7 Google Drive Tips and Tricks to Enhance Productivity

In Summary

Are you tired of wasting your time dealing with messy files and folders on Google Drive and now looking for some easy, quick, and effective tips to enhance your productivity?
You are not using Google Docs to its full potential if you only use its basic features.
We have curated here a list of the best Google Drive tips and tricks that you can use to simplify your task.

The capabilities and features of a product can occasionally be overlooked, which significantly impacts productivity. The same is true for every software and app available. One of them is Google Drive, the Internet giant’s online storage for personal and professional purposes.

Google Drive offers a variety of tips, tools, and tricks to increase productivity. We often use numerous things without properly assessing their importance.

This article will introduce you to some Google Drive tips and tricks that will help you work more effectively and productively, especially if you use Google Drive for file sharing at work or school. Here is a list of Google Drive tips and tricks you may not have known existed.

Table of Contents

Best Google Drive Tips and Tricks

Google Drive is as well known on mobile devices as on the web. Therefore, it is appropriate to provide Google Drive tips for both platforms. The list contains Google Drive tips and tricks to help you either fill gaps or adjust settings to your workflow without losing sight of customization.

1. Activate Dark Mode

Lately, I prefer the dark mode, more or less. Although I usually use it at night to protect my eyes from strain or burns, I also use it when I want to use a device’s battery longer. Considering its many advantages, you shouldn’t ignore it either.

Therefore, use your Android device to access Google Drive and benefit from the dark theme. Next, select Settings by tapping the menu button. After that, select Dark by tapping the Choose Theme option. The changes will be implemented right away.

Open Google Docs on your iOS device, click on the Menu button in the top left corner. Next, select Theme under Settings. Then, choose Dark or System Default.

For Windows, we have done a detailed guide on How to enable dark mode on Windows 10.

2. Color code your folders

If you are reading this post, you are probably an experienced Drive user or working to become one. If you use Google Drive frequently, you may want to color-code your folders to organize your online digital life better. I am sure this is one of the Google Drive tips and tricks that can change your life.

Select “Change Color” from the context menu when you right-click any folder in Google Drive. In this case, you will have a wide range of colors to choose from. Depending on your needs, you can code your folders this way according to priorities, make them more visually appealing, or in other ways.

3. Alter the shared Drive’s theme

Change the theme of your shared drive to make it more appealing, exciting, and easier for you to browse folders. You can select or create a theme for the shared drive if you have Manager access. The colors of the folders on your drive can also be customized.

Step 1: Go to “Shared with me” on Google Drive and select a shared drive.

Step 2: Click on the down arrow next to the shared Drive’s name at the top, then choose “Change theme.”

Step 3: Select “Gallery” to choose themes from Google’s library. Click “Create custom theme” if you wish to upload your design.

Step 4: Select the desired theme’s image or navigate to a custom image.

Step 5: Click “Select” to save changes.

4. Keyboard shortcuts for Google Drive

If you’re like me, you often look for Google Drive tips and tricks to make your job easier. You probably use the keyboard to navigate as much as possible. Using keyboard shortcuts makes your work easier and saves you a lot of time. If you’re still not convinced, check out which method makes copying text easier: “Ctrl+C” or “Copy” from the context menu when you right-click. This applies to virtually everything we do on our devices, including using Google Drive.

You may get a comprehensive list of all the different keyboard shortcuts available in Google Drive by pressing Ctrl + / if you want to learn more about the keyboard shortcuts that operate inside Google Drive

5. Description-based image file search

Finding a specific file in your drive can be difficult, especially if you can’t remember the file name. Fortunately, Google Drive uses machine learning, which includes intelligent search. It’ll then display all the files and images that match the search terms you enter in the search bar. Enter the search term in the search bar and click the “Search” icon.

Google Drive can also convert text in an image into document text using OCR. Google Drive will create a new Google Doc with the image at the top of the first page when you right-click any image that contains text and select “Open with,” then “Google Docs.”

Below that, you’ll find all the text extracted from the image, ready for editing, copying, and pasting.

6. Save files directly from the web (through an extension)

Do you need a lot of time downloading files from the Internet to Drive? With the help of these tips and tricks for Google Drive, you can skip the long wait. The Chrome add-on, Save to Google Drive, is a useful tool. Users can instantly save links, images, and videos in HTML, MHT, Google Docs, and PNG formats.

Step 1: Download the Save to Google Drive extension and install it on your laptop or computer.

Step 2: Browse images and online sites in your browser.

Step 3: To capture a screenshot of the website you wish to keep on your Drive, right-click the image or use the Chrome extension’s left-click function.

Step 4: Sign in to your Google account to enable the direct upload of the file to your Drive.

Step 5: Rename the file and click “Close.” The document will automatically upload to your Drive and show up there.

7. Keep track of all of your crucial documents.

Although you have to do it manually, you can store multiple versions of the same file in Google Drive. Select “Manage Versions” from the context menu when you right-click a file (such as an Office document, PDF file, or image). Select “Upload New Version” from the pop-up menu. Repeat this process each time you create a significant new version you might want to reference.

Please note that if you do not want these versions to be deleted after 30 days, you must select “Keep forever.”

Bonus: Setup Offline Access for Your Files

While it is great to have easy access to your files and folders on the cloud, there will be times when you are not connected to the Internet. It is therefore crucial to set up offline access to your files. Google Drive Offline extensions for Chrome can help you do this.

When it is running, go to Google Drive > Settings > Offline and check the box next to Create, open, and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device.

The Bottom Line

You can integrate these tips and tricks for Google Drive and feature-enhancing add-ons for Google Drive services like Docs, Sheets, and others into your daily routine to increase productivity and efficiency when using the enterprise cloud platform. With compatible add-ons and Chrome apps, you can access the rich additional features of Google Drive. The Chrome Web Store and Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offer several other add-ons and apps that you should check out.

Let us know what Google Drive tips and tricks you know and what applications you think we missed while writing this post about Google Drive tips. We are also interested in hearing how you use Google Drive tips to increase your productivity at work and in your personal life. Comment here with your views and experiences with Google Drive.

FAQs on Google Drive Tips & Tricks

How do I make Google Drive better?

There are several Google Drive tips and tricks to make it better. We have suggested the most important ones in this article. Some of them are:

Color coding the Google Drive folders
Activating dark mode
Altering shared drive's theme
Using keyboard shortcuts
Description-based image file search
Saving files directly from web

and more.

What is Google Drive’s capacity?

A user can only upload 750 GB per day between My Drive and all shared drives. Users are not allowed to upload any other files that day if they exceed the 750 GB limit or upload a file larger than 750 GB. You can upload or synchronize files up to a maximum size of 5 TB.

How can I arrange my Google Drive folders?

Follow the steps mentioned below:

Launch the Google Drive application.
Then, select Files in the bottom right.
Then, choose your preferred sorting option, such as "Name" or "Last modified," under "My Drive" at the top.
Choose the order you want, and voila!

What is the easiest way to manage Google Drive?

Creating a clean folder structure is the best way to improve your Google Drive environment. Start by creating a folder for each category of work in your business. Additionally, you can create subfolders for different categories. Then you can color code them to make them easier to manage.

What is the most important feature of Google Drive?

Collaborating on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings is one of Google Drive's greatest features. A single document can be worked on by up to 50 people simultaneously, from anywhere, on any device. There are other important features too, but this is probably the best.