How To Use Google Drive: A Complete Guide (For Newbies)


what is google drivePin

Google Drive is a complete, cloud-based productivity suite. It includes a word processor, spreadsheets, a presentation tool, and, of course, email. And this is how you download Google Drive and use it like a boss…



If you want to get stuff done, and you’re not using Google Drive, or, Google’s enterprise version, G-Suite, you’re missing out on one of the most useful cloud-based productivity apps on the planet.

What is Google Drive? The Basics

Google Drive is a cloud-based productivity suite of applications in its simplest form. It’ll run on all your devices, from your desktop PC to your phone, as well as cross-platform on macOS, Windows, and Linux, allowing you to save and manage your files and data online at all times.

Similar to Office 365 and open-source alternatives like Collabora Office, Drive is an all-in-one suite of office applications.

what is google drivePin

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Google Drive is a complete productivity suite, one that includes everything you get with Microsoft’s Office suite – so, a word processor, spreadsheets, presentation planners, and more – but here you won’t pay anything for access to these tools.

All you need to access Google Drive is a Gmail account. Once you have this, you’re good to go. Google Drive is free to join, although if you want more storage you’ll have to pony up some additional cash.

Here’s a breakdown of Google Drive’s storage prices.

Google Drive Prices (Updated For 2020):

  • Free Version – 15GB of storage, access to all features
  • 100GB Plan – $2 per month, access to all features
  • 1TB Plan – $10 per month, access to all features
  • 10TB Plan – $100 per month, access to all features

Google One: It’s Google’s Answer To iCloud

As a Drive or G-Suite user, you will be taking advantage of Google One, The Big G’s new cloud storage solution. Google One runs across ALL of Google’s cloud-based apps and services – so, Gmail, Photos, Drive, and Classrooms.

You cannot physically access Google One, however; instead, it is used as a storage mechanism that works in the background on all Drive and G-Suite apps. Google One is essentially your cloud account’s cloud-based hard drive.

Announced in May 2018, Google One initially shipped with a maximum of 1TB of storage. Google Drive came with 15GB for free. Fast forward a couple of years and you can now get up to 30TB of storage inside Google One, although anything over 15GB requires a paid subscription.

Google One Storage Options & Prices

StoragePrice (US$)
15 GBFree
100 GB$1.99/month ($19.99/year)
200 GB$2.99/month ($29.99/year)
2 TB$9.99/month ($99.99/year)
10 TB$99.99/month ($1.199,88/year)
20 TB$199.99/month ($2.399,88/year)
30 TB$299.99/month ($3.599,88/year)
Google One Plans – View Latest Deals & Offers Here

A lot of big companies are now using G-Suite too. Uber and Spotify, for instance, run their business inside Google’s G-Suite of applications. Having the ability to work on the cloud, on any device, anywhere in the world allows companies to be more agile and malleable.

However, when you get bigger companies using a platform, the storage demands go up – that’s why Google upped Google One’s maximum storage to 30 TB. Most smaller firms won’t need this much, of course, but having this level of storage inside Google One will be a key driving factor in its fight against competitor solutions like Office 365 from Microsoft.

Starting Out With Google Drive: First Things To Do

Once you’re signed in, you’ll be presented with what is essentially a blank slate. You’ll want to add a phone number and a backup email first; this will allow you to get inside your Google Drive account should something happen. Trust me, you do not want to get locked out of your Google Drive account, so make sure you attach your phone number and set-up a backup email for Google Drive. This will cover you in the event that something goes wrong.

Creating New Documents In Drive

The UX for Google Drive is deliberately basic. It’s designed to be simple. On the left-hand side of Drive, you have a few options: New, Priority, My Drive, Shared With Me, Recent, Starred, and Trash. Below this, you’ll find a storage indicator that shows you how much storage you have used. You can also buy more Google Drive storage in this section too (see image below).

google drive buy more storagePin

If you want to start a new document, be it a word processor, a spreadsheet, or a presentation, just click the NEW button that is located in the top left corner of Google Drive. Clicking NEW will reveal the following options:

Google Drive Document TypesPin

From here, all you have to do is select an option, Google Docs, for instance, and it will load up a new document for you to start working on. However, before you start doing work inside Google Drive, you should first set up some sort of folder system. It’s important to do this early because it will keep all your files organized. And this is handy when your files start building up. Trust me, I learned this lesson the hard way.

Creating Folders In Google Drive

Creating a new folder in Google Drive is simple: select New > Folder > Name Folder. Give the Google Drive folder a specific name, “Ideas”, for instance, this way, once you start creating documents you will have a robust filing system in place. Again, setting up folders in Drive is one of the most important things to do when you’re first starting out.

how to create folders in google drivePin

Here’s an example of what your Google Drive folder system might look like:

  • Ideas Folder
  • Blog Posts
  • SEO Tasks
  • Expenses
  • Travel Log

You can add ANY type Google Drive file to your Folders. For instance, say you’re working on a new project, one that involves plenty of notes, ideas jotted down in Docs, and also spreadsheets.

