Your photo is on your phone or computer, but it still needs to be uploaded to Google Drive. You can add one picture or several through the Drive app or website. Start with your device below, then follow the steps for whole folders, pictures in Google Photos, or a folder someone has shared with you.
Add photos from Android
Open the Google Drive app on your phone or tablet.
Tap New.
Choose Upload.
Locate and select the photos you want to add.
Uploaded files appear in My Drive until you move them.
On iPhone or iPad, choose the destination before uploading
Use the Google Drive app for photos stored on your iPhone or iPad. The upload screen lets you choose their destination and change a filename before sending them.
Open Google Drive.
Tap Add.
Select File upload.
Choose the photos you want to upload.
Tap Location to choose their destination in Drive.
To rename a file before uploading, change File Name.
Tap Upload.
Upload pictures through the Drive website
A photo stored only on your computer still needs to be uploaded before you can access it in Drive.
Sign in at drive.google.com on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, or Linux.
Open the folder where you want the photos stored.
Click New.
Choose File Upload.
Select the photo files on your computer.
For a whole photo folder, choose New > Folder Upload.
Select the local folder, including any photos and subfolders it contains.
For drag-and-drop uploading, drag photos or folders from your computer’s file manager into the open destination folder in Drive.
For pictures on a camera card, USB drive, or external disk, connect the storage device to your computer.
Use New > File Upload to select the pictures on that device.
Let Android uploads use mobile data
Drive’s Wi-Fi-only transfer setting blocks uploads over mobile data when it is enabled. To allow cellular uploads, open Menu > Settings in the Android Drive app.
Under Data usage, turn off Transfer files only over Wi-Fi.
This setting enables mobile-data transfers. You still need to select the photos to upload; it does not turn on automatic photo backup.
Use Drive for desktop for photos you add regularly
Drive for desktop on supported Windows and Mac computers uploads photos through a folder in your file manager.
On Google’s Drive download page, select Download Drive for desktop.
Install the application using Google’s Windows or Mac installation instructions.
Sign in to your Google account.
Open the Google Drive folder in File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac.
Place your photos in the intended Drive folder. The application uploads them automatically.
If syncing is paused, select Settings > Resume syncing in Drive for desktop.
On a Mac, grant requested access to the source folder or external device through System Settings > Privacy & Security.
For pictures stored in Apple Photos, export individual pictures before syncing them. Google recommends this instead of syncing the live Photos library package.
If the desktop method fails, try uploading the photo files at drive.google.com using New > File Upload.
Bring a picture over from Google Photos
At photos.google.com, select the photo you want to add to Drive.
Open More.
Choose Download to save the image to your computer.
Open the destination folder at drive.google.com.
Click New.
Select File Upload.
Choose the downloaded image to upload a separate copy to Drive.
Automatic Google Photos-to-Drive syncing ended in July 2019, so use this download-and-upload method instead of the automatic connection described in older tutorials.
Put photos in someone else’s shared folder
You need Editor access to add photos to another person’s shared Drive folder.
- 1.Ask the folder owner to open Share for the destination folder.
- 2.Have the owner add you, assign Editor, and finish with Send or Share.
- 3.Open the shared folder at drive.google.com.
- 4.Choose New > File Upload and select your photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I save an emailed photo directly to Google Drive?
Yes. In Gmail on a computer, open the message, hover over the photo attachment, and select Add to Drive. On Android, open the message and tap the attachment’s Save to Drive control. On iPhone or iPad, open the message and tap the photo attachment to open it, then at the bottom of the screen tap Drive. The upper-right Save to Drive control is Google’s route for PDFs and other file types.
Can I export my Google Photos collection to Drive at once?
Yes, with Google Takeout. Select Google Photos and deselect unwanted products. Choose Next step, then set Delivery method to Add to Drive. Configure the archive and select Create export. This requires Takeout access and sufficient storage. It saves an archive rather than automatically creating individually browsable photo files in Drive.
Does Google offer Drive for desktop on Linux?
No. Google provides Drive for desktop for supported Windows and macOS systems. On Linux, upload photos through drive.google.com.
Can I save a photo straight to Drive on a Chromebook?
Yes. With the image open in a place that supports saving files, press Ctrl+S. Enter a filename, choose Google Drive > My Drive in the save dialog, and select Save.