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Navigating

Once signed into Drive, click the '+ New' button located in the upper-left corner or My Drive, which is located toward the center of the screen. If you are using the mobile app, press the '+ New' button in the lower-right corner. This opens a menu that will allow you to create or upload a file to Drive. You can make a spreadsheet, word document, slideshow presentation, form, drawing, and more.

Tip 1: The buttons across Drive are pretty straightforward, but if you’re ever unsure of what one does, just hover over it with your mouse. A pop-up window should appear explaining the function of the button.

Tip 2: While you can go to the main Docs, Sheets, or Slides page to see all the files of that type in a single place, creating folders might be a better way to keep organized. To create a folder, click the blue New button in the upper-left corner, select Folder, and name the file directory. Then, simply drag your file(s) into the folder of your own choosing from the main Drive page. You can also star files you’ll want to access later by clicking Add star in that item’s menu, though, keep in mind that they can only be viewed by the person who added them and not by those who you’ve shared a particular item with.

Tip 3: Another way to quickly find an item in your Drive is by utilizing the Search Drive function; on the top of every page is a field where you can search for a file using its name or file type. If you press the downward-facing arrow in this field or More search tools, you can specify even further, and search for files based on a specific criteria, such as the date or who you’ve shared the file with.

Uploading and sharing documents

To upload a document to Drive, click the Upload files button under New or My Drive and select a file from your computer. If you need to work remotely with someone on a project, you can share a document with them and make changes together in real time.

To share a document after you’ve created it, click the Share button in the upper-right corner, add your collaborators using their email addresses, and click the blue Done button at the bottom of the window. 

Once they’ve been granted access, the document should show up under the Shared with metab in their Drive dashboard, and a link to the shared document will also be sent to their email inbox.

You can use the shareable link in the upper-right corner of the Share with others menu to send the file via text or another messaging service.

Whilst inside a shared document, you can see who else is currently editing it by looking in the top-right corner of the window. Collaborator names will be displayed in different colors.

Rather than sharing each file individually, you can move them into a folder and share that folder. Everyone you share the folder with will have access to all the files inside of it.