Why You Should Use Google Drive Desktop App

Are you still one of those users who are using Google Drive on the browser? I mean, there is nothing wrong with using Google Drive. In fact, Google Drive is one of the best cloud storage services that have simplified the lives of thousands of users by offe3ring storage for their data. This data can be accessed on the go anytime and anywhere. In addition to this, this cloud service comes with a suite of tools such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which are a tough competition to its rival (Microsoft Office). Having said that, the main question to focus on here is why you are using Google Drive on the browser instead of the Google Drive desktop app?

Yes! You heard it right. The Google Drive desktop app helps save a lot of time. This means users do not have to sign in every time they need to use the cloud service. The Google Drive desktop app makes it easier for users by eliminating this tedious process. Want to know more reasons why you should prefer Google Drive on desktop? Well, read below to know more.

How to Use Google Drive on a Computer

Before knowing the reasons to use Google Drive desktop app it is important to learn how to add Google Drive to the desktop. Using this app is very simple. Follow the below steps and know-how.

Begin by visiting the official website (Google.com/drive) on the browser. When you visit the Google Drive page, it automatically detects the OS you are using and downloads the application as per your operating system.

Once downloaded, a folder is created on your local machine that syncs with the Drive account. This folder contains all the data that is present on your Drive. On Windows, the folder is located in Windows File Explorer, and on Mac, you can find it using Finder.

Now, to use the Google Drive folder as a desktop app, all you need to do is just drag and drop any file to the folder to upload it on the Drive account. In the same manner, you can remove or delete the files from that folder to delete the same files from your Drive account.

In addition to this, you can also share the files and folder with your contacts or other users, in the same manner, you do it in the browser. All you need to do is right-click on the folder and select the Share option from the pop-out menu.

Reasons Why You Should Install Google Drive Desktop App

Below are some reasons as to why you should install Google Drive for the desktop app.

Supports Major Operating Systems

The Google Drive desktop app offers Windows and macOS users smooth access to Google Drive files and folders. The app manages tasks earlier offered in two different applications, the Backup, and Sync app and the Google Drive File Stream app. This means, regardless of the operating system you are using, you get to use this app. And since a majority of users prefer Windows or macOS, this covers a huge user base.

Personalized Offline Access

One of the major reasons why users prefer the Google Drive shortcut on desktop is that it allows users to Stream or Mirror data from the cloud to your machine. But remember that you must have ample amount of space while mirroring data on your local machine since it might consume a lot of space. After selecting to mirror your data on the local machine, it syncs your Google Drive data with your device. What does this mean? This means that users can have access to all their mirrored data even if they are not connected to the Internet.

On the other hand, you need to always keep an eye on your local storage since it will consume a lot of space every time you sync your device with the cloud. On the bright side, users can access Google Drive from desktop and customize their access to view the data offline.

In addition to this, users can manually choose specific files and folders with the help of Google Drive desktop sync. For instance, if there's a specific file that has data you always need, you can choose it and adjust the offline access to make it available offline.

Local File System Access to Google Drive

If you know how to sync Google Drive to desktop life is easy for you. The desktop app for Google Drive allows you browse your cloud files and folders, just as you view your folders and files located on your local machine. This is same regardless the operating system you are using.

Users can open and save files from the cloud service, in the same manner, they do on their local machine. If you would use the cloud service on browser, users would have had to open a browser, log in to the cloud service, choose data, then download it to the local machine. In the same manner, they might have need to follow the same steps to upload a file. Instead, after knowing how to add Google Drive to the desktop, the desktop app gets rid of all these tedious steps. Users just have to follow the normal steps they use on their device to access the Google Drive files and folder.

Use Up to 4 Accounts with the App

While using the desktop app for Google Drive, users get a major advantage. The app shows support for almost four different Google (whether school, work, or personal) accounts. This means users can use the desktop app to access a Google Drive personal account as well as a Google Drive for work account, with both accounts logged in at the same time.

For instance, while

using the Windows operating system, users’ work account may be added as F: drive, while users’ personal account can be added as G: drive. Users can configure different settings for each account individually.

Ability to Set Up Photo Back Up

Even though Google has a separate service for backing up Photos (Google Photos), Google Drive for desktop does this job for users. The desktop app can backup photos from your local machine to Google Photos. Similar to how the Google Photos apps works on Android and iOS, users can select to upload pics either in compressed version (storage saver mode) or in original quality.

More options related to images allow the users to select if they need to upload RAW images or screenshots to Google Photos. RAW images can be significantly bigger in size as compared to the jpeg or heic format images, which can have both bandwidth and storage usage implications. You can turn off the RAW photos option to avoid the service from uploading RAW images to the cloud storage. On the other hand, the screenshot setting is useful when you wish to keep Google Photos mostly aimed at pics you either create with an app or snap with a camera. Turn off the screenshot option to keep screenshots from being synced to the cloud service.

Can you have Google Drive on your computer?

You can have Google Drive on your computer. There are two ways. The first is the traditional way of using the browser to access Drive files and folders. The second and the smart way is to use Google Drive desktop app, which can save a lot of time and make your experience a smooth one while using the cloud service.

Is Google Drive for Desktop Free?

The desktop app for Google Drive is free to download. In addition to this, the company provides 15 GB of free space that is mutual among its range of products such as Google Photos, Gmail, Drive, Maps, and so on. If users need extra space beyond the 15 GB allotted one, they can always shell out money and get it for a reasonable price.

Do you need a Gmail account to use Google Drive?

Yes! In fact, you need a Google account to access any of the Google services. This includes Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Maps, Gmail, and so on. In addition to this, you can use different tools such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides by logging in using your Google credentials.

Conclusion

Having said that, you just had a look at the Google Drive desktop app. We saw how to use the Google Drive for desktop. In addition to this, we also had a look at different advantages that will not make you regret your decision of using the Google Drive desktop app. Lastly, we had a look at some of the frequently asked questions about Google Drive. So, what are you waiting for? Go and enjoy the Google Drive Desktop app for a smooth experience.