Google Drive is the organizational tool par excellence and, some would argue, the glue that keeps many people’s online life together. Google Drive is Google’s file storage, sharing, and synchronization tool, and like Google’s other core Suite services, it’s totally free at the most basic level. Integration with Google Docs means that if you were so inclined, you could manage your entire online life in the cloud. If that sounds good and you’re looking for a way to get all your online information organized, accessible, and shareable, you could do a lot worse.
Cloud based storage
Get more storage for Google Drive, Gmail & Google Photos, access to experts, and other benefits, in a membership that you can share with your family. Download the latest version of Google Drive File Stream for Mac - View files on Google Drive and edit directly on your computer. Read 2 user reviews of Google Drive File Stream on MacUpdate. For Mac and Windows, that process is very simple and fast, all you need to do is download.dmg (for Mac OS).exe (for Windows) install files (it might be other file types, for example,.rar Archive type), now you just should open it, and go through the installation process, then you could easily use google drive online for your purposes. Download Google Drive for Mac & read reviews. An easy-to-use collaboration tool! Download the latest version of Google Drive File Stream for Mac - View files on Google Drive and edit directly on your computer. Read 2 user reviews of Google Drive File Stream on MacUpdate.
Google Drive is perfect for storing files and accessing them on the go.
Google Drive is a cloud-based file storage service that allows you to access your files, photos, music, and more across multiple locations and with multiple users. If you’ve ever regretted that a document was on the computer at home while you were at work, or battled with a pen drive that just won’t work, Google Drive may well be the answer to your prayers.
Beyond simply storing your files, Drive also allows you to share them and collaborate with other users in real-time. The only drawback here is that security on this sharing is not as tight or advanced as you might be used to if you’ve used other file sharing tools in the past.
Google Drive also offers automatic backup and syncing for Mac and Windows users. That means you can create a file on your desktop that will be automatically synced to the cloud, perfect if you work on your computer but want to make sure that others can contribute or see it too.
A fast, clean piece of software, the only thing that will slow Drive down is whatever it is you’re storing on it. Keep your files organized and free of duplicates to get the most out of the tool. Access and privacy benefit from all the usual features you’d expect from a Google tool, including 2-step authentication and on-the-ball alerts for any possible security concerns. In the free tier, you’ll probably have to at least try to troubleshoot any problems yourself, as getting in touch with a customer support representative is a roundabout process that can take a while. If you’re tackling a problem, take advantage of the massive amount of help and training Google provides online.
Finally, it would be remiss not to mention Google Drive’s ability to integrate with Google Docs. If you already use this office suite, it makes using Drive to store all your documents a no-brainer and works so perfectly, you wouldn’t even consider moving.
Where can you run this program?
Google Drive is available online, with backup and sync available for Windows (7 and above) and macOS. You can also download the Drive app on iPhone, iPad, and Android. The free version offers 15GB of storage spread over your Google Account. After that, you can upgrade to various tiers of paid storage. If you use a Google for Business account, you’ll start with a greater amount of free storage.
Is there a better alternative?
Unless you’re a OneDrive or iCloud user, many will consider the true alternative to Google Drive to be Dropbox.
In the Drive vs. Dropbox debate, Google takes an early lead because it offers way more free storage than Dropbox - 15GB vs. 2GB - but remember that 15GB is spread across your whole Google account. Even so, it’s better than 2GB, and that may sway users with smaller amounts of data to store.
Google Drive also triumphs in terms of security and ease of browsing, but Dropbox has faster upload and sync. Google Photos offers a great add-on to Drive for managing a usual quantity of photos, but if you’re dealing with truly huge amounts of data, Dropbox’s faster upload may save your patience and your sanity.
Our take
Google Drive is a solid, easy-to-use, and accessible file storage, sharing, and organizational app. If you’re looking for a really easy way to store documents, photos, and more and share them with the people who matter in your life, we think it’s a great option.
If the majority of your uploads are going to be photos and videos, definitely consider using it in conjunction with Google Photos, but if you’re focused on documents and PDFs, then it’s perfect as is. The standard amount of storage for free users is more than enough for an average person’s non-business use and provided you keep your Drive free of duplicates and general mess, you’re unlikely to hit up against the limit.
Google Drive’s search capabilities are another reason we’re such big fans. Imagine what you’re likely to be storing in your Drive - letters, instructions, lists, song lyrics, schedules, plans, and more. Sure, you’ll have an easier time if you categorize them sensibly, but that super-powered Google search makes finding things a breeze. Seeing as how you’ll be using Drive to store documents and then access them on the go, this makes perfect sense - and will make your life so much easier!
