Roundup of the Best Google Drive Features

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Google Drive is a top of the line cloud storage platform that makes life more efficient and easier. You might already use it for personal or professional purposes.

Table of Contents

Although it is a Google product, there’s a Google Drive app for Mac as well. Mac users can download the app at https://google.com/drive/download. With this app installed, Mac users can access Google Drive in Finder’s sidebar, making it easier to access all the files and data.

This article focuses on the best features of Google Drive.

File syncing

Google Drive easily syncs files across devices and platforms. There is no need to manually transfer files. All of your data will be automatically synchronised with the cloud storage. You can sync your documents, photos, videos, and other files.

Once synced, the files can be shared with colleagues, family, or friends. You simply need to install the Google Drive app on your device, create an account and sign in, and select what you want to be synced.

Convert PDFs to Docs

PDFs are the most used file format, especially for business communications. PDFs ensure the document looks exactly the same when viewed on any platform or device.

But this format is not the easiest to handle when it comes to edits. Hence, making modifications and updates to the document is a challenge. This is when Google Drive comes in handy. By converting PDFs to Docs, the application allows you to simply edit them.

To open a PDF file in Google Drive, right-click on it and select Open with Google Docs. The process only takes a few seconds, and once the file is opened, you can easily make edits and even collaborate with others.

However, please note that if the document contains a lot of different formatting and fonts, Google Drive might be incapable of accurately recreating the document in the Docs file.

Team collaboration

The ability to collaborate with others on the same document, presentation, or spreadsheet is one of the greatest features of Google Drive. It is possible to collaborate with up to fifty people on the same document, no matter where they are or what device they are using. Also, you can see who is working on the document and what changes they are making.

There’s also a revision history that allows you to see all the changes made and who made the changes. Hence, you don’t have to worry about somebody deleting something important.

If you do not like the changes, you can check the revision history and restore an earlier document version.

Drag and drop uploads

You can click the New button and upload files to Google Drive. But if you don’t want to click here and there, you can drag and drop the files. This is a great time saver.

Work offline

You can work offline on Google, and that’s another huge plus for this program. Working offline ensures that you will not lose your work if your Internet connection fails.

Install the Google Docs offline extension to work offline. Then, head to Settings and tick the Offline box.

Now, you can access, view and edit your files offline, including Google Slides, Google Sheets, and Google Docs. However, in order to collaborate with someone, you will need an Internet connection. Also, the changes made will be synced once you are connected.

Add-ons for documents

There are lots of additional functionality for documents in Google Drive. These are in the form of add-ons. There are so many to choose from, and most of them are free. You will find this option under Extensions when you open a Google Doc. Then, click Add-ons and choose the functionality you need. For instance, ProWritingAid is a good tool that helps in enhancing writing by checking inconsistencies and grammar. You will also find plagiarism, word count, and AI detection tools.

Gmail attachments should be saved.

Do you get a lot of emails containing attachments or images? If that’s the case, this function will come in helpful.

You don’t have to download each individual email attachment. You can easily save all the attachments to Drive in a single swoop. This allows you to simply categorize and keep track of all attachments. You will never again overlook a critical file.

Select Add to Drive by clicking on the Drive icon next to the attachment or image. The attachment or image will be saved to the Drive so you can access it whenever you want.

Conclusion

These are some standout Google Drive features that make this program a must-have on your device. To use the program and all its wonderful features and functionalities, create a Google account and sign in.

Have we missed any features? Do you have a favorite feature? Feel free to leave a comment.