Even if you have been using Google Drive for a few years, there’s a good chance you haven’t explored some of its best features. And honestly, I don’t blame you. Google Drive’s clean and simple interface doesn’t exactly scream “power tools hidden inside.”
But beyond those obvious Google Drive search hacks, the activity sidebar, and the ability to color-code folders, there are plenty of clever tricks that can change the way you use Google Drive.
Search your Drive files right from the address bar
Find files faster than ever
You don’t always have to open Google Drive to start a search. That’s a slightly faster way. Most browsers allow searching Google Drive directly from the address bar. All you have to do is type @drive followed by the file name in the browser’s URL bar, and it will instantly open search results in Google Drive.
This doesn’t work by default though. To set it up, head to your browser’s search engine and site search menu. Add Google Drive as the search engine name, set @drive as the shortcut, and paste the following address in the URL field.
https://drive.google.com/drive/search?q=%s
Save your changes and that’s it. From now on, you can fire up a Drive search from any tab.
Send larger files over email
Avoid attachment limits
Emails are just as important as they were a decade ago, but one annoying limitation that still hasn’t changed for all these years is the attachment size limits. If you use Gmail though, it’s easy to get around this restriction.
In Gmail’s Compose window, click the Google Drive icon instead of the paperclip icon. This lets you attach files stored in your Drive, and you can send files up to 10GB. Gmail adds them as links, so the recipient can open them easily.
The best part is the control it offers. Since the file lives in Google Drive, you can set permissions to view only, allow editing if you’re collaborating, and even retrieve access at any time.
Auto-convert Office files into Google Docs formats
Open Office files without Office installed
I personally prefer Google’s workspace apps over Microsoft Office, but the truth is, Office is still incredibly popular. As a result, I often end up receiving Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations from time to time. The problem is, I don’t actually have Office installed on my PC anymore, which makes opening these files a chore.
Fortunately, Google Drive has a fix for that. It can automatically convert Office files into Google Docs formats the moment you upload them. To turn this on, head to Drive Settings > General and tick Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format.
Once you turn it on, any Office file you upload to Google Drive will be converted into a Google-friendly format. That way, you can view and edit that file like any other Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file.
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Manage Drive from File Explorer
Make Drive feel like local storage
File Explorer on Windows shows OneDrive by default, which makes it easy to upload and manage files in the cloud without opening a browser. What a lot of people don’t know is you can enjoy that same convenience with Google Drive too. All you have to do is download the Google Drive app for Windows and sign into your account.
Once you do, Google Drive will show up in File Explorer alongside your other drives. You can then browse your files as if they were stored locally, and any changes you make sync automatically. There’s also the option to make certain files available offline so you can access them even when you’re not connected to the internet.
It gets better. If you have multiple Google accounts like me, you can head to Google Drive’s settings menu on Windows and add more accounts. File Explorer will then let you manage all of them in one place, which makes moving files between accounts way too easy.
Scan documents straight into Google Drive
Digitize paper in seconds
Like most people, I occasionally need to scan physical documents, like receipts, forms, and handwritten notes. With the Google Drive app on my phone, I don’t need to rely on any third-party apps for that.
I can tap the camera icon in the Drive app, point the camera towards the document, and it automatically detects it. The app also lets me apply various filters, erase marks and stains, and make minor edits. Once it’s all done, I can save the scan as a JPG or a PDF file. This also saves me the hassle of uploading them manually.
It’s one thing to use Google Drive every day and another to use it with these hidden tricks. I honestly regret not knowing some of these tricks sooner. And these are just the start. With the right Google Drive add-ons, you can unlock even more ways to automate, organize, and supercharge your cloud workflow.
