In case you requested me to call the websites and functions I take advantage of each single day, Google Drive could be close to the highest of the record. What’s Google Drive? a cloud-based app used for file creation, storing, sharing, collaboration, and an entire lot extra.
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In reality, Google Drive has extra worth than meets the attention. Do you know that you could crop images proper inside a Google Doc? Or that you should use Drive to ship actually huge recordsdata to individuals — recordsdata which are too huge for Gmail?
Let’s discover ways to take full benefit of what Google Drive has to supply. (You may wish to bookmark our record of little-known Google Calendar options, too.)
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What’s Google Drive?
Google Drive is a free, cloud-based file storage service that enables customers to save lots of recordsdata on-line and entry them from anyplace. With Drive, you’ll be able to simply share recordsdata with others and collaborate.
If in case you have a Google account, you have already got entry to Drive and 15GB of free storage.
How does Google Drive work?
Whereas the first perform of Google Drive is storage, Drive additionally serves because the nerve middle for your entire account-related exercise. Drive integrates with Google Docs, Slides, Varieties, and Sheets which let you not solely create new recordsdata however collaborate on them together with your group in actual time.
You’ll be able to add your recordsdata on-line or set up Drive for Desktop, which lets you sync folders out of your laptop to Drive. In case you edit, transfer, or take away a file on the cloud, the identical occurs in your laptop (or no matter system you’re utilizing).
Find out how to Use It
As we briefly talked about above, to make use of Google Drive you’ll first have to arrange an account. Merely head to Google’s homepage and click on “check in” the place you’ll be prompted to create an account for those who don’t have already got one.
As soon as an account is created there are a number of methods to entry Drive. You’ll be able to sort https://drive.google.com into your browser. If already signed in, from the Google homepage you’ll be able to click on the “apps” icon within the high proper nook and choose Drive from the drop down menu.
When you log in, you’ll be dropped at your foremost Drive hub the place you’ll be able to view your recordsdata and create new ones. View recordsdata which were shared with you, your shared units, or use the search bar on the high to discover a particular file.
Google’s AI expertise and search capabilities are embedded in Drive — serving to you to shortly discover what you want. Subsequent, we’ll provide you with some fast tricks to make utilizing Google Drive even simpler.
9 Useful Google Drive Suggestions
1) Use these keyboard shortcuts.
Are you trying to actually streamline your Google Drive efforts? Google Drive’s obtained a ton of keyboard shortcuts to make use of, comparable to:
- Shift + t = Create new doc.
- Shift + p = Create new presentation.
- Shift + s = Create new spreadsheet.
- / = Search your Drive.
See the total record right here.
Ever want a fast reminder of those shortcuts whereas utilizing Google Drive? You’ll be able to at all times show the record by urgent Shift + / or Ctrl + / on Chrome OS or Home windows, or ⌘ + / on a Mac. Or, click on the gear icon within the higher left hand nook of your display screen and select “Keyboard Shortcuts” from the dropdown menu.
2) Ship giant recordsdata to others.
In case you‘re on the lookout for methods to get round Gmail’s file dimension restrict, Google Drive might grow to be your go-to. Whereas Gmail limits the file dimension of attachments to 25 MB — which suggests no sending huge video, audio, or complicated picture recordsdata — Google Drive permits you to ship recordsdata as much as 15 GB. To do that, you will create a folder, add recordsdata to that folder, and share the folder with others.
To create a folder, log in to Google Drive and click on the massive, “New” button on the right-hand facet of your display screen. Choose “Folder” from the dropdown menu. Then, both drag and drop recordsdata into the central pane of the display screen (as proven within the screenshot beneath), or right-click anyplace on the central pane of the display screen and select “Add Recordsdata.”
(Psst: Discover the call-to-action for shopping for extra cupboard space within the backside left-hand nook. As you’ll be able to think about, including giant recordsdata to your Drive will have an effect on your general cupboard space. Google provides you 30 GB totally free, however for those who ever want extra, you should buy 100 GB of extra area for $1.99/month or 1 TB for $9.99/month.)
Subsequent, share the folder with others by opening My Drive, which is your foremost Google Drive web page. Proper-click on the folder and select “Share” from the dropdown menu.
Enter names and electronic mail addresses of these you‘d wish to share the folder with, and select whether or not or not they will edit or touch upon the paperwork inside. Click on carried out, and also you’re all set!
3) Crop, masks, and add borders to photographs.
As soon as you have added a picture right into a doc or slide of a presentation, you’ll be able to crop it, masks it, and even add borders to it. Take a look at the directions beneath. (And for those who ever wish to reset a picture again to its unique type, merely choose the picture and click on the “Reset Picture” icon in your toolbar.)
Crop an Picture
Choose a picture in your doc or presentation and click on the crop icon in your toolbar.
From there, drag and drop the blue handles till you have cropped the picture to your liking. To put it aside, click on “Enter” in your keyboard or simply click on again into your doc or slide.
Masks an Picture
“Masking” a picture merely means becoming a picture into a particular form. You are able to do this in a slide presentation in Drive, however not in a doc.
Choose a picture in your presentation and click on the dropdown arrow subsequent to the crop icon in your toolbar. 4 masks classes will seem that you could choose from: shapes, arrows, callouts, and equation.
Choose one and the picture will take that form. You’ll be able to resize it by dragging and dropping the blue handles.
Add borders to an Picture
You’ll be able to add coloured borders to any picture in a doc or presentation, even after you have cropped or masked it. To do that, choose the picture and click on the road coloration icon in your toolbar, which appears to be like like a pencil.
Select a coloration (or click on “Customized” to create your individual), and the border of the picture will grow to be that coloration. To put it aside, merely click on off of the picture.
4) Customise how objects are displayed in My Drive.
