How do i open my google drive

Q: Why cant I access my Google Drive?

If a file wont open, a few things could be wrong: The file owner didnt give you permission to view the file. Youre signed in to a different Google Account. Your access could be denied because someone removed your permission to view the file.

In order to use Google Drive, you will need a Google account. Google accounts are free, and signing up for one is fairly simple. In order to create a Google account, you'll need to enter some information, including your name, birth date, and location. Creating a Google account will automatically create a Gmail email address and a Google+ profile.

Table of Contents Show

Accessing Google Drive
The Google Drive interface
File Action Buttons
Google Drive for mobile devices
Google Drive for desktop
How do I access my Google Drive?
Why can't I access my Google Drive?
How do I open Google Drive in settings?

If you have a Gmail address, you already have a Google account, so you won't need to create an account—you can simply sign in to Drive using your Gmail information.

To create a Google account:

Go to www.google.com. Locate and select the Sign in button in the top-right corner of the page.
Click Create an account.
The sign-up form will appear. Follow the directions and enter the required information.
Next enter your phone number. Google will send a verification code to your phone that you will use to complete the sign up process.
Enter the verification code sent to your phone and click Verify.
The personal information page will appear. Follow the directions and enter your information, including your birth date and gender.
Review Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click I agree.
Your account will be created.

Just like with any online service, it's important to choose a strong password—in other words, one that's difficult for someone to guess. For more information, check out our Password Tips lesson.

Accessing Google Drive

Once you've set up your Google account, you can access Google Drive by going to http://drive.google.com in your web browser.

You can also navigate to Google Drive from any Google page (such as Gmail or Google search) by selecting the grid icon near the top-right corner, then clicking Drive.

The Google Drive interface

Your Google Drive may be empty right now, but as you begin to upload and create files you'll need to know how to view, manage, and organize them in the interface.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become familiar with the Google Drive interface.

edit hotspots

New Button

Click the New button to create a new document, spreadsheet, presentation, or other Google document. The new file will be saved to your Google Drive automatically. You can also use the New button to create new folders and upload files from your computer.

Folders

Related files can be organized into folders. Once files are placed in a folder, you can view, share, and apply changes to multiple files at the same time. When you select a folder in the left pane, only files contained within that folder will appear in the View pane.

Views

You can choose several different views for Google Drive. The default view is My Drive, which shows all of your files. You can also choose to see files that are shared with you (Incoming), favorited (Starred), or recently edited.

File Action Buttons

These options will appear whenever you select a file. They allow you to quickly share the file, see a preview, or delete it.

Sort

By default, your files are sorted by the date they were last modified. Click here to reorganize your files by size, name, or editing history.

View Pane

The View pane displays all of your files. It's easy to see who owns each file, what files are shared, and when files were last modified. Simply click to select any file, or double-click to open it.

Search Bar

The Search bar allows you to look for specific files. Whenever you enter a search term, Google Drive will automatically display files that match your search. You can also run an advanced search, which allows you to filter your files by type.

Google Drive for mobile devices

Available for both iOS and Android, the Google Drive mobile app allows you to view and upload files to Google Drive using your mobile device.

Google also has separate mobile apps for creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. To learn more, check out Google's blog post on New mobile apps for Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Drive for desktop

If you prefer to work on the desktop, you can download the Google Drive desktop app to your computer. Available for Windows and OS X, this app makes it a bit easier to upload your existing files and work offline. Once it's installed, you'll see a new Google Drive folder on your computer. Any files you move into this folder will automatically be uploaded to your Google Drive.

How do I access my Google Drive?

Go to drive.google.com. Install Drive for desktop . For details, go to Install Drive for desktop. Install the Drive app from the Play Store (Android) or Apple App Store (iOS)..

Check your sync status..

Access your files from any device..

Access your files offline..

Why can't I access my Google Drive?

If a file won't open, a few things could be wrong: The file owner didn't give you permission to view the file. You're signed in to a different Google Account. Your access could be denied because someone removed your permission to view the file.

How do I open Google Drive in settings?

or if it disappears look for the Google Drive icon in near your clock or in your system tray, click on the gear > Preferences. The first option on the left is the menu to add folders or libraries to sync to the cloud (drive.google.com).