Google Drive is one of the services I use on a daily basis. For work, I utilize them. Actually, I composed this narrative on Google Docs. Whether it’s updating to my ever-growing recipe folder or using Sheets to plan out my kids’ summer schedule, I use them at home since they make it simple to share favorites with friends or get necessary supplies on my phone while I’m at the grocery store. My digital existence before Google is difficult to fathom.

After using Google Drive for a while, I’ve found a few undiscovered features that enhance the functionality of Google’s cloud service. I utilize the following nine features, which may be useful to you as well.

Configure offline access

Do you have to work while commuting or at other times when you can’t access the internet? No issue. When you’re offline, you may access your files using Google Drive, and when you’re back online, it will sync your modifications. You must be logged into your Google account and use the Chrome browser.

Install the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension first. Next, create, access, and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline by checking the option under Settings after logging into Google Drive.

Access to Google Drive offline
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Transform documents into Google Docs format.

Google Drive allows you to edit Microsoft Word documents, however sometimes the formatting seems strange. With just a few clicks, you can configure any Word document you upload to Google Drive to be converted to the native Google Docs format. Select the option to convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format by opening Settings. Your Google Drive library is now free of Word documents.

View who made what changes.

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CNET’s Brett Pearce
Google Drive comes with built-in sharing: A Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide may have up to 100 concurrent users working on it. Even a small group of individuals editing the same document at once may make it hard to determine who is making changes, although I doubt you’ll go close to triple digits for the number of concurrent contributors.

A panel on the right side of a Google Doc that displays who edited the document and when can be seen by selecting File > Version History > See Version History. This allows you to keep track of all the changes being made to the document. To make it simpler to keep track of changes, you may click each version to see what has changed. You can even rename a previous version by clicking the triple-dot icon. If you want to save a document that you are worried you may lose track of, you can also create a duplicate of previous iterations.

Disable Suggestions

Your recently edited files are shown in a belt of thumbnails across the top of the My Drive view, which was once known as Quick Access but is now named Suggested. I think it saves a ton of time, however supposing you were updating your résumé and you use Drive at work. You may not want your supervisor to notice that you were working on your resume lately. This belt of thumbnails may be hidden in Drive’s options. In the General Settings page, go to the bottom and choose Suggestions. Uncheck the item next to “Make relevant files handy when you need them” and click “Done.”

Drive-Suggestions on Google
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Provide file URLs rather than attachments.

The compose window in Gmail has a little Drive symbol at the bottom. It enables you to transmit a link or attach files that are saved in Drive. Sending a link to the file is your sole choice for Google Drive formats, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, and so on. You may share files bigger than Gmail’s 25MB attachment size restriction by sending them as Drive links or attachments for other file kinds, including as PDFs, Word documents, and photos.

Make your searches more focused.

This one is hiding right in front of you. There is a filter option on the right side of the Google Drive search field at the top. When you click it, a window with search options will appear for you to use to refine your results. These search options are really helpful for focusing your results if you’ve been using Google Drive for years and have a sizable file collection. Filtering by owner, date changed, and file type is possible. You may filter shared documents by the person you shared the file with. You may also filter by files that have ideas waiting for you or an action item assigned to you so that you don’t leave anybody hanging.

Google Drive Filter
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Quickly understandable formatting

When you paste text into Docs, you have a few choices for removing formatting. From the toolbar at the top, you may choose Normal text after highlighting the text. Another option is to choose Format > Clear formatting. (The keyboard shortcut Ctrl-\, or Command-\ on a Mac, may be used for the latter.)

When pasting text, you may bypass the format-removal procedure by holding down Shift. Yes, you can paste without formatting with Ctrl-Shift-V. For Mac users, it is Command-Shift-V.

One-tap backup for phones

Do you want to backup the crucial data on your phone to Drive? Yes, you can! With only one touch, too. To back up contacts, calendar events, photographs, and videos, or all three, go to Settings > Backup on the mobile app. To get started, just hit the Start Backup button. You may choose to begin the procedure overnight since it will probably take some time. You must have your phone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi.

Google Drive Backup
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Mac or PC backup folders

You may backup all or specific folders on your Mac or PC using Google’s Backup and Sync software. In the other direction, you may sync your PC and Google Drive files for convenient offline access.

To begin, download Backup and Sync to your Mac or PC, install it, then log in by following the instructions. You may sync the contents of the folder with Google Drive on Google’s servers by dragging documents and photographs into the Google Drive folder that the software will install on your PC. Open Backup and Sync’s settings and choose the folders you want to sync, such Documents or Pictures, to sync additional folders on your computer with Drive.

For further information, see our list of the top Android phones to purchase in 2021 and 10 Gmail tips you’ll use daily.