Add Files to Google Drive Online

Google Drive, a virtual file-sharing service from Google, lets users upload, share and access their files from anywhere, either on their computer (on both PCs and Macs) or on a mobile device. You can use the Google Drive website, the Google Drive synced folder on your PC or Mac, or the mobile app for Android and iPhone to upload files to your Google Drive storage.

Steps

Uploading Files on the Drive Website

1. Log into the Google Drive website. Visit drive.google.com and log in with your Google account. You'll be taken to your Drive files.
2. Click the "NEW" button. You'll find this in the upper-left corner.
3. Select "File Upload" or "Folder Upload." This will allow you to upload a single file to drive or an entire folder.
4. Select the file or folder you want to upload. You can upload virtually any file to Google Drive, up to 5 TB in size. The amount you can upload depends on how much space is available in your Google Drive account. All accounts come with 15 GB of free storage.
5. Wait for your file or folder to upload. You'll see a progress bar in the lower-right corner that will let you know how far along the upload process is. The time the upload takes will vary depending on the size and number of files you're uploading, as well as the speed of your connection.
   • Uploads are almost always significantly slower than downloads.
6. Organize your files. Once your files are uploaded, they'll appear in "My Drive." Files will be floating in this folder, and any folders that were uploaded will preserve their structure. You can drag and drop files in My Drive just as if they were on your computer.

Creating a Drive Synced Folder on Your Computer

1. Sign in to the Google Drive website. Visit drive.google.com on the computer that you want to installed your synced folder on. Log in with your Google account.
2. Click "Get Drive for PC/Mac" in the lower-left corner. This will open a new page where you can download the installer for the Google Drive sync folder.
3. Click "Download for PC/Mac." This will begin downloading the appropriate installer for your computer.
4. Click "Accept and Install." The file should only take a few moments to download.
5. Run the downloaded installer. You'll see the installer at the bottom of your browser window, or you can find it in your Downloads folder. This will begin the rest of the download and installation process.
6. Sign in with your Google account. During the installation process, you'll be prompted to log in with your Google account. Make sure to log in with the Google account that you want to access Drive for.
7. Wait while your files sync. Google Drive will create a special folder on your computer where all of your Drive files will be synced. It may take a while to sync the files, especially if you have a lot of them. The Google Drive icon in the System Tray will animate while it is syncing.
   • You can click the Google Drive icon to view the current sync progress.
8. Open the Google Drive folder on your computer. You'll see the Google Drive folder in Windows Explorer or Finder in the left frame. You can also find a shortcut to it on your desktop. The actual folder will be located in your User folder.
   • When you open the folder, you'll see all of your Google Drive contents. Files and folders that have been synced with your Drive account will have a green checkmark. Deleting a file here will delete it from your Drive storage.
9. Drag files and folders into the Google Drive folder to upload them. Move files into the Google Drive folder just as you would any other folder on your computer. The files will begin syncing with your Drive storage as soon as they are added to the folder.
   • You can monitor the progress by clicking the Google Drive icon in the System Tray.

Uploading Files with the Drive App

1. Download the Drive app and sign in with your Google account. You can download the app from your device's app store. Once downloaded, you'll be prompted to log in with your Google account when you start Drive for the first time. You may be logged in automatically if you use other Google apps on your device.
2. Connect to a wireless network for uploading large files. If you have big files you need to upload, or you're uploading a lot of files, you'll likely want to connect to a wireless network so that you don't go over on your monthly data. It will also usually be faster than using cellular service for the upload.
3. Tap the "+" button in the lower-right corner. This will open a new menu.
4. Tap "Upload." This will allow you to choose what you want to upload to Drive. Your upload options will be different on Android and iOS.
5. Find the file you want to upload. The process for this is a bit different depending on whether you're using Android or iOS. This is due to the fact that iOS does not give access to the file system like Android does, so you're limited a lot more there.
   • Android - Browse the Upload menu to find the file you want to add to Drive. The menu on the left side of the screen allows you to choose different locations on your phone, such as images, videos, and downloads. You can also use the File Manager option at the bottom to browse all of the files and folders on your device.
   • - Select "Photos and Videos" or "iCloud Drive" to view these items. You can tap "More" to see what other apps can connect with Google Drive. If you select "Photos and Videos," you'll be prompted to allow Drive to access them, then you can select from any of the photos or videos on your camera roll.
6. Select multiple files. You can press and hold a file and then tap additional files to select more than one at a time. This will allow you to upload multiple files with one command.
   • You can simply tap a single file to begin uploading it immediately.
7. Tap "Upload" or "Open" once you've selected your files. The selected files will begin uploading to Google Drive. You'll be able to monitor the upload process in the Drive app.

Related Articles

• Use Google Drive
• Get Google Drive for Android
• Download All Images from a Website with SWIWE.com
• Create a Research Document in Google Drive

Sources and Citations

See also

• Create Folders in Google Drive on a PC or Mac
• Create Folders in Google Drive on iPhone or iPad
• Create Folders in Google Drive on Android
• Use Google Drive
• Transfer Files Between FTP and Google Drive Using Backup Box