You could add all of these files to a folder titled New Project. Want to get super-organized? You can then break-up the New Project folder by adding internal folders inside the main New Project folder – one for spreadsheets, one for notes, and one for ideas, for instance.

READ: The Best CRO Apps For Your Online Business

Once you’ve created a folder in Drive, it will be stored on Drive’s main page inside the FOLDERS section which sits just below Quick Access on the homescreen.

From here, you can take things a few steps farther by color-coding your folders, and reordering them by date, name, or most recent. You can create as many Folders as you like. And if you want to merge folders, simply drag and drop one folder into another.

You can also drag-and-drop any errant files into relevant folders too. On desktop, simply drag and drop them. On mobile, click the folder/file’s hamburger menu, select “move”, and then select the folder where you want to send it. Simple.

Types of Google Drive Documents (An Overview):

  • Google Docs: Docs is your word processor. Like Microsoft’s Office, you can create a variety of text-based documents, from reports to brochures to pamphlets to flyers. Basically, Docs is Google’s version of Microsoft Word. You can also enable Google Docs Dark Mode with a simple extension install – it’s great for working late at night.
  • Google Sheets: Sheets is Google’s spreadsheet application. It’s fully featured, accepts CSV files, and you can import and export Excel files.
  • Google Slides: Slides is like Powerpoint; with Slides you can easily build presentations, using a range of tools and editing options. It’s simple to use and it works great.
  • Google Forms: Google Forms is a super-useful tool that lets you build questionnaires, survey forms, and pretty much everything else in between. Once you’ve created a document in Google Forms, you can then share it anywhere online – from social media to your blog.
  • Google Drawing: Google Drawing is essentially a lightweight version of Adobe Illustrator. It’s no way near as powerful as Illustrator, but it is a great option for sketching out ideas and designs.
  • Google Apps Script: Google’s Apps Script is an application development platform that allows developers to quickly code up apps that can be used with the Google Drive ecosystem.
  • Google Jamboard: Google Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard app that lets users create mood boards and collages that can then be viewed on compatible devices. And because of the nature of Drive, Jamboard allows users to collaborate, adding in images and files to bulk up the mood board or collage.

Like Slack, Google Drive integrates with thousands of third-party applications. Google Drive has a dedicated marketplace where you can download add-ons for Drive that is called the G Suite Marketplace.

Inside the G Suite Marketplace, you’ll find add-ons for all kinds of productivity and enterprise applications. You don’t need to use any of these add-ons for Drive, however, they’re just there for users that require additional functionality or integration with existing third-party enterprise applications.

How To Connect Google Drive To Your PC

Google Drive runs as an app on your phone and your tablet. It will also run in your browser too. But perhaps the easiest way to access and save things to Drive is to connect it to your PC directly. Doing this will create a folder system on your PC that connects directly to Google Drive, so you can save stuff from your PC direct to Drive.

Installing Drive on your PC and/or Mac is simple, just download the Google Drive app using the links below:

Installing Google Drive on Android and iPhone

If you want Google Drive up and running on your Android phone or iPhone, just go to Google Play or Apple’s App Store and download the Google Drive application.

google-drive-app-androidPin

Once you have it downloaded, Google Drive will function exactly the same as it does on desktop. It will look slightly different running on a smaller display, but all your folders and files will be located in exactly the same places.

You can then create and edit Google Drive documents on the go. I like to run Google Drive on my iPad Pro, so I can read, augment, and edit files when I’m traveling. It works great and allows me to keep on top of things. Plus, all the changes that I make are automatically saved and backed-up on the cloud.

Cross-Platform Downloads

Because Google Drive runs in the cloud, it is totally platform-agnostic, so even if you have an Android phone, a Linux PC, and an iPad and a MacBook, you can access and download files with ease. All you have to do is locate the file you want to download, click the hamburger menu, and hit the download option . This will download the file onto whatever device you’re using.

Similarly, you can upload files to Drive by using the Share options on your phone and/or tablet – just select the file you want to share and select Google Drive in the share options. Google Drive is supported on all major mobile and computing platforms.

Collaborating Inside Google Drive

Google Drive is designed for use by individuals and teams of people. You can run it just for yourself or you can run it as the core file system for your business, so all your team members have access to certain folders and files.

