How To Sort Files in Google Drive

Your Google Drive can quickly run out of storage if you have just the basic 15 GB plan. If you’re a person who backs up every photo, video, and file, you know how clustered the Drive can get.

Sorting your files in Google Drive is simple but not intuitive enough. There are very few parameters according to which you can sort your files, and you cannot rearrange them inside a folder for the web version of Drive.

We have cataloged a few ways you can reorder and sort your files in Google Drive. Depending on how you want to organize your files, feel free to use whichever method suits your needs the best.

Table of Contents

How To Sort Files in Google Drive?

We all know how important it is to sort your files on Google Drive so that it is easier to access them when in need of those urgent files. So, we did our research and you can check out here how you can sort files in Google Drive.

There are only four parameters to which you can sort your files in Drive. Follow the given instructions to see how they are done.

Open your PC or laptop and load up your preferred browser.
Go to drive.google.com.
Enter in your details to gain access to the Drive.
Once you’re logged in, make sure you’re on the My Drive tab. If not, select My Drive from the left side menu.
Above all the files, you should see an area with the sorting parameter written in highlighted words on the right-hand side.
Click on it, and you should see four parameters: last modified, last modified by me, last opened by me, and name.

Choose whichever criteria you want to apply and click on the upward arrow beside the box to change the format in which it is displayed. You can arrange the files in, either ascending or descending order.

That is it. Simply doing this will eventually help you sort out your file on Google Drive. You can keep repeating this unless all the files are sorted and rearranged for you. You can even manually move the files to access the ones which are more important.

Read How to Clear Storage on Google Drive

Locate the Largest File on Your Drive

Locating the biggest file on your Drive is pretty straightforward. Follow the method given below to do the same.

Open your PC or laptop and load up your favorite browser.
Head over to the Google Drive webpage at drive.google.com.
Enter your credentials to gain access to the Drive.
Once you’re inside, click on the Storage tab.

The files will be arranged according to their size in this window.
Press the arrow icon beside the Storage used the button to arrange the files in an ascending or descending order.

Read How to Copy and Paste Files in Google Drive

How to Sort Files Inside a Folder?

Presently, you cannot sort or arrange the files inside a folder. You will need Drive Explorer, a Google Drive add-on that can be found on the Google Workspace marketplace. Follow the method given below to do that.

Open your PC or laptop and load up your browser.
Install Drive Explorer from this link, redirecting you to the Workspace marketplace.

How to Sort Files Inside a Folder — Sort Files in Google Drive

Sign in to your Google Account and install the Drive Explorer.
Once installed, go to the Google Drive website at drive.google.com.
Enter your details to access the Drive.
Draw out the contextual menu by right-clicking on a selected folder.
Select the Open with option and choose Drive Explorer from the list.
Now you can arrange your files according to various parameters such as folder name, folder size, path, last modified, size, and date created.

Read How to View Shared Files in Google Drive

How to Sort Files Using the Search Bar

You can even sort files using the search bar in Google Drive. It does have the option to search for an item using advanced filters that help out in a way.

This method is a simple and intuitive way to look for specific files from different locations shared between people or owned by you.

Open up your laptop or PC and run your favorite browser.
Head over to the Google Drive webpage at drive.google.com.
Enter your details to access the Drive.
Once you’re inside, click on the search bar and write the type of file you’re looking for—for example, pdf, docs, images, videos, spreadsheets, etc.

how to sort files in google drive by name — Sort Files in Google Drive

Once you hit enter, all the files in your Drive that match that file type should show up, and you can further sort these files according to two parameters, relevance, and date modified.
You can also change the location from where the files are procured. Click on the Location tab underneath the search results section; you should see five options: anywhere on the drive, my drive, shared with me, starred, and trashed.

Read How to Remove Suggested Files in Google Drive

How to Sort Files by Owner

Searching for files by the owner is a nifty trick to look for files sent by or to a specific person and narrow down the list of choices significantly. Refer to the instructions mentioned below to do it.

Open your PC or laptop.
Load up your preferred browser and go to the Google Drive website at drive.google.com.
Enter your credential to gain access to the Drive.
Once inside the Drive, click on the search bar and write owner: and the person’s email address without any space in between. This will display all the files that are owned by that address.

how to sort files in google drive by size — Sort Files in Google Drive

You can also look for files that you have sent or shared with a specific person. Click on the search bar again and write To: followed by the person’s email address.

Read How Long Does Google Drive Keep Deleted Files

Conclusion

That’s it, folks; as you can see, there are several ways you can sort and rearrange your files on Google Drive. However, you need a third-party add-on from Google to help you sort the files inside folders.

There is no hassle in doing any of this and can be done very easily especially when you are downloading a third-party add-on with Google Drive. It is safe and trusted since it is made available by Google itself.

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Shirley

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