Right click the “triangle” icon to see the different settings for Google Drive client. Google Drive Client Settings Explained. As a bottom line, you can try “Google Drive” to sync up important folders/files on your computer/pc/laptop and use as a backup and cloud storage solution.
Google Drive lets you access your files anywhere through the cloud, but you might not be getting the most out of it. We’re going to show you some Drive settings that you should tweak immediately.
Whether it’s changing your default save folder, editing fonts, or using your files offline, these tips will help you be a more efficient Drive user.
Have your own tip to share with us? Please let us know in the comments below.
![Drive Drive](http://usingtechnologybetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-27-at-11.50.45-AM.png)
1. Set a Default Documents Folder
You need to manually put your files in your local Google Drive so that they sync to the cloud. This can be cumbersome when Windows defaults your storage location to be Documents. We can change this so that the default Documents location is Google Drive.
Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer. From the left-hand list, right-click the Documents folder. Move to the Location tab and click Move…
A new window will open. Click Google Drive from the left-hand list, then click Select Folder. Click OK to confirm.
Finally, you’ll be asked if you want to move your files from the old location to the new. It’s recommended that you do, so click Yes to proceed.
2. Use Files Offline
If you’re using Google Drive on your computerThe Google Drive Desktop App is Being Shutdown in March, 2018The Google Drive Desktop App is Being Shutdown in March, 2018Google is finally depreciating the aging Drive desktop app for both Windows and macOS. But have no fear, there is already a replacement. Let's take a look.Read More then you don’t need to do anything special to use the files offline. Open them up and they’ll sync the next time you’re connected. To get the same thing for your browser, the setup process is a little different.
![How to change google drive sync settings How to change google drive sync settings](http://usingtechnologybetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Screen-Shot-2017-04-20-at-12.42.16-PM.png)
First, you’ll need to use Google Chrome. Launch it and install the Google Docs Offline extension. Go to Google Drive, click the Cog icon in the top right, and click Settings. On the General pane, tick Sync Google Docs, Sheets, Slides & Drawings files to this computer so that you can edit offline. Finally, click Done.
You’ll see a message to show that your changes are being updated, which will disappear once the process is complete.
3. Check Your App Permissions
Applications can be linked to Google Drive and serve a variety of purposes. You can get functional apps that let you do things like fax and sign documents or create flow charts. You can also tie-in other programs to use Google Drive as a storage facility — WhatsApp’s chat backups10 Best WhatsApp Features Everyone Must Know10 Best WhatsApp Features Everyone Must KnowWant to get the most out of WhatsApp? Some features -- hidden and obvious, new and old -- are essential to improving your experience. Here are some of the best.Read More is a popular example of this.
It’s wise to check which apps are paired to your Google Drive account. Perhaps you’ve mistakenly added something or no longer need it. If so, there’s no need for it to be accessing your account or using your data.
To manage this, open Google Drive and click the Cog icon in the top right, then click Settings. Switch to the Manage Apps window from the left-hand navigation. Here you will see a list of all your apps.
You can use the Options dropdown to Disconnect from Drive and remove the app entirely. If applicable, you will also be able to Delete hidden app data. This means the application is using your data allowance, but won’t appear in your standard list of files. Click Done when you’re finished.
4. Automatically Back Up Photos and Videos
You can have your photos and videos automatically backed up3 Great Ways to Automatically Backup and Sync Your Data on Android3 Great Ways to Automatically Backup and Sync Your Data on AndroidDon't lose your data! Make sure you're keeping it all backed up. For that, let us help you out.Read More to your Google Drive from your smartphone. This is really helpful if you have limited storage space on your phone or you don’t want to have to think about the backup process.
On Android, open the Google Drive app and tap the menu icon in the top left. Go to Settings and then slide Auto Add to toggle it on.
On iOS, open the Google Drive app and tap the menu icon. Go to Settings > Photos and then slide Auto Backup to the on position.
5. Set Default Document Formatting
When you start a new document, you always change the font to something else. Save yourself the task and a few seconds because you can set a specific font as the default.
First, open a document in Google Docs. Type something, then highlight it. Set your formatting for the font using the dropdowns. Then go to Format > Paragraph styles > Normal text > Update normal text to match.
Keeping the text highlighted, go to Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles. Done! Now all new documents will use this formatting.
6. Change Notification Settings
You can choose to get various notifications from Google Drive. On the web version, your options are limited to enabling or disabling email notificationsTweak Email Notifications to Your Liking on Windows. It’s Easy!Tweak Email Notifications to Your Liking on Windows. It’s Easy!Mail app notifications can be a nuisance. Here's how to customize them to your liking!Read More. To do this, log in to Google Drive and click the Cog icon. Go to Settings, switch to the Notifications pane, and then tick the box. Finally, click Done.