You can share single files with team members, entire folders, or the entirety of the contents inside Google Drive. Me personally? I like to share access on a file-by-file and folder-by-folder basis. For instance, my work Drive account has tons of data inside it that my team regularly accesses.

google drive collaborationPin

However, I don’t need/want all members of my team inside every folder and file of my Drive, so I assign access based on the individual’s role. Example: we have a master sheet that tracks all of our content, keywords, search volume, and titles. The whole team has access to this file, as it needs to be constantly updated.

Conversely, I also have folders for invoicing and correspondence with potential partners and advertisers. Only myself and another member of the team has access to these folders. Make sense? Good. OK, so how do you give members of your team access to certain Google Drive folders and docs?

Simple: find and select the doc or folder you want to share > click the SHARE icon (see picture below) > enter the email of the person you want to share access with. Once you’ve done this, that person will then get an email with a link that grants them access to the folder.

sharing google drive docsPin

Google Drive Add-Ons

google drive add-onsPin

Google Drive Add-Ons are extensions designed to integrate seamlessly with Google Drive apps such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides, enhancing the basic functionality and making tasks more efficient and productive. These tools often provide additional features not available in the native apps and can be extremely useful in specific use cases.

Google Workspace Marketplace:

Before delving into some popular add-ons, it’s important to mention Google Workspace Marketplace, the platform where you can search, explore, and install various add-ons to enhance your Google Drive productivity. You can access it directly from any Google Drive app or its standalone website.

Here are some popular Google Drive add-ons and their uses:

  • DocuSign eSignature for Google Workspace: This add-on allows you to sign documents electronically within Google Drive itself. You can prepare, sign, act on, and manage agreements right from Google Docs, Sheets, and Drive.
  • Grammarly: A well-known grammar and spelling checker, Grammarly has an add-on for Google Docs that checks for common grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. It also offers stylistic suggestions to make your writing more impactful.
  • Lucidchart Diagrams: Lucidchart allows you to create diagrams, flowcharts, and mind maps directly in your documents. It’s particularly useful for creating visual aids for presentations and reports.
  • Smartsheet: Smartsheet offers project management tools within Google Drive. You can manage tasks, create Gantt charts, and track project progress right in your Google Sheets.
  • HelloSign: Similar to DocuSign, HelloSign allows you to sign documents directly in Google Docs. You can also request electronic signatures from others.
  • Zapier: Zapier is a powerful tool that allows you to automate tasks between different online apps. With the Zapier add-on for Google Drive, you can automate tasks such as saving Gmail attachments to Drive, creating documents from form entries, and more.
  • PandaDoc: This add-on allows you to create, send, and track documents directly from Google Drive. It’s useful for proposals, quotes, and contracts.
  • Mail Merge with Attachments: This add-on lets you send personalized emails with attachments to multiple recipients directly from a Google Sheet, making it a great tool for marketing and outreach.
  • Awesome Table: This add-on helps you create visually appealing tables and charts in Google Sheets, which you can then easily publish online.
  • Slido for Slides: Slido allows you to engage your audience with live polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions during your Google Slides presentations.

Offline Editing In Google Drive

To get the most out of Google Drive, you’ll need an internet connection. It’s a cloud-based application, so, an internet connection is a must. However, Google Drive does allow offline editing and access, you just have to enable it.

Enable offline access/editing in Google Drive: Go to SETTINGS > General > Locate OFFLINE, Click On

Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to access and edit documents inside Google Drive when you don’t have an internet connection. All edits and changes will then be updated to the cloud once you’re reconnected to the internet. This means you can edit and create while flying, or when you’re out in the sticks, away from a reliable internet connection.

How To Delete Files In Google Drive

Deleting files and folders in Google Drive is simple; on desktop or laptop, simply click on the folder or file you want to delete, and then press the delete key on your keyboard. On a mobile device, including tablets, select the file and/or folder you want to delete and then select “More Actions”, navigate to the delete option and click it and, BOOM, your file or folder is deleted.

Wrapping Up…

That was a pretty long post, right? I think we’ve covered everything you need to know about getting started with Google Drive. The main takeaway point here is simple, however: Google Drive is one of the best, free productivity and collaborative tools on the market. It’s simple to use, works across all platforms, and it has everything you need to run and manage any project and/or business.

I’ve run my businesses on Drive for years now, collecting and storing invoices, developing ideas, collaborating on projects, creating posts like the one you’re reading now, and pretty much everything else in between. The only difference is that I use Google’s professional G Suite, which is basically Google’s enterprise version of Google Drive.

G-Suite is more or less the same, except you get branded emails, more storage, and it costs money – though hardly anything from a cost versus functionality perspective. For casual users, the free version of Google Drive will be all you’ll ever need. If you’re a business user, however, you’ll almost certainly want to use G Suite – you can view all the prices and plans here.

