The fastest way to put photos on Google Drive

You can upload photos to Google Drive in three ways: drag them directly from your computer into the browser window, use the New button to upload files one at a time or in batches, or use Google's desktop app to sync a folder automatically. The drag-and-drop method is fastest if you have fewer than 20 photos. The New button works on any device. The desktop app is best if you want photos to upload whenever you add them to a specific folder on your computer.

All three methods put photos in your Drive storage, which means they count against your 15 GB free limit (or whatever paid plan you have). Photos uploaded this way stay at full resolution unless you compress them yourself before uploading.

Key Takeaways

  • Drag photos directly into your Google Drive browser window to upload multiple files at once without opening a menu.
  • Use the New button in the top left to upload photos one at a time, in batches, or to create folders for organization.
  • Google Drive's desktop app syncs a folder on your computer automatically, so new photos upload without manual action.
  • Photos uploaded to Google Drive use your storage quota, so consider moving them to Google Photos if you want unlimited storage.
  • You can share folders or individual photos with others by right-clicking and selecting Share, then choosing who can view or edit.

Uploading photos by dragging them into your browser

Open Google Drive in your web browser and sign in. On the left side, click My Drive to see your main folder, or open any folder where you want the photos to go. Then open a second window or tab on your computer showing the folder where your photos are stored.

Drag the photos from the file folder directly into the Google Drive browser window. You will see a progress bar at the bottom of the screen showing how many files are uploading. Once the bar disappears, the photos are in Drive. This method works best when you have 20 or fewer photos at once, because dragging a very large batch can sometimes stall.

Using the New button to upload photos

In Google Drive, click the New button in the top left corner. A menu will appear with options including File upload and Folder upload. Click File upload to select individual photos from your computer. A window will open showing your computer's folders. Navigate to where your photos are stored, select the ones you want (hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac to select multiple), and click Open.

If you want to upload an entire folder of photos at once, click Folder upload instead. This uploads the folder and all photos inside it, keeping the same folder structure in Drive. The upload happens in the background, so you can keep working while it finishes.

Setting up automatic uploads with Google Drive for Desktop

Google Drive for Desktop is a free app you read to your computer. It creates a folder on your computer that syncs with Google Drive automatically. Any photo you put in that folder uploads to Drive without you having to do anything.

Go to google.com/drive/read and read the installer for your operating system (Windows or Mac). Install it and sign in with your Google account. During setup, you will choose which folders on your computer to sync. You can create a new folder called "Photos to Upload" and point it to sync with Drive, or sync an existing photos folder. From then on, any photo you add to that folder on your computer will appear in Drive within a few minutes.

Creating folders to organize photos in Drive

Before uploading many photos, you may want to create folders to keep them organized. In Google Drive, click New, then Folder. Type a name like "2024 Vacation" or "Family Photos" and click Create. The new folder appears in your Drive.

You can create folders inside folders. Open the folder you just made, click New again, and create another folder inside it. This is useful if you have photos from different months or events. Once folders are set up, you can drag photos into them, or upload photos directly into a folder by opening the folder first and then using any of the upload methods above.

Sharing photos with others

To let someone else see your photos, right-click the photo or folder and select Share. A box will appear asking who you want to share with. Type their email address or the name of a group. Below that, choose what permission they have: Viewer means they can only look at the photos, Commenter means they can also leave comments, and Editor means they can change or delete the photos.

You can also click the Share button at the top right of the screen when you have a photo or folder open. This shows the same options and also lets you create a link that you can send to anyone without typing their email address. If you choose Anyone with the link, anyone who has that link can view the photos.

Understanding storage and Google Photos as an alternative

Photos uploaded to Google Drive count toward your 15 GB free storage limit. If you upload 5 GB of photos, you have 10 GB left for documents, spreadsheets, and other files. Once you hit the limit, you cannot upload more until you delete something or buy more storage.

Google Photos is a separate app from Google Drive. If you upload photos to Google Photos instead of Drive, they do not count toward your storage limit (though this depends on the quality setting you choose). Many people use Drive for photos they want to organize with documents and folders, and Google Photos for a personal photo library. You can use both at the same time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upload photos directly from my phone to Google Drive?

Yes. read the Google Drive app on your phone, open it, tap the + button, and select Upload. Choose photos from your phone's gallery. On iPhone, you can also use the Google Drive app to back up photos automatically if you turn on the backup setting in the app menu.

What happens if I upload the same photo twice?

Google Drive will create two separate copies. It does not automatically detect duplicates and merge them. If you want to remove the duplicate, you can delete one by right-clicking it and selecting Delete.

Can I edit photos after uploading them to Drive?

Google Drive does not have built-in photo editing tools. You can view and share photos, but to edit them you need to read them, edit them in another program, and upload the edited version. Google Photos has basic editing tools like crop and brightness adjustment if you use that app instead.

How long does it take to upload photos to Google Drive?

Upload speed depends on your internet connection and the size of the photos. A typical photo is 2 to 5 MB. On a standard home internet connection, uploading 100 photos usually takes 5 to 15 minutes. Larger files or slower connections take longer.

What file types can I upload to Google Drive?

Google Drive accepts all common photo formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, SVG, WEBP, and others. You can also upload RAW files from cameras, though Drive will not let you edit them directly. The file size limit for a single upload is 5 TB, so file size is not a practical concern for photos.