Chromebooks are internet machines by nature. Most of what they do revolves around “the cloud” and the internet is an essential part of their performance. This is why most Chromebooks come with little internal storage, usually ranging from 16 GB to 32 GB. Those who need more storage have to resort to Google Drive.
If you are new to Chromebooks, you may still be trying to find all the ins and outs of your shiny computer. Google Drive and storage is an important factor, so we thought we should show you some tips on using Google Drive with your Chromebook.
Benefits of using Google Drive on a Chromebook
You can also use other services like Dropbox, Mega, Box, etc. Google Drive just happens to be the deeply integrated to Chromebooks, as it’s Google’s official cloud storage solution. And it may even be the best option, anyways – Google Drive’s prices recently went down to amazing rates!
I use Google Drive as my main cloud storage solution and have to say I love it. As an Android and all-around Google user, I find the best experience with Google Drive. I have my whole computer and files backed up to the service. This means I can access all my music, photos and documents from any of my devices.
Whether I am on my computer, Chromebook, smartphone, tablet, or any other computer. I have full and simple access to my files. Google products will have great integration with it, and there are apps for most popular operating systems. From a Chromebook, there are two main ways to access Google Drive.
How to access your Google Drive from the web
Of course, the obvious way to access Google Drive is from the web. There are two ways to do this from a Chromebook.
- Go to drive.google.com from the browser.
- Open your app launcher and click on the Google Drive icon.
You will be able to access, upload and edit files straight from the website. We are using Chroembooks here, though. These are Google’s computers – there must be a better way to manage Google Drive!
How to access Google Drive from the Files app
Because Chrome OS and Google Drive are meant to work together, the Search giant has made it very easy for users to access Drive from a Chromebook. You can access your Google Drive files straight from the Files app in your Chromebook, which is located right in your app launcher.
If you access the Files app, you will notice there are two main categories – Downloads and Google Drive. Downloads is where local files are stored, while Google Drive is where your cloud files (within Drive) are.
Accessing Google Drive from the Files app offers a seamless experience. It literally treats your Google Drive account as if it were a folder. All your folders and files will look like any other file in a computer, and Drive is completely synced to the cloud.
From the Files app you can organize, delete, move, open or edit any files you may have. It’s as seamless and intuitive as it can get.
Download the other apps
You may also want to access Google Drive from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Download Google Drive Extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Download Google Drive app from the Apple App Store.
- Download Google Drive app from the Google Play Store.
- Download Google Drive for your Mac or Windows PC.
You are now set for the Google Drive experience! Give it a go and share in the comments if you have any more Google Drive tips for us!
