Starring a folder puts it at the top of your Drive sidebar so you can reach it without scrolling through your full file list

When you star a folder in Google Drive, it moves to a "Starred" section that appears near the top of your left sidebar. This works on any device — computer, phone, or tablet — and the star stays with that folder across all your devices. You do not need to star the same folder twice; once you star it, it is starred everywhere you use Google Drive.

Starring is different from moving a folder. The folder stays in its original location. You are just creating a quick link to it. This is useful when you have a folder you use often but it is buried several levels deep in your Drive, or when you have many folders at the top level and want to highlight just a few.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click a folder and select "Add star" to star it, or click the star icon next to the folder name if you can see it.
  • Starred folders appear in a "Starred" section in your left sidebar, separate from your main file list.
  • Starring works across all devices and browsers where you use Google Drive — the star syncs automatically.
  • You can star as many folders as you want, and removing a star is as straightforward as clicking it again.

How to star a folder on a computer

Open Google Drive in your web browser and locate the folder you want to star. You have two ways to do this. The first is to right-click the folder name and select "Add star" from the menu that appears. The second is to hover over the folder name until a star icon appears to the left of it, then click that star icon.

Either method takes one second. The folder will when ready move to the "Starred" section in your left sidebar, which appears just below "My Drive" and above "Recent". If you do not see a "Starred" section yet, it will appear as soon as you star your first folder.

How to star a folder on a phone or tablet

Open the Google Drive app on your phone or tablet. Find the folder you want to star and tap and hold on it until a menu appears. Select "Add star" from that menu. The folder will move to your starred list.

On some phones, you may also see a star icon appear next to the folder name after you tap it once. Tapping that star will add it to your starred list. The exact appearance depends on your phone model and the version of the Google Drive app you have installed.

Where starred folders appear in your sidebar

Once you star a folder, it shows up in a section called "Starred" in your left sidebar on a computer, or in a "Starred" tab at the top of your file list on a phone. On a computer, this section sits between "My Drive" and "Recent". You can click any starred folder from there to open it when ready.

The order of starred folders in your sidebar follows the order you starred them — the first folder you starred appears at the top. If you want to change the order, you will need to remove the stars and add them again in the order you prefer.

How to remove a star from a folder

Removing a star is the same process as adding one. On a computer, right-click the folder and select "Remove star", or click the star icon next to the folder name again. On a phone, tap and hold the folder and select "Remove star", or tap the star icon if it is visible.

When you remove a star, the folder disappears from your "Starred" section but stays in its original location in your Drive. You can star it again at any time.

What happens when you star a shared folder

If someone has shared a folder with you, you can star it just like any other folder. The star is personal to you — other people who have access to that folder will not see your star. Each person can star or unstar a shared folder independently.

This means you can star a shared folder to keep it straightforward to find, while the person who owns it may not have starred it themselves. Starring does not change the folder's permissions or who can see it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I star individual files, or only folders?

You can star both files and folders. The process is identical — right-click or tap and hold, then select "Add star". Both files and folders appear in the same "Starred" section of your sidebar.

If I star a folder, do the files inside it get starred too?

No. Starring a folder does not star the files inside it. Only the folder itself appears in your "Starred" section. If you want quick access to a specific file inside a starred folder, you need to star that file separately.

Will my starred folders stay starred if I move them to a different location?

Yes. Moving a folder does not remove the star. The folder will remain in your "Starred" section even after you move it to a different part of your Drive.

Can I organize my starred folders into groups or change their order?

Google Drive does not have a way to create groups within your "Starred" section or to manually reorder starred items. They appear in the order you starred them. If you need more control over organization, consider using folders and subfolders instead.