Not too long ago, Google modified My Drive‘s default view from “record view” to “grid view,” so all my recordsdata had been displayed like giant icons as an alternative of in an extended record. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of this alteration — however fortunately, they made it very easy to change it again.
Merely click on the icon furthest left of the gear icon (which is situated on the highest proper of your window). That icon will seem like the one beneath if it‘s been set to “Grid View,” and it’ll seem like a bulleted record if it has been set to “Listing View.”
Wish to change how your objects are ordered? Click on the “AZ” icon within the high proper hand nook to order objects by “Final modified,” “Final edited by me, ”Final openedby me,” or their file names in alphabetical order.
Lastly, you’ll be able to modify how densely packed collectively the objects are on My Drive, from “snug” to “cozy” to “compact.” To do that, click on the gear icon, and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu. Below “Density,” take your decide between the three choices.
6) Save net content material like pictures proper to Drive.
Google created a browser extension known as “Save to Google Drive” that permits you to add paperwork, pictures, hyperlinks, and HTML5 audio and video recordsdata to Drive with a easy proper click on.
To allow this in your desktop laptop, obtain Google’s free browser extension and authorize it in your laptop. Then, proper click on on the internet content material you wish to save and choose “Save to Google Drive.” You can entry that file on Drive instantly.
7) Entry and edit your paperwork offline.
I‘ve discovered myself desirous to tweak a doc whereas on an airplane with out WiFi a couple of too many occasions, which is why I like that Google Drive means that you can entry and edit paperwork offline on desktop, in your iPhone or iPad, or in your Android system. You should be linked to the web with the intention to allow offline entry for a file — however when you’ve carried out that, you are good to go. All of the adjustments you made on-line will likely be up to date on-line while you restore your web connection.
Be aware of which computer systems or units you allow offline entry on, although. Google recommends sticking to non-public computer systems and units and/or ones you utilize often, in any other case your knowledge might be in danger.
Desktop
On a desktop laptop, the one prerequisite to viewing and enhancing recordsdata offline is that you should be utilizing a Chrome net browser. So make sure you obtain Google Chrome for those who plan to make use of this function.
To allow offline viewing and enhancing, go to Google Drive in your net browser and click on the gear icon within the high proper hand nook. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. Then, merely test the field within the “Offline” part, like I did beneath:
(Want extra assist? Watch Google’s educational video right here.)
iPhone & iPad
You’ll be able to allow offline entry to particular recordsdata in your Apple units. First, ensure you are linked to the web to allow offline entry for later. Then, discover the file you need to have the ability to entry offline and contact the gray “i” button subsequent to it.
A particulars panel will slide in on the fitting — discover “Carry on Machine” and easily change the setting from “Off” to “On.”
Once you‘re not linked to the web, you’ll see a pin icon subsequent to your entire offline recordsdata. To entry your offline objects, open the Google Drive app and choose “On system” from the left-hand navigation panel. (Want extra assist? Click on right here for Google’s help web page.)
Android
You’ll be able to allow offline entry to particular recordsdata in your Apple units. First, ensure you are linked to the web to allow offline entry for later. Then, discover the file you need to have the ability to entry offline and both:
- Contact the gray i button subsequent to the file and change the setting from “Off” to “On” to “Carry on system” within the particulars panel.
- Contact and maintain the identify of a file for 1-2 seconds. Then, within the field that seems, contact the offline icon.
If the icon isn’t crammed in, the file is already out there offline.
To entry your offline objects, open the Google Drive app and choose “On system” from the left-hand navigation panel. (Want extra assist? Click on right here for Google’s help web page.)
8) Take a look at the revision historical past and restore earlier variations.
I like this function as a result of it permits me to see all the adjustments I and others have made to file in Drive. Higher but, I can revert again to earlier variations of my file — and see which individual made particular edits. Fairly cool, eh?
In case you simply desire a fast scan of the exercise historical past with out going into element, all you need to do is right-click on a file or funder and click on “View Particulars” from the dropdown menu. A panel will seem on the right-hand facet of your display screen exhibiting an outline of who made adjustments and when.
To see the revision historical past in additional element, open the file, click on the “File” menu on the high left of your display screen, and select “See revision historical past.” A revision historical past panel will seem on the right-hand facet of your display screen, exhibiting who made adjustments and when — and which particular adjustments that individual made, for those who click on “Present extra detailed revisions” on the backside.
To revive a earlier revision, click on that revision after which click on the “Restore this revision” hyperlink that seems.
Don‘t fear, restoring the revision gained’t get rid of any variations of your file. You’ll be able to return to the present model of your doc by clicking the X within the higher proper of the revision historical past panel. What it would do is transfer that earlier model to the highest of your revisions historical past.
Google Drive will preserve a model historical past of all of your recordsdata for as much as 30 days or 100 revisions. After that, to save lots of cupboard space, it’s going to merge revisions primarily based on the age of the file and/or dimension of the revisions in a course of known as “revision pruning.” If you wish to hold revisions for longer than that — say, for a doc that is up to date by a number of individuals many occasions per day — you’ll be able to mark particular person Google Drive recordsdata to maintain all of the variations. Learn to try this right here however bear in mind it’s going to impression cupboard space.
9) Set Drive as your default doc location.
Wish to streamline your cloud storage expertise? You may make Google Drive the default save location for all of your new paperwork on a Home windows desktop laptop.
Home windows customers: Discover your laptop‘s Paperwork folder and right-click it. Choose “Properties” from the dropdown menu. Click on “Embrace a folder…”, after which discover your Google Drive folder. Subsequent, choose Google Drive to spotlight it and click on “Embrace folder.” Choose “Google Drive” from Library Areas and click on “Set save location.” To use the adjustments, click on “Apply.” And also you’re carried out!
Editor’s word: This text was initially revealed in June 2015 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
