Using Google Drive on Your Mac: A Guide to File Backup and Storage Management

Cloud storage has revolutionized how we back up our files and manage storage when our computers run out of space. Gone are the days of relying solely on hard drives and USB drives. The future is in the cloud.

Google Drive for Mac has recently been updated to offer a simple and efficient way to back up your files. This update allows you to easily choose which files you want to sync with your computer, seamlessly integrating Google Drive into your workflow. Here’s how you can make the most out of it.

Note: This tutorial assumes that you don’t have files that exist both on your computer and in Drive. Therefore, following these steps will avoid creating duplicates. If you do have duplicates, you can simply delete one of the versions.

1. Downloading and Installing Google Drive for Mac

The first step is to install the Google Drive for Mac app. This software will determine which files are synced to your computer and which are not. After installation, you will find a new folder called “Google Drive” inside your Documents folder. This will be your go-to folder for all your documents and files.

2. Moving Your Files to the Google Drive Folder

Your Documents folder should now become your Google Drive folder. All the files you had in your Documents folder need to be moved inside the Google Drive folder. Keep in mind that you might need to check how much storage this will take up and, if necessary, upgrade the storage available to you through Google Drive.

Once you’ve dropped files into the Google Drive folder, they will be automatically synced to Google Drive. This means you can access your files from any computer by logging into the Google Drive website. In your menu bar, you’ll also notice a new Google Drive icon. When everything is fully synced, the icon will be solid black. If it’s still syncing, the icon will be moving. You can click on the icon to check the status of the sync.

3. Choosing Folders to Sync on Your Computer

Hey there, important note: Make sure your files have finished syncing to Drive before you proceed, or you might lose them.

This next step is where things get interesting with Drive. Instead of storing all your files on your computer and taking up valuable space, you’ll have the option to choose which folders you want to keep and which ones can exclusively live in Drive. Any changes made to the checked folders will be automatically updated. If you delete a file on your computer, it will also be deleted in Drive. And if you add a file to a folder on Drive from another computer, it will sync to your computer.

To make this happen, here’s what you need to do: click on the Drive logo in the menu bar, then click on the “menu” icon and select “Preferences.” By default, you’ll see the Sync Options. This is where you can decide which folders you want to keep on your computer and which ones you don’t. Or, if you want to go all in, you can choose “sync everything in My Drive.” By doing so, all your folders will be synced all the time, turning Drive into a backup tool instead of just a file storage manager.

And you’re done!

Now, you have full control over your files. You can keep only certain files on your Mac and store the rest in Google Drive. No need for external drives or USB drives anymore!

Have you tried using Google Drive for Mac yet? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or start a new discussion in the PCMech forums.