Description
Working on a cloud file usually means opening the browser, downloading it, editing, and uploading it back, and after a few rounds nobody knows which copy is current. Google Drive for desktop hides that routine: it adds a drive letter to your PC, so your cloud files and shared drives sit in File Explorer, open with a double-click and sync themselves after every edit.
It is the merger of the old Backup and Sync and the business-oriented Drive File Stream. The old client only synced My Drive; now files in shared drives can be mounted as well. You can also back up local Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders, so a dead laptop no longer takes your files with it.
You sign in with a Google account; the free quota and a Google One plan work exactly the same way. The installer is large, so this entry links to the official download page.
Virtual drive: Cloud files appear as a disk in File Explorer; a file is only fetched when you open it, so the whole drive does not have to fit on your PC.
Folder backup: Keep local Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders continuously backed up to the cloud.
Shared drives: Team drives are accessible locally, not just your personal space.
Offline access: Files marked available offline stay on disk, open without a connection and sync once you are back online.
Automatic sync: Local edits upload right away and keep multiple devices consistent.
It is the merger of the old Backup and Sync and the business-oriented Drive File Stream. The old client only synced My Drive; now files in shared drives can be mounted as well. You can also back up local Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders, so a dead laptop no longer takes your files with it.
You sign in with a Google account; the free quota and a Google One plan work exactly the same way. The installer is large, so this entry links to the official download page.
Features
Virtual drive: Cloud files appear as a disk in File Explorer; a file is only fetched when you open it, so the whole drive does not have to fit on your PC.
Folder backup: Keep local Documents, Desktop and Pictures folders continuously backed up to the cloud.
Shared drives: Team drives are accessible locally, not just your personal space.
Offline access: Files marked available offline stay on disk, open without a connection and sync once you are back online.
Automatic sync: Local edits upload right away and keep multiple devices consistent.
