- The five parts of Google Drive you'll use most
- How to start using Google Drive, step by step
- Sharing without the mess
- The catch: uploads use your storage, even in someone else's folder
- Using Google Drive on your computer like a normal folder
- Word and Excel files in Drive
- Settings worth changing on day one
- A simple folder system for a small business
- Finding things fast
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To use Google Drive, go to drive.google.com or open the Drive app and sign in with your Google Account. Click New to upload files or create Docs, Sheets and folders, organise them in My Drive, and use Share to give people view, comment or edit access. Everything syncs across your devices.
Google Drive is where your files live online: documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, photos, contracts, logos. Once they're there, you can open them on any device, share them with a link instead of an attachment, and work on the same document as a client or colleague at the same time. If you're still emailing files back and forth, Drive is the fix.
The five parts of Google Drive you'll use most
| Part | What it's for |
|---|---|
| New button | Upload files and folders, or create Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms |
| Home | Files you've opened, edited or had shared recently, plus suggestions |
| My Drive | Your own files and folders, organised however you like |
| Shared with me | Files other people have shared with you |
| Starred | Your shortlist of the files you open every week |
How to start using Google Drive, step by step
- Go to drive.google.com on a computer, or install the Google Drive app on your phone, and sign in with your Google Account.
- Click New, then Folder, and create a few top-level folders, such as Clients, Marketing, Admin and Templates.
- Click New, then File upload or Folder upload to bring in your existing files, or drag them straight in.
- Create a new document with New, then Google Docs, Sheets or Slides.
- Share a file: click it, then Share, add an email address and pick Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
- Star the files you use most: right-click, Organize, Add to starred.
Sharing without the mess
Sharing is the best part of Drive and the part that goes wrong most. A few rules keep it under control:
- Share folders, not files, for ongoing client work. Anything you add later is shared automatically.
- Use the lowest access that works. Viewer for reports, Commenter for feedback, Editor only for people who need to change things.
- Be careful with anyone with the link. Anyone who gets that link can open the file.
- Review Shared with me now and then and remove files you no longer need.
The catch: uploads use your storage, even in someone else's folder
Google's help page points out something most people don't expect. When you upload a file into a shared folder that someone else owns, it still uses space in your own Drive. If you're dropping big video files into a client's folder, they count against your storage, not theirs. Check your storage now and then, and clear out large files you've finished with.
Using Google Drive on your computer like a normal folder
If you'd rather drag and drop than use a browser, install Drive for desktop. It adds a folder called Google Drive to your computer. Anything you put in it uploads to Drive, and anything you add in Drive shows up there. It's the easiest way to work with Drive files in other programs, like opening a large spreadsheet in Excel.
Word and Excel files in Drive
You can upload Microsoft Office files unchanged and open them in Drive, or convert them into Google Docs and Sheets so you can edit them together online. Converting is a setting in Drive, and Google notes that Drive settings can only be changed from a computer, not the phone app.
Settings worth changing on day one
- Start page: choose Home or My Drive in Settings, depending on whether you prefer suggestions or your own folders.
- Offline access: turn it on if you work on trains or planes.
- Mobile data: in the Android app, set transfers to Wi-Fi only to save data.
A simple folder system for a small business
- Clients, with one folder per client, shared with them where appropriate.
- Marketing, for content, images and brand assets.
- Admin, for contracts, policies and paperwork.
- Templates, for proposals, briefs and checklists you reuse.
- Archive, for finished work you want out of the way but not deleted.
If you're also deciding whether Drive is the right home for your files at all, my comparison of Dropbox alternatives covers the other options.
Finding things fast
Drive's search bar is powerful. Type a word from inside a document, not just its name, and Drive finds it. Use the filter chips under the search bar to narrow results to a type, a person or a date. And use View details on any file to see who owns it and when it was last changed.
My verdict
Google Drive is simple to start with and easy to make a mess of. Set up four or five clear folders on day one, share folders rather than individual files, use the lowest access level that works, and keep an eye on storage, because uploads into other people's folders still count against you. Do that and Drive becomes the one place your business files live. If you keep photos there too, see my guide to finding the Google Photos trash for when something goes missing.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I delete a file in Google Drive?
Click the file, then Move to trash. It stays in the trash for a while before it's removed for good.
What's the difference between Home and My Drive?
Home shows recent and suggested files, including ones shared with you. My Drive holds the files and folders you own and organise.
Is Google Drive the same as Google Docs?
No. Drive is where your files are stored. Docs is the word processor you can open from Drive.
How do I share a file in Google Drive?
Click the file, then Share, add people by email and choose Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
Can I use Google Drive offline?
Yes. Turn on offline access in Drive's settings on your computer.
Do files in shared folders use my storage?
Files you upload do, even if someone else owns the folder.
Can I edit Word documents in Google Drive?
Yes. Open them in Drive, or convert them to Google Docs to edit with others online.
