Can I download Google Drive on my Mac?

Yes you can download Google Drive on your Mac device. Google Drive is an online storage solution by Google. It allows you to store and sync data across your devices with its 15 GB of free storage space, while its integration with Google Docs for Mac gives your friends or coworkers access to the files or folders you designate for sharing.

There’s an official Google Drive app for Mac too which is an upgraded 2017 version of which is called Backup & Sync and is sometimes referred to as the new Google Drive. Google Drive Backup and Sync download is free and you can expect to install it and have it running in no time and little effort.

With Google Drive, you can create and edit documents online. But if you rely on Drive for files backup and sync, it’s much more convenient to use the app. To start using Google Drive on Mac, the first thing you need is a Google Drive account.

The latest versions of Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms are compatible with the following operating systems and browsers.

System Requirements for Google Drive

Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms work with the two most recent versions of the following browsers (unless specified otherwise). Make sure cookies and JavaScript are turned on for your browser.

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Windows only: Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge
• Mac only: Safari

Other browsers may work, but you might not be able to use all of the features.

You can download and use Backup and Sync on certain operating systems: For Mac: Yosemite (10.10) and up (see which version you’re using)

Linux: Backup and Sync isn’t currently available using the Linux operating system. You can use Google Drive on the web at drive.google.com.

How to create a Google Drive account?

If you have an account on any of Google services, like Gmail, YouTube, or Google Play, then you actually already have a Google Drive account.

Simply log in to a Google Drive website or app with your existing credentials. Or create a Google account for free by following these steps:

Go to google.com/drive and click on the blue Go to Google Drive button

Click Create Account

Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new Google account (this will also serve as your new Gmail email address)

Once you have a Google account, you can download Google Drive for Mac and use it. Here’s how you can do the Google Backup and Sync Download:

• Go to google.com/drive and click Download near the top of the page
• Click on the Download button under Backup and Sync
• Read and agree to the terms of service to start the download of Google Drive for Mac

The Google Drive Installer will be downloaded to your Mac’s Downloads folder

When the download is complete, double-click the installer (the file is called InstallBackupAndSync.dmg). Then click and drag the Backup and Sync From Google icon to the Applications folder. Boom, done!

The first time you open Google Drive on Mac, you have to go through a few steps to get it set up properly. After that accessing Google Drive will be effortless. But to get things up and running:

• Launch Google Drive from the Applications folder by clicking on Backup and Sync From Google
• A warning sign will appear cautioning that Google Drive is an application you downloaded from the internet ➙ click Open
• On the welcome to Google Drive window that appears click Get Started
• Sign in to your Google account with your Gmail email address and password
• The Google Drive Installer will display a number of tips about using the app and then add a special Google Drive folder to your Home directory on Mac ➙ click Next
• You can designate items in your Google Drive folder to be shared with anyone ➙ click Next ➙ Done

The installer will finish by adding a Google Drive menu bar icon and a Google Drive sidebar icon to the Finder. This sets up the two key elements for you to work with Google Drive for Mac: Google Drive folder and Google Drive menu bar icon.

Most of the time you’ll use the Google Drive folder — to store items you want to save to the Google cloud as well as share with others. Google Drive menu bar icon is handy for quick access and configuring Google Drive settings.

Google Drive menu bar icon on your Mac

The menu bar Google Drive icon gives you quick access to the Google Drive folder on your Mac, opens Google Drive in your browser, displays recent documents that you have added or updated, and tells you if the Google Drive sync has completed. But more importantly, the menu bar icon contains additional Google Drive settings. To set up Google Drive to your liking:

• Click on the Google Drive icon in the menu bar and a dropdown menu will appear
• Click on the vertical ellipsis in the top right corner ➙ choose Preferences from the menu
• The Google Drive Preferences menu lets you configure your Google Drive settings with a three-tab interface.
• My Mac tab allows you to decide whether you want to keep the default setting and have all the folders in your Google Drive folder synced automatically to the cloud or designate only specific folders for Google Drive sync.
• Google Drive tab manages the connection between your Google Drive folder and the cloud. This is where you go in case of Google Drive not syncing. To sync Google Drive folder with the cloud, make sure you’re signed in to your Google account.
• Settings tab gives you options to have Google Drive automatically launch when you log in to your Mac, show confirmation messages when shared items are removed from Google Drive, and upgrade your storage to another plan.

How to use Google Drive on Mac?

Now that your Google Drive setup is complete, you have access to this additional storage for you to do as you wish. However, one of the best uses would be to link your Google Drive to multiple devices — for easy access from all of them.

Also remember that Google Drive lets you create and work with others on documents in Google’s own versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in real-time called Docs, Sheets, and Slides respectively. To enable collaboration on a Google Docs file, simply tap on Share in the top right corner and enter the names or email addresses of the people you wish to engage.