The Two Ways to Put Images in Google Drive

You can add images to Google Drive in two different ways, and which one you use depends on what you want to do with them. The first way is to upload image files so they sit in your Drive storage as standalone files — this is what you do when you want to back up photos or keep them organized in folders. The second way is to insert images into a document, spreadsheet, or presentation that you're already working on — this embeds the image right where you need it.

Both methods take just a few clicks, but the steps are different. If you're uploading photos from your phone or computer to store them, you'll use the upload button. If you're writing a document and want to add a picture to it, you'll use the Insert menu. This guide covers both paths so you can do whichever one matches what you're trying to accomplish.

Key Takeaways

  • Upload image files to Google Drive by clicking the New button, selecting File Upload, and choosing images from your computer or phone.
  • Insert images into a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide by opening the document, clicking Insert, selecting Image, and choosing from your computer, Google Drive, or a web search.
  • Uploaded images take up storage space in your Drive account, while inserted images are embedded in the document itself.
  • You can organize uploaded images into folders and share them with others, just like any other Drive file.
  • Images inserted into documents can be resized, moved around, and formatted to fit your layout.

Uploading Image Files to Google Drive Storage

To upload an image file so it lives in your Google Drive, start by opening Google Drive in your web browser and signing in. Look for the blue New button on the left side of the screen. Click it, then select File Upload from the menu that appears. A window will open showing the folders on your computer. Navigate to wherever your images are stored, select the image or images you want (you can hold Ctrl or Command and click multiple images to select more than one), then click Open.

The image will begin uploading right away. You'll see a progress bar at the bottom of the screen showing how much of the upload is complete. Once it finishes, the image appears in your Drive with a thumbnail preview. If you want to organize it, you can drag it into a folder, rename it by right-clicking and selecting Rename, or share it with others by clicking the Share button.

On a phone or tablet, the process is similar but slightly different. Open the Google Drive app, tap the plus button (usually at the bottom right), select Upload, then choose Photos and videos or Files depending on where your images are stored. Navigate to the image, tap it, and it will upload to your Drive.

Inserting Images Into Google Docs

To add an image directly into a Google Doc you're writing, open the document and place your cursor where you want the image to appear. Click the Insert menu at the top, then select Image. A submenu will appear with four options: Upload from computer, Search the web, Drive, and By URL.

If you're uploading an image from your computer, click Upload from computer, select the image file, and click Open. The image will appear in your document at the cursor location. If the image is already in your Google Drive, click Drive, find the file, and click it to insert it. If you want to search for an image online, click Search the web, type what you're looking for, and select an image from the results. If you have a direct link to an image, click By URL and paste the link.

Once the image is in your document, you can resize it by dragging the corners, move it by clicking and dragging, or wrap text around it by right-clicking and selecting Wrap text. You can also right-click the image to crop it, rotate it, or adjust its brightness and contrast.

Inserting Images Into Google Sheets

Adding an image to a Google Sheet works almost the same way as adding one to a Doc. Click the cell where you want the image to appear, then go to Insert and select Image. You'll see the same four options: upload from your computer, search the web, choose from Drive, or paste a URL.

In a spreadsheet, images sit on top of the cells rather than inside them. You can move an image by clicking and dragging it, and resize it by dragging the corners. If you want to anchor an image to a specific cell so it moves with that cell when you add or delete rows, right-click the image and select Move with cells. This is useful if you're building a spreadsheet with product photos or employee headshots that need to stay aligned with their data.

Inserting Images Into Google Slides

Google Slides is designed for presentations, so adding images is a core part of how you build slides. Click on the slide where you want the image, then go to Insert and select Image. Choose from upload, web search, Drive, or URL — the same options as Docs and Sheets.

In Slides, images are straightforward to position and resize because the whole point is to arrange them visually. You can click and drag an image anywhere on the slide, resize it by dragging the corners, and even rotate it by dragging the rotation handle (a small circle that appears when you select the image). You can also right-click an image to replace it, crop it, or adjust its appearance. If you're building a presentation with many images, uploading them to Drive first and then inserting them from Drive keeps everything organized in one place.

Understanding Storage and Sharing When You Upload Images

Every image you upload to Google Drive takes up storage space in your account. Google Drive gives you 15 GB of free storage shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. If you upload a lot of high-resolution images, you can run out of space. You can check how much storage you're using by clicking the Settings gear icon in the top right of Google Drive and selecting Storage.

When you upload an image to Drive, only you can see it unless you share it. To share an image with someone else, right-click it and select Share, then enter their email address or create a shareable link. You can choose whether they can view only, comment, or edit. If you insert an image from your Drive into a document that you share with others, they'll be able to see the image in the document, but they won't automatically have access to the original image file in your Drive unless you share that separately.

Organizing and Managing Uploaded Images

Once you've uploaded images to Google Drive, you can organize them just like any other file. Create folders by clicking the New button and selecting Folder, then drag images into the folders you want. You can also add labels to images by right-clicking and selecting Add label, which makes them easier to find later without moving them into folders.

If you upload the same image multiple times by mistake, you can delete duplicates by right-clicking an image and selecting Remove. This frees up storage space. You can also search for images by name using the search bar at the top of Google Drive. If you want to see all your images in one view, you can use the search bar to search for image file types like "type:jpg" or "type:png".

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upload multiple images at once?

Yes. When you click New and select File Upload, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click multiple images to select them all at once, then click Open. They'll all upload together. On a phone, you may need to upload images one at a time depending on your device.

What image file types does Google Drive accept?

Google Drive accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, SVG, and WebP files. If you have an image in a different format, you can usually convert it using free online tools or image editing software before uploading.

If I delete an image from my Drive, does it disappear from documents I inserted it into?

Yes. If you delete an image file from your Drive and that image was inserted into a document from your Drive, the image will no longer appear in the document. If you uploaded the image to your computer and inserted it by uploading directly into the document, deleting the Drive file won't affect the document.

Can I edit an image after I upload it to Google Drive?

Google Drive doesn't have built-in image editing tools. You can open an image in Google Photos (if it's synced there) to crop or adjust it, or use a separate image editor on your computer. You can also right-click an image in a Doc, Sheet, or Slide and select basic options like crop or adjust brightness.

How much storage does a typical image use?

It depends on the image size and resolution. A smartphone photo usually takes up 2 to 5 MB, while a high-resolution camera photo can be 10 to 50 MB or more. Screenshots are typically smaller, around 1 to 3 MB. You can check the file size by right-clicking an image in Drive and selecting Details.