Google Drive is an extremely highly effective instrument for storing and organizing all kinds of information. And better of all, it’s obtainable to anybody with a Google account at no cost (not less than to begin). Additionally, as a result of Drive holds all of your recordsdata within the cloud, it affords some essential benefits in comparison with stashing all the things domestically in your telephone or PC. Drive additionally works on virtually any machine with an web connection, which makes it simple to make use of at dwelling, in school, within the workplace and in all places in between.

However, should you’re new to Drive, there are some essential fundamentals it’s best to know earlier than you switch over all of your information and recordsdata. So right here’s a fast rundown overlaying essentially the most essential issues about Google’s standard cloud storage service.

Storage and pricing

Every Google Drive person will get 15GB of free storage. However, any information you might have saved in Google Photos additionally counts in direction of that restrict. So should you’re utilizing that to again up your photos , you could not have a ton of room left over for paperwork and recordsdata. That mentioned, you possibly can enhance your storage in Drive by way of a Google One subscription, which begins as little as $1.99 a month (or $20 a yr) for 100GB of storage and goes as much as $9.99 for 2TB of storage (or $100 a yr).

For most individuals, 100GB is greater than sufficient to stash essential recordsdata, work docs, and household images. But should you’re planning on utilizing Drive as a solution to backup all of your information, you’ll in all probability wish to go along with one of many larger plans. The good factor is that regardless that the fundamental $20 a yr plan is comparatively low-cost, there are a variety of the way to get further storage at no cost, not less than briefly. For instance, anybody who buys a brand new Chromebook will get 100GB of space in Drive free for a year, whereas prospects new to Google One might get affords to check the service out with a free one-month subscription.

So earlier than you begin importing all of your recordsdata, you’re going to wish to determine how a lot storage you want and the way a lot that will (or might not) price you.

Uploading, assist recordsdata, and group

Once you’ve discovered how a lot storage you want, you possibly can start importing or transferring your recordsdata to Drive. For single recordsdata or information saved domestically in your machine, you possibly can merely faucet the New button and choose the choice for File or Folder add. On a pc, you may as well drag and drop recordsdata into your browser window if you end up on the Drive web site. Drive helps all kinds of file varieties together with many of the hottest codecs like .JPGs, .PNGs, .GIFs, .MP3s, and extra. For a full listing of assist file varieties, try Google’s official Help Center here.

After you might have all of your recordsdata uploaded, you possibly can handle them similar to you’ll domestically in your telephone or laptop. You can create nested folders and drag and drop recordsdata from one place to a different. And after all, you possibly can search for a selected file or folder by typing within the search field, although it’s essential to do not forget that should you’re storing a number of recordsdata in Drive, it could take a bit longer to seek out them (particularly in case your web connection isn’t very speedy). So should you’re capable of create a common listing of folders for essential initiatives or information units on day one, you’ll in all probability save your self a number of time and complications later.

It’s additionally essential to notice that whilst you can create new Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and so forth. straight inside Drive on PC, on cellular it’s essential to set up each Drive and the particular productiveness program you need individually. That’s as a result of whereas all of them work collectively, they’re thought-about separate apps.

Another great way to make use of Google Drive to arrange your work is to save lots of templates for numerous initiatives in Docs. This means that you can begin writing a script or create types with out ranging from scratch each time. You also can save templates for issues like bibliographies, doubtlessly saving college students time when attempting to quote sources for a analysis paper.

Alternatively, as a substitute of utilizing devoted apps, you possibly can share a Google Sheet with roommates to assist determine the price of utilities and different shared bills. And whereas it wasn’t strictly designed for this, college students have found that when locations like colleges ban or put restrictions on typical messaging apps, you possibly can nonetheless chat with mates utilizing Google Docs. All you must do is invite folks to a clean doc after which use real-time collaboration to speak and reply to one another. And when you’re accomplished, you possibly can merely delete the doc, or preserve it round for an additional day.

Collaboration

In addition to creating cloud storage easy and straightforward to make use of, one among Google Drive’s strongest options is its vary of collaboration instruments. Sharing a file or doc with another person is so simple as hitting the share button and getting into their e-mail. Alternatively, Drive can generate a hyperlink to ship by way of textual content, social media or your messaging app of alternative. Once somebody has entry, you’ll be capable to view or edit the file with them in real-time.

That mentioned, it’s essential to know who you’re sharing your recordsdata with and the way they’re utilizing them. For instance, it may be actually useful to provide modifying permission to a trainer or mentor should you’re in search of assist with an essay, however much less so should you’re simply sharing an e-book with a good friend. In addition to the proprietor of the file, Drive affords three completely different ranges of entry: viewer, commenter and editor. And if one thing goes improper and also you ever wish to see an older copy of a Google Doc, Sheet or Slide, you possibly can open the File menu and choose the choice that claims Version historical past.

Viewers are solely capable of see and skim the doc, however don’t have the power to vary any of the content material. Commenters can view and floor ideas and questions in regards to the content material by utilizing Google’s Comment instrument, whereas editors could make adjustments similar to the proprietor of a doc.

If you wish to see recordsdata that others have despatched you latterly, you possibly can click on on Google Drive’s Shared with me tab. And in case you have a Google Workspace account by faculty or work, you may as well open the helpful Activity Dashboard by clicking on the squiggly icon. (It’s within the prime proper subsequent to the blue Share button on a desktop.) Finally, in order for you a quick solution to see which recordsdata you’ve shared with others, you possibly can kind “to:” into Drive’s search field.

Accessing recordsdata offline

While Google Drive is meant primarily as a solution to handle docs and recordsdata saved within the cloud, it does assist offline entry, which might be helpful while you don’t have web connection. However, there are some steps it’s essential to take earlier than you may get the complete advantage of utilizing Drive offline.

First, it’s essential to make some adjustments to your Drive’s settings whereas linked to the web earlier than going offline. On a pc, it’s essential to click on the gear icon within the prime proper nook of your Google Drive browser tab, hit Settings after which examine the field subsequent to the Offline menu possibility. On cellular, you’ll have to open the Drive app, discover a particular file after which designate for offline entry by enabling the choice from the More icon (it is the one that appears like three vertical dots). Once you try this, you’ll be capable to entry, edit and save any adjustments you make. And the following time your machine connects to the web, it is going to robotically sync any adjustments you made to the offline doc to the one saved within the cloud. Meanwhile on a Chromebook, all you must do is open up your Google Drive settings, scroll down, examine the field subsequent to the Offline possibility and hit Done.