You might have massive storage space on your laptops or your smartphones. But nothing comes close to storing large files on cloud storage. You can share them with other users very easily. Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage on the web currently. It has millions of users storing and sharing files from all over the world.
If you are new to this and have no idea how things work out with Google Drive. We have created a detailed guide on every specific feature you can work with. Also, it is completely safe to save all your important data and make the most of the free space made available to you.
Let us look at what is Google Drive and how to use it.
What is Google Drive?
Google Drive is a Cloud Storage service made available to every user having a Google Account. It allows everyone to store, share files, and synchronize files on their servers.
You can download the respective apps on their iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows devices from the official play store.
All the data created and edited on Google Suite apps such as Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Google Slides are auto-saved directly on Drive.
Whether you are an individual or a team, you can use Google Drive for all your work. Also, you can add as many team members to share files.
Initially, the platform provides free 15GB storage for every user while you can add more storage to it with multiple benefits on its way.
Google Drive was a gamechanger in the cloud data storage world and since its inception in 2014, we have seen many updates and significant changes in the user interface of the Google Drive ecosystem.
Millions of users around the globe enjoy cloud storage, file synchronization across devices, and file sharing across different Google platforms using the Google Drive web interface or mobile application.
Also, you may check, How to Share Videos on Google Drive and How to Clear Recent in Google Drive.
What is Google Drive Used for? How does it Work?
Some of the brilliant features of Google Drive that sets it apart from any other cloud storage are mentioned here. It is not only used for simply storing and sharing links but a lot more. Let us look at the multiple uses of Google Drive.
1. Save and Backup your files
Starting with the very basic and the most essential feature of them all. You can save and backup all your files to Google Drive. There are multiple methods to do so.
You can either directly add your files such as videos, docs, images, and much more by visiting the official app or website. Or else you can set up your devices for backup.
All your data here is safe and secure from any malware or any theft. If you had been saving your files on your USB drive or any other external devices, there is no better time to shift to something better and more accessible.
2. Sharing Files with others
Another important aspect that Google Drive covers that makes it one of the most popular applications among all is the fact that you can share your files with anyone in the world. It does not matter whether you have an account on Google drive or not.
There are multiple files that you cannot send to your loved ones directly or via email. Or even to your team member you work with.
With Google Drive, by simply creating a shareable link you can share all the large content to people all around the world.
Read Google Drive Shared Folder Space
3. Integration with Cloud-native Collaboration Apps
Do not get confused by the words, it simply means that Google Drive integrates with Google Suite apps that backups all the data directly to the cloud.
These apps are Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets which saves all your documents directly on the drive. You do not need to save every file you work on.
Moreover, each document you create can be searched on Google Drive directly through the search interface. It makes it super easy to collect all the files on one single platform.
To add more to this, Google Drive has the ability to integrate with other tools as well such as Microsoft Office since it supports all the major formats, Salesforce, Adobe, etc.
4. Google AI and Search technology
This is something that you might not find on other cloud storage platforms. Well, Google Drive follows an accurate and very powerful search engine where you can simply look for your projects and files by typing on a single word.
Any file with the word or associated with it will display on the screen and you can pick thereafter.
It even features the Priority option that uses AI to give you what you are looking for. Instead of direct search, it tends to predict based on your search what you are looking for and provides you the list with the most relevant option.
5. Offline Access
If you somehow lose your internet connection, you can still keep working on the doc files, view them, or even edit them. All the files are saved as offline files and do not interrupt your work at any second.
Once you regain your internet connection, the file is auto-saved. Unlike any other app, this particular feature is highly beneficial as you will not lose any of your data and need to save it over and over again.
Also, you may like, How to transfer ownership of Google Drive Files.
How to use Google Drive?
Since we now know the basic features of Google Drive and the various ways it works for multiple users. We can now get on with how this cloud storage platform can be used for your benefit.
It is used to store and share files as we know, but how you can do it might be something unfamiliar to a lot of people. Let us check out the guide on how to use Google Drive on multiple platforms.
On your Desktop (App)
If you have a Mac or a Windows PC, you can easily download the Google Drive application on your laptops or your systems. Simply head over to their official site and click on the link that suits your the best.
You can either go for the Individual or Team download link and hereby follow the process to download the app.