Should you download it?
Yes. If you’re a personal user who will use the free version, we think Google Drive is one of the most accessible and user-friendly cloud storage and sharing platforms around. If you think you’re going to be storing or uploading a huge number of large files, you might need to look to Dropbox for something faster, but for most users, Google’s offering more than ticks all the boxes.
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How To Download Files To Google Drive On Mac And Windows
Mac and Windows are the most popular operating systems for any user. Although there is a never ending war between Mac and Windows according to some people, they love both because both of the operating systems are useful in their track. Besides that, let’s assume that you are an avid Google Drive user and want to backup everything to Google Drive. There are different ways to backup different things to Google Drive on Mac and Windows. However, if you want to download files to Google Drive on Mac or Windows, here is a simple guide.
Let’s presume that you have a laptop that comes with only 128GB of SSD. Obviously, you always need to delete unnecessary files from your computer to make more space and store necessary data. In case you need to download a lot of heavy weight files to your computer and you do not want to use an external hard disk to store them, you can use Google Drive for sure. But two things you should remember e.g. those downloaded files need to be uploaded to Google Drive correctly. Otherwise, it may damage your file. Secondly, you must have Google Drive app on your Mac or Windows computer. Otherwise, you cannot select the location where you need to save your downloaded files. If you can cope with those two conditions, you can head to the following steps to get it done.
How To Download Files To Google Drive On Mac And Windows
What mentioned in the following paragraphs is two different methods for two different browsers, i.e. Google Chrome and Apple Safari. You can use any of these tutorials based on your preference. For example, if you use Google Chrome more often than Safari, you can head over to Google Chrome tutorials and vice versa.
Company portal for pc. Apple Safari
At first, open Apple Safari browser on your Mac computer. Following that, click on the Safari button and select Preferences. Alternatively, you can press Command + comma sign (,). On the General tab, you can find an option called File download location. Click on the drop-down menu and select Other.
Now, you need to select Google Drive as your download location. That’s it! From now on, all the downloads will be saved in Google Drive.
Google Chrome
If you do not use Apple Safari on your Mac or use Windows computer, you can follow these steps that are compatible with Chrome. The steps are same for Mac and Windows, but the following screenshot belongs to Mac’s version of Google Chrome.
At first, open Google Chrome and respective Settings page. Now, click on the Advanced button to expand the advanced settings. Among all the settings, you can find Downloads option. Under that, click on the Change button.
Therefore, you need to select a location where you want to save your newly downloaded files.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is one of the best browsers for Windows 10 users. If you do not want to spend time in developing websites, Microsoft Edge is probably the best option for you. It has the speed, smoothness, usability, etc. that a standard user needs. Therefore, if you are using Microsoft Edge on a Windows 10 computer, and you want to use Google Drive as your download folder, you need to follow these steps.
At first, open the Microsoft Edge browser. After that, click the three-dotted menu button, and select Settings. In the General section, you can find a label called Downloads. You need to click the corresponding Change button, and choose Google Drive as your default download location.
That’s it! It is as simple as said.
Chromium-based Microsoft Edge
Microsoft recently launched a Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, which will replace the standard Edge browser in coming days. The previous Edge browser doesn’t support a lot of extensions those are quite important to enrich the user experience. Although the stable version is still under development, you can install Dev or Canary version to test the browser. If you have already installed the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, and you want to use Google Drive as your default download location, these following steps would be helpful for you.
At first, open the browser, and click the three-dotted menu button, which is visible on your top-right corner. Click the Settings button from the list. After that, switch from Profiles tab to Downloads tab. Alternatively, you can enter this in the URL bar – edge://settings/downloads and hit the Enter button.
Click the Change button and select Google Drive.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox tops the list of most secured web browser for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, etc. It is the nearest competitor of Google Chrome. If you want to change the download location and use Google Drive as the default download folder, these following steps would be helpful.
Google Drive For Desktop Download
At first, open the Firefox browser and go to Options. You should find it in the Menu list. In the General tab, find out Downloads tag. Make sure the first options aka ‘Save files to’ option is selected.
Google Drive For Mac Download
After that, click the Browse button and select Google Drive.
How To Setup Google Drive Desktop
That’s all! Hope these simple steps would be helpful for you.