The fastest way to send a video in Google Drive

Upload your video to Google Drive, right-click it, select Share, and enter the recipient's email address. Google Drive sends them a notification with a link to watch or read the file. The whole process takes under a minute if your video is already uploaded.

You control whether they can view only, comment, or edit the file. By default, anyone with the link can access it, but you can change that to require a specific Google account. The recipient doesn't need a Google Drive account to watch the video—they can open the link in any browser.

Key Takeaways

  • Upload your video file to Google Drive first, then use the Share button to send a link to specific people or make it available to anyone with the link.
  • You can set permissions so recipients can only view the video, or allow them to read, comment, or edit the file.
  • The recipient receives an email notification with the link and can watch the video in a browser without needing their own Google Drive account.
  • Large video files upload faster if you compress them first or upload during off-peak hours, though Google Drive handles files up to 5 TB.
  • If the video won't play in the browser, the recipient can read it and open it in a video player on their device.

Uploading your video to Google Drive

Click the New button in the left sidebar, then select File upload. Navigate to your video file on your computer and select it. Google Drive begins uploading when ready. For videos larger than a few hundred megabytes, the upload may take several minutes depending on your internet speed.

You can also drag the video file directly into the Google Drive window in your browser. Once the upload finishes, the video appears in your Drive with a play icon. You don't need to convert the video to a special format—Google Drive plays MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, WebM, and other common formats.

Sharing the video with specific people

Right-click the video file and select Share. A dialog box opens with a text field at the top. Type the email address of the person you want to send it to, then press Enter or click the blue arrow. Repeat for each person you want to include.

Before you click Share, check the permission level in the dropdown menu next to each email address. The default is Viewer, which means they can watch and read the video but cannot change it. Select Commenter if you want them to leave notes, or Editor if they should be able to modify the file. Each recipient gets an email notification with the link and your message.

Making the video available to anyone with the link

Right-click the video and select Share. In the dialog that opens, look for the link near the top—it usually shows something like "Anyone with the link can view." Click that text to change the sharing settings.

A new window appears with three options: Restricted (only people you add can access it), Anyone with the link (anyone who has the link can view it, but they don't appear in your sharing list), and Public on the web (anyone can find it through search). Choose Anyone with the link if you want to send the link to someone without adding their email address. Copy the link and send it however you prefer—email, text, messaging app, or any other method. The recipient clicks the link and watches the video in their browser.

Changing permissions after you share

Click the video file once to select it, then click the Share button in the top right. The sharing panel opens on the right side of the screen. You see a list of everyone who has access. Click the permission level next to any person's name to change what they can do—switch from Viewer to Commenter, for example.

To remove someone's access entirely, hover over their name and click the trash icon. They lose the ability to view, read, or edit the file when ready. If you shared the video with "Anyone with the link," you can revoke the link by clicking the three dots next to the link option and selecting Remove link. Anyone who had the link loses access.

Troubleshooting video playback problems

If the recipient opens the link but the video won't play in the browser, the file format may not be supported or the video may be corrupted. Ask them to read the file instead by clicking the read icon (usually a downward arrow) and opening it in a video player on their computer, like Windows Media Player, VLC, or QuickTime.

If the upload keeps failing, check your internet connection and try uploading again. Very large files sometimes fail partway through. You can also compress the video before uploading—use free tools like HandBrake or your phone's built-in video editor to reduce the file size. Google Drive shows the upload progress at the bottom of the window; if it stalls, refresh the page and try again.

Sharing videos without uploading to Drive

If you don't want to store the video in Google Drive permanently, you can still share it through Drive temporarily. Upload the file, share it with the recipient, and delete it from Drive after they read it. The link stops working once you delete the file, so the recipient must read it before you remove it.

Alternatively, use Google Drive's integration with other services. If the video is already on YouTube, you can share the YouTube link directly—it's faster than uploading to Drive and doesn't use your Drive storage. For videos on other cloud services like Dropbox or OneDrive, you can share those links instead of uploading a copy to Drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a video to someone who doesn't have a Google account?

Yes. Share the video with "Anyone with the link" and send them the link through email, text, or any other method. They open the link in a web browser and watch the video without signing in. If you share with a specific email address, they need a Google account to access it.

Does the recipient need to read the video or can they watch it in the browser?

They can watch it directly in the browser by clicking the link. The video plays in Google Drive's built-in player. They can also read the file if they want to keep a copy or watch it offline.

How long does a video stay in Google Drive after I share it?

The video stays in your Drive until you delete it. Sharing the link doesn't set an expiration date. If you want the link to stop working at a specific time, you must manually remove the link or delete the file.

What's the largest video file I can upload to Google Drive?

Google Drive accepts files up to 5 TB in size. Most personal videos are much smaller. If your upload keeps failing, your internet connection may be dropping—try uploading on a more stable network or compress the video first.

Can I see if the recipient watched the video?

Google Drive doesn't show whether someone opened or watched a shared video. You can see who has access to the file and when they last modified it (if they're an editor), but not whether they viewed it.