Now, once you have installed the application on your system. Simply follow the steps to log in to your Google Account and get started. Here we are using our Mac device and similar features will be followed for Windows users too.
Select all the files you wish to sync and create a backup for on your Google Drive from your system. Next, you can choose to sync your Drives files to your computer as a backup in case of any circumstances.
Once done you can now keep track of all the activities through the icon on the taskbar.
In your Browser
The most common among all that is being used by millions of users is directly through the browser. You can simply open the Google Drive Link on your browser and sign in to your account.
From hereon, you can add or drag & drop files you wish to upload to your drive.
Large files take minutes while smaller ones are saved in seconds. The interface is pretty simple and easy to understand for all those who might have not used it before.
On the left menu bar, you can choose to add folders, files, look at all the recently shared documents to you or by you, look over the trash too to clear the storage, and much more.
Also, you can make a right-click on any file and choose between so many options such as download, share, creating shortcuts, and much more. You can also select multiple files at once to download on your devices or simply delete them.
On your Smartphones
Next up, we have Google Drive for Smartphones available for all Android and iOS users. There is no doubt that it is much easier to use it on these devices. You might have all the features similar to the desktop version but works pretty well overall.
You can start off by simply downloading the app from your store on your smartphone. Log in via your Gmail account and get started.
It allows you to store all your files from your smartphones to cloud storage. Hence, you can access them anytime you want. The app also has access to all the files from your Google Docs and other integrated apps so that you need not use a laptop every time.
Furthermore, you can also choose to move, download, delete, and do much more with each file.
Moving ahead, each file has the option to share it with other users or add them to the doc so that they can either view, comment, or edit the doc based on the permission given to it by the original author.
Read: Advantages and disadvantages of Google Drive
Google Drive Storage Limit
Google initially provides 15GB of free space for every user for Drive, which is quite enough for any individual. However, if you are a team or simply need more storage capacity, you might have to upgrade the plan and add more to it.
If you are looking for an upgrade, you can choose to pay a monthly or annual subscription. It all depends on the package you choose.
Not only does it provide the benefit of getting more storage space but a lot of other features too that might help you in the long run.
Advantages of Using Google Drive
Some of the major advantages of using Google Drive are mentioned below. You can check out for yourself and get on board too.
1. Easy to use Interface
Whether you are using the Desktop app version, browser version, or simply the mobile version. They all are super easy to understand and use.
All the files you need to access are on the screen and with a simple search, you can get it all. On the menu, you can look at the recent docs, add folders or files very easily and do a lot more.
2. Share your Files Securely and Easily
Well, unlike other platforms you can create custom links for your Drive documents and share them with anyone you wish to. Or else simply out the names or email addresses of all the people you wish to send to.
3. Supports major file formats
This benefit is something that comes as a savior in multiple situations. If you wish to send someone a Word file and you have been editing on Google Docs, you can just download the file in the format of your choice and share it with anyone you like.
4. Accessibility
One of the major benefits we found is the fact that you can access any document from anywhere around the world. Even if you have forgotten to take your laptop with you but have all documents saved on drive, simply search for the file and download it within seconds.
5. Safe and Secure
Well, there is no doubt that Drive is much more secure than any hard drive you might use to save your data. Your data is secure from any malware or outside virus that may corrupt your data. It is a product of a tech giant and in no way will any virus ruin things for you in the long term.
You may like to read:
- How To Password Protect Google Drive Folder
- How to move files from one google drive to another?
- How to reduce file size in Google drive
Conclusion
Here we are with every piece of info you need to know about Google Drive and how to make the most of it. We have mostly covered everything for every beginner and also other users too to learn more. You can delete loads of files to empty the free space you are provided with. Also, as per the latest update, the platform will delta all the older items in the trash within 30 days so that they can speed up the system and help others be up to date.
If you wish to know or are stuck with anything regarding Google Drive, you can let us know in the comment section and we will get back to you. I hope you understand, what is google drive and how it works?
Hello, my name is Shirley. I’m a Google Drive expert and have been working with the platform since it launched. I’ve written extensively about Google Drive tips and tricks, and have created numerous tutorials on how to get the most out of the platform. I also enjoy creating tutorials to help people learn how to use Drive like pros. Read more