file in.
4. you can now easily drag your files to the folder to place them there.

Method 3. Upload Documents from a mobile device

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Tap on the + icon.
3. Tap on the upload option.
4. Browse and select the file that you want to upload from your device.
5. You can view the uploaded files in “My Drive” until you move them to a folder of your choice.

Method 4. Compress folders before Uploading Them to Google Drive

1. Right click on the folder and select “send to” option.
2. Select compress folder option.
3. This will create a zip folder that you can now upload.
4. Open the Google Drive website and click on New button.
5. Click on the upload option.
6. Select the file that you want to upload and click on Open.
7. The file will get uploaded.

When this file is opened, it will automatically extract the archive and recreate the original folder. By zipping folders, you can upload larger files while minimizing the storage being used.

Limitations of Using Google Drive

• Not a good approach to importing large data because it takes too much time for the large files.
• Possibility of human errors because you need to transfer files to Google Drive.
• There are no advanced filters available that make the process smooth and efficient.
• There are some risks to security while uploading files.
• Uploading of files requires a stable internet connection.
• Size of files you can upload in a day is limited.
• Downloading and uploading speeds are slow.
• The size of the files you can upload also have a limit.

How to Download Files and Folders from Google Drive?

1. Go to the Google Drive website.
2. Sign in to your account if required.
3. Select the file you want to download and click it once.
4. In order to select multiple files press command (for mac) and control button (for windows) while clicking on files.
5. Right click on the files you have selected.
6. Click on the download option.

If you still can’t download the file, then the owner may have disabled the option to download, print, or copy those files. You may have only access to view or comment on the file.

How to Convert uploads to Google Docs Editor Format

You can create google docs, slides, and sheets on its website and also automatically convert the file which you have chosen to be uploaded into google drive in the Google format. You can then edit the file which will be straightforward under this setting. If you want to enable this setting, you can follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the settings icon at the top of the screen.
2. under general you will find the “Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format”
3. Check the box beside this option.
4. Click on the Done button on the upper right hand side of the screen.
5. After you edit the uploaded file in a new tab, now the file will automatically be saved in your Google Drive with both the original as well as the edited type of file.

Conclusion

Google Drive is a cloud service that is used by millions of users around the world. It is known for its exceptional services as a document editing as well as storage tool. In this article, you have learnt how to upload files to Google Drive and how to download files as well. Google drive has several benefits such as it is compatible with other devices, files can easily be shared, and much more.