On Android and iOS, the customization options are better. Launch Google Drive on your phone, tap the Menu icon. Then, go to Settings > Notification settings (or just Notifications on iOS).
Here, you can change settings like whether to show notifications, what specifically to be notified about, and whether to enable noise and vibration.
7. Apps for Specific File Types
The Chrome Web Store is full of handy applications you can link with Google Drive. Some of these apps will open specific file types like PDFsThe Best Free PDF Tools for Offices Running Windows or MacThe Best Free PDF Tools for Offices Running Windows or MacYou can assemble a free suite of advanced PDF tools to edit, sign, merge, and split PDFs. We'll show you the best PDF apps for Windows and Mac.Read More. Think of it like how your computer can open music files in all sorts of different media players.
If you have apps installed and want to set an app to be the default for opening a certain type of file, that’s easy to change. Login to Google Drive, click the Cog icon, click Settings, then Manage apps.
Scroll to the app you wish to manage and tick the Use by default checkbox. Of course, simply untick this box to remove the default.
8. Set Your Primary Google Account
If you have multiple email addresses connected to your Google account, you might find yourself constantly switching between them in order to access the Drive account you want. This is because Google uses the first account you sign into as your default. You can reset this.
First, navigate to Google, click your Profile icon on the top right, and click Sign out. Do this for all the accounts. Now, go to Google Drive and log in with the account you wish to use as your primary. This will now be the Drive account that loads first. Once done, you can log into the rest of your accounts.
Have You Paid Attention to Drive’s Settings Lately?
Hopefully, you’ve learned something new from the tips we’ve outlined here. They’ll help you be a more efficient Google Drive user. Google Drive settings can seem overwhelming. But, thanks to these major settings you can create and edit your files with ease and not have to mess around too much with them in the future.
If you’re looking for more Google Drive advice, check out our guides for organizing your Drive like a proHow to Organize Your Google Drive Like a ProHow to Organize Your Google Drive Like a ProGoogle Drive's biggest benefits are its advanced search features. They can help you sort and organize your files and you'll always find what you need!Read More and tips and tricks to get the most from Drive7 Tips & Tricks To Get The Most Out Of Google Drive7 Tips & Tricks To Get The Most Out Of Google DriveGoogle Drive is a great service, but installing the Google Drive application and synchronizing some files is just the first step. These tricks will help you take advantage of Google Drive, both on the desktop...Read More.
Which one of these tips has proved most useful to you? Do you have your own advice to share on Google Drive settings to change?
Explore more about: Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Productivity.
- My Google Drive was working perfectly but suddenly all the fonts became smaller. How do I get them back to a readable size?
- You really don't want to 'have your photos and videos automatically backed up to your Google Drive' from your smartphone or other source! That's because most people have limited storage on Google Drive (if they're not paying for additional storage). Instead, you should be backing up photos and videos to Google Photos - where free storage for photos is unlimited (with some compression and a maximum 16 megapixel resolution). Besides, Google Photos has lots of display, organization, and editing options for photos that Google Drive lacks.
- I've been using it for a short time. I have no issues with the backups, but for some reason it does not close when I shut down the computer. I have to quit the program or force close it to get Windows to close. Quite annoying
reader comments
with 65 posters participatingOn the Web, Google Drive is mostly used as a competitor to Microsoft Office. You get apps for word processing, spreadsheets, and slides. On a desktop computer, the Drive app takes on a different form—it's a Dropbox competitor, syncing your files to the cloud from a special folder. This week, Google announced the Drive desktop app is changing; it's not even called 'Drive' anymore. Now this app is called 'Google Backup and Sync,' and it gains a few new features while merging with the Google Photos Syncing app.
While it isn't happening by default yet, it looks like Google is planning on automatically upgrading users of the Drive and Photos syncing apps to the new unified app. It's clearly the new version of the Drive app (just version 3.x instead of 2.x), and running the installer will do an in-place upgrade of the prior app. On the first launch, a dialog box explains a bit about the transition.
The new app has all the features of the Drive and Photos apps, and it links to both sites in the menu. But there's one major new feature that takes the app out of the Dropbox mold it was originally cast in: you can now back up any folder to Google Drive, instead of just the single 'cloud folder.' A UI lets you open a folder dialog box, where you can cloud-enable any folder, anywhere on your computer.
This seems to basically be a backup system. On the Drive Web app, you'll see all your computers listed, and rather than moving the new folder into the Drive directory, backed up folders from each computer live under the computer names. These are computer-specific files and don't get synced down to other devices. It's strictly a backup system.
Having Google Photos exist as part of Drive is still a bit of a clunky feature. I don't need hundreds of gigabytes of historical photos downloaded to all my computers by default. Fortunately, you can still pick and choose which folders you want to sync, allowing you to uncheck the 'Google Photos' folder.
Backup and Sync will eventually hit your computer if you have the Drive or Photos sync apps installed, but you can manually download it here.