The fastest way to add pictures to Google Drive

You can add pictures to Google Drive in three ways: upload them from your computer, take a photo directly with your camera or phone, or save images from the web. The method you choose depends on where your pictures currently are and what device you're using.

On a computer, the simplest route is to open Google Drive, click the "New" button on the left side, select "File upload", then choose the pictures you want. On a phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app, tap the plus button at the bottom right, tap "Upload", and select your photos from your device's photo library.

Key Takeaways

  • You can upload pictures from your computer by clicking New, then File upload, then selecting the images you want to add.
  • On a phone, tap the plus button in the Google Drive app, select Upload, and choose photos from your device's gallery.
  • You can take a new photo directly in Google Drive on a phone by tapping the plus button and selecting Camera.
  • Uploading multiple pictures at once is faster than uploading them one at a time, and Google Drive accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and other common image formats.
  • Once pictures are in Google Drive, you can organize them into folders, share them with others, or open them in Google Photos.

Uploading pictures from your computer

Open Google Drive in your web browser and sign in with your Google account. On the left side of the screen, click the "New" button (it looks like a plus sign inside a circle). A menu will appear with several options.

Click "File upload" from that menu. A window will open showing the folders on your computer. Navigate to the folder where your pictures are stored, select one or more pictures by clicking them (hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac to select multiple), then click "Open". Google Drive will begin uploading the files and show you a progress bar at the bottom of the screen.

If you want to upload an entire folder of pictures instead of individual files, click "New" again, then select "Folder upload". This method keeps your pictures organized in the same folder structure they had on your computer.

Uploading pictures from a phone or tablet

Open the Google Drive app on your phone or tablet. If you don't have it, you can download it free from the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone and iPad).

Tap the blue plus button at the bottom right of the screen. A menu will appear with several options. Tap "Upload". Your phone's file browser will open, showing your photos and other files. Navigate to your photo library or gallery app, select the pictures you want, and tap "Upload" or "Done" (the exact wording depends on your phone's operating system).

Google Drive will upload the pictures in the background while you continue using your phone. You can check the upload status by tapping the menu button (three horizontal lines) and looking at the "Uploads" section.

Taking a new photo directly in Google Drive

If you want to take a picture with your phone's camera and add it to Google Drive without saving it to your phone first, you can do this directly in the Google Drive app.

Tap the blue plus button at the bottom right, then tap "Camera". Your phone's camera will open. Take the photo, review it, and tap the checkmark or "Use" button to confirm. Google Drive will save the picture directly to your Drive without storing it in your phone's photo library.

Saving images from websites to Google Drive

If you find a picture on a website and want to save it to Google Drive, right-click the image on your computer (or long-press on a phone) and select "Save image as". Choose Google Drive as the location where you want to save it. On some phones, you may need to use the browser's download feature instead.

Alternatively, you can download the image to your computer or phone first, then upload it to Google Drive using the methods described above. This approach gives you more control over the filename and folder location.

Organizing pictures once they're uploaded

Once your pictures are in Google Drive, you can organize them into folders to keep them sorted. Right-click an empty area in Google Drive and select "New folder", then give the folder a name. Drag and drop pictures into the folder, or select a picture, right-click it, and choose "Move to" to select a destination folder.

You can also rename pictures by right-clicking them and selecting "Rename". If you upload many pictures at once, Google Drive will show them in a list view where you can sort them by name, date modified, or file size by clicking the column headers.

What file types Google Drive accepts

Google Drive accepts all common picture formats, including JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and SVG files. If you have pictures in less common formats like TIFF or RAW (from professional cameras), Google Drive will store them but may not display a preview in the browser — you'll need to download them to view them on your computer.

There is no limit to how many pictures you can upload, but your Google account has a total storage limit. A free Google account includes 15 GB of storage shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Once you reach that limit, you'll need to delete files or purchase additional storage to upload more pictures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upload pictures directly from my phone's camera roll without downloading them first?

Yes. Open the Google Drive app, tap the plus button, select Upload, then choose your photos from your phone's gallery or photo library. Google Drive will upload them directly without creating a separate copy on your phone.

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

Upload speed depends on your internet connection and the size of the pictures. A single photo usually takes a few seconds to a minute on a typical home internet connection. Uploading many pictures at once may take several minutes. You can continue using Google Drive while files upload in the background.

Can I upload pictures from my phone to Google Drive without using the Google Drive app?

Yes. You can open Google Drive in your phone's web browser, click the plus button, select File upload, and choose pictures from your phone's gallery. However, the Google Drive app is usually faster and easier on mobile devices.

What happens if my internet connection drops while I'm uploading pictures?

On a computer, the upload will pause and you can resume it once your connection is restored. On a phone, the Google Drive app will usually retry the upload automatically. If the upload fails completely, you'll see an error message and can try uploading again.

Can I upload pictures directly from Google Photos to Google Drive?

Google Photos and Google Drive are separate services, but they share the same storage quota. You can download pictures from Google Photos to your phone or computer, then upload them to Google Drive. Alternatively, you can share a Google Photos album with someone and they can save the pictures to their Drive.