Latest Smartphone Releases


  • Xiaomi 15S Pro

    The Xiaomi 15S Pro didn’t come with a flashy launch, but it brings some seriously heavy hardware to the table. A custom 10-core chip, Leica-engineered cameras, and one of the brightest displays on the market

  • Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

    At just 5.8mm thick, it’s one of the thinnest Android phones ever made—but don’t let the slim profile fool you. This phone is all flagship under the hood.

  • Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

    It’s got the same slick design and OLED display, but adds a periscope zoom camera and a 50MP front-facing shooter.

  • Nothing Phone (3a)

    The Nothing Phone (3a) nails the formula: give people what they actually want, keep the price low, and make it look cooler than anything else in its class.

  • Motorola EDGE 60 Pro

    With a bold design, flagship-like display, and surprisingly refined camera system, it’s one of the most interesting mid-range phones of 2025.

  • Google Pixel 9

    I’ve been using the Pixel 9 for a few weeks now, and honestly? It nails all the basics—and a bit more. Killer stuff all round!

  • Google Pixel 9 Pro

    I’ve used the Pixel 9 Pro as my daily device, and it’s hands-down the best balance of power, practicality, and photography you’ll find on Android right now.

  • OnePlus 13

    I’ve been using the OnePlus 13 as my daily driver for a few months now—and I’ve got to say, it’s easily one of the best Android phones I’ve tested this year.

  • Xiaomi 15 Ultra

    After using the Xiaomi 15 Ultra for over a week, I can confidently say: this phone is an absolute beast. It’s made for camera nerds, power users, and creators.

  • iPhone 16 Pro Max

    If you’ve been holding out for a truly complete iPhone, the 16 Pro Max delivers—hard. After using it daily, I won't be going back…

  • Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

    Big screen, big battery, and even bigger brains—this is the Pixel to get if you want Google’s best hardware and longest support.

  • Google Pixel 9a

    The Pixel 9a brings Google’s flagship-level smarts to a budget-friendly package, and it’s easily one of the best-value Android phones of 2025.

Best SIM-Only Plans & Deals


  • Boost Mobile Unlimited Premium Plan

    Boost’s top-tier option brings the heat: 50GB of premium data, hotspot, North America roaming, global talk & text, and $430 off select devices. All-in at $60/month with no contract.

    +

    Data: Unlimited (50GB premium speed)

  • Boost Mobile Unlimited+ Plan

    Level up with 40GB of premium data, hotspot access, global calling, and up to $300 in device savings. All for just $50/month. No contracts and flexible phone options included.

    +

    Data: Unlimited; Speed Caps After 40GB

  • Boost Mobile Unlimited Plan

    Start strong with 30GB of premium data, unlimited everything, and a killer intro offer: just $15/month for the first 3 months, then $25/month forever. No contracts. No fluff. Big value.

    +

    Data: Unlimited (Speed Caps Over 30GB)

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 108GB

    Another high-data, low-cost option with no contract. 108GB for just £9, full 5G access, and the same goodies you get with 12-month deals.

    +

    Data: 108GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 20GB

    The lowest price option. 20GB for £6 with all the same perks as pricier plans. Great if you don’t use much data and want to save every penny.

    +

    Data: 20GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 110GB

    This plan gives you big data and zero commitment. 110GB for just £10 with all perks intact. If you need more data but want the freedom to cancel, this is the one.

    +

    Data: 110GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 60GB

    More data, same price. For just £8/month, you get 60GB on a no-strings 1-month rolling plan. Ideal for users who stream often but don’t want long commitments.

    +

    Data: 60GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 40GB

    Perfect if you want full flexibility. You get 40GB and all of iD Mobile's perks with no lock-in, annual increases, or setup fees. Great for short-term users.

    +

    Data: 40GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: 60GB

    One of the best pound-per-GB plans around. You get 60GB for £8 with £25 cashback, which means you’re effectively paying closer to £6/month. Includes roaming and data rollover.

    +

    Data: 60GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: 108GB

    This deal gets you a healthy 108GB of 5G data for less than a tenner, with no upfront costs and £24 cashback. All the perks are included too: data rollover, roaming, and loyalty rewards.

    +

    Data: 108GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: Unlimited Data

    This iD Mobile plan doesn’t just compete on price, it’s up there with the best of them. Unlimited everything, a year-long lock-in with no price rises, and £42 cashback straight to your pocket. It’s like getting nearly 3 months free.

    +

    Data: Unlimited, No Speed Caps

  • Mint Mobile 20GB Plan

    If you're looking to save some cash on your bills, this plan is an awesome option. You'll get 20GB of data per month and 20GB hotspot data allowance. For moderate to heavy users, that should be more than enough. I seldom use more than 10GB of data a month, and I'm always using my phone

    +

    Data: 20GB