Installation Guide - Google Drive for macOS

Installing Google Drive for Desktop on macOS

Setting up Google Drive on your Mac is a straightforward process that typically takes just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through downloading the application, installing it, and configuring your preferences for optimal use.

Step-by-Step Installation Process

Download Google Drive for Desktop
Navigate to the official Google Drive download page using your web browser. Look for the "Download for Desktop" button and click it. The website will automatically detect that you're using macOS and provide the correct installer. The download is approximately 80-100MB and should begin immediately.

File: GoogleDrive.dmg (approximately 90MB)
Open the Installer Package
Once the download completes, locate the GoogleDrive.dmg file in your Downloads folder. Double-click to mount the disk image. A Finder window will open showing the Google Drive installer icon.
Run the Installer
Double-click the "Google Drive" installer icon within the mounted disk image. macOS may display a security warning asking if you're sure you want to open it. Click "Open" to proceed. The installer will launch and display the Google Drive installation wizard.
Grant Necessary Permissions
During installation, macOS will request several permissions. Google Drive needs these to function properly:
- Full Disk Access: Required to access and sync your files. You'll be prompted to open System Preferences and manually enable this in Security & Privacy settings.
- Accessibility Access: Needed for certain Finder integration features.
- File System Extension: Allows Drive to mount as a network volume in Finder.
Follow the on-screen prompts to grant each permission. You may need to restart your Mac after granting these permissions for them to take full effect.
Sign In to Your Google Account
After installation completes, the Google Drive setup wizard will launch automatically. Click "Sign in with browser" to authenticate using your default web browser. This opens a secure Google login page where you'll enter your email address and password.

If you have two-factor authentication enabled (highly recommended), complete the 2FA verification step. Once authenticated, the browser will display a success message, and you can return to the Google Drive setup wizard.
Configure Sync Settings
The setup wizard will present several configuration options:
- Google Drive Streaming: Choose whether to stream your Google Drive files. This is recommended for most users as it doesn't consume local storage.
- Backup Folders: Select which Mac folders to back up to Google Drive (Desktop, Documents, Photos, or custom folders).
- Shared Drives: If you're using Google Workspace, select which Shared Drives to make available on your Mac.
Set Up Preferences
Click through the preference screens to configure:
- Bandwidth limits for uploads and downloads
- Whether to start Google Drive automatically when you log in to macOS
- Cache size for temporarily storing frequently accessed files
- Which file types to automatically make available offline
Complete Setup
Click "Finish" to complete the setup process. Google Drive will begin its initial sync, which may take several minutes to several hours depending on how many files you have and your internet connection speed. You can start using Drive immediately, but some files may not be accessible until the initial sync completes.

Verifying the Installation

Once installation is complete, verify that Google Drive is working correctly:

Check the Menu Bar Icon

Look for the Google Drive cloud icon in your macOS menu bar (top-right corner). This icon indicates that the application is running. Click it to access quick actions and sync status.

Find the Drive in Finder

Open Finder and look in the sidebar under "Locations". You should see "Google Drive" listed as a mounted volume. Click it to browse your cloud files just like a local folder.

Test File Access

Navigate to your Google Drive in Finder and try opening a file. It should download quickly and open in the appropriate application. Try creating a new file and verify it syncs to the cloud.

Post-Installation Configuration

After installing Google Drive, you can further customize its behavior to match your workflow.

Accessing Preferences

Click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar, then click the gear/settings icon in the popup window. Select "Preferences" to open the detailed settings panel.

Key Preference Settings

Google Drive Preferences

My Computer: Choose which local folders to continuously back up to Google Drive. Changes made locally are automatically uploaded to the cloud.
Google Drive: Configure how your cloud Drive appears on your Mac. Choose between streaming files or downloading them all for offline access.
Folders from Shared Drives: Select specific Shared Drives or folders to sync if you don't want to see all shared content.
Settings: Enable/disable startup on login, configure proxy settings, set bandwidth limits, and adjust cache size.

Optimizing for Your Mac's Storage

If you have limited storage on your Mac:

Use streaming mode for your Google Drive files (the default)
Set a smaller cache size (e.g., 5-10GB instead of the default 20GB)
Be selective about which folders you back up from your Mac
Mark only essential files for offline access
Regularly clear the cache through the preferences if storage becomes tight

Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

Installation Fails or Hangs

If the installer doesn't complete successfully:

Ensure you have administrator privileges on your Mac
Disable any antivirus software temporarily during installation
Quit all other applications before installing
Download the installer again in case the file was corrupted
Check that you have at least 1GB of free storage space available

Google Drive Doesn't Appear in Finder

If you don't see Google Drive in your Finder sidebar:

Check that the application is actually running (look for the menu bar icon)
Open Finder Preferences (Finder → Preferences) and ensure "Connected servers" is checked in the Sidebar tab
Restart the Google Drive application from the menu bar icon
Log out of Google Drive and sign in again
If all else fails, reinstall the application

Permission Errors

If you see permission-related errors:

Open System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy
Select "Full Disk Access" from the left sidebar
Ensure Google Drive is in the list and the checkbox is enabled
If not listed, click the "+" button and add Google Drive from /Applications/
Restart Google Drive after making changes

Slow Sync or Upload Issues

If files sync slowly or uploads fail:

Check your internet connection speed and stability
Verify you haven't exceeded your Google Drive storage quota
Check bandwidth limits in Google Drive preferences
Pause and resume syncing from the menu bar icon
For large files, try uploading through the web interface instead

Uninstalling Google Drive

If you ever need to remove Google Drive from your Mac:

Quit Google Drive
Click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar, click the settings gear icon, and select "Quit". This ensures all sync operations complete before uninstalling.
Remove the Application
Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder. Find "Google Drive" and drag it to the Trash, or right-click and select "Move to Trash". Enter your administrator password if prompted.
Remove Associated Files
To completely clean up all Google Drive files, you'll also need to delete:

~/Library/Application Support/Google/Drive/ ~/Library/Preferences/com.google.drivefs.* ~/Library/Caches/com.google.drivefs.*

You can access the Library folder by holding Option and clicking the "Go" menu in Finder.
Empty the Trash
Finally, empty your Trash to complete the removal. Note that uninstalling Google Drive doesn't delete any files from your cloud storage – they remain accessible through the web interface.