3 Best Ways to Upload Photos to Google Drive From Android

Google Drive, Google’s cloud storage service, has made our lives easier in a number of ways. You can save photos or other types of files to it and access it from any device or part of the world. Saving photos to Google Drive allows them to be stored without using a PC. But how to save photos to Google Drive from Android phone? Here we are going to tell you how to upload photos to Google Drive from Android phones.

You can upload photos and other files from Android phones and tablets to Google Drive in three different ways. Out of these three, you will have to manually add photos to Google Drive using the first two methods. The third method is to automatically sync photos with Drive.

To note: Photos added to Google Drive will count towards your overall storage quota on Google Drive.

Let’s check the methods.

Method 1: Download using the Google Drive app

One of the easiest ways to upload single or multiple photos, videos, etc. on Google Drive is to use the upload functionality built into the Google Drive app.

Here is what you need to do.

Step 1: Install the Android Google Drive app on your phone in case it isn’t already installed.

Download Google Drive

2nd step: Launch the Google Drive app on your phone. You can now upload the photos directly to the root directory or to a particular folder. For the latter, tap the folder to open it, then follow the next step.

Step 3: Tap the floating Add icon and tap the Download button in the pop-up window.

Step 4: The File Explorer application opens. Tap the photo you want to upload to Google Drive. The photo will be added to Google Drive and you will see the status of the photo.

Tip 1: Upload multiple photos

To download multiple photos, touch and hold one of the photos to select it. Then tap more photos to select them. Finally, tap on the Select option at the top to upload them to Drive. The app will take you to the Google Drive screen where the files are downloading.

Tip 2: Show more files

When File Explorer opens, you will only see recent files. Tap the three bar icon at the top to browse photos in other folders. You can also view and open any other gallery app to download photos directly from file explorer.

Method 2: Download directly from other apps

In this method, you don’t need to open the Google Drive app every time you want to add photos. You can use the Share menu from any app, be it a file manager, gallery, or chat app, to upload photos to any folder Google Drive.

Here are the steps:

To note: The following steps are performed on a Gallery application but can be used for other applications. Also, the Google Drive app must be installed on your phone for this method to work.

Step 1: Launch the app from which you want to add the photo to Google Drive. Open the required photo or select multiple photos.

2nd step: Tap the Share icon. Look for Drive (or the Save to Drive icon) in the menu. Tap on it.

Step 3: The Save to Disk screen opens. Type the name of the photo or use the suggested name. Select the required account if multiple accounts are added. Also select the Google Drive folder where you want to save the photo. Tap the options to choose another account or folder.

In the case of folders, you will be redirected to the Google Drive app. Use the back button at the top to navigate and select the required folder. Once you’re in the folder you want, tap Select at the bottom.

Advice: Create a new Google Drive folder using the folder icon at the top.

Step 4: You will again reach the Save to Disk screen. Tap Save.

Can you delete photos from gallery after adding them to Google Drive

Many users wonder if they can delete photos from the Gallery app on their phone after uploading them to Google Drive. The answer is yes, provided you use both of the above methods. Once you upload the photos to Drive, you can safely delete them from the Gallery app. The two are not linked as happens in Google Photos. You can still view them in Google Drive. However, do not delete them from the Google Drive app.

Advice: Find out where to save the photos – Google Photos or Drive?

Method 3: Automatically sync photos and add folders

Both of the above methods are limited in functionality. First, Google Drive does not offer an automatic photo sync feature. Second, you cannot import folders into Drive using the mobile app. You will need to use Drive on the computer for the same purpose.

Fortunately, both of these limitations can be overcome with the help of third-party apps. We have explained how to automatically sync photos to Google Drive and how to upload folders to Google Drive on Android.

Make regular backups

The above methods should have helped you save photos to Google Drive. If you need to upload a large number of photos, don’t upload them all at once. Often times, due to network issues or other issues, you may face sync issues. We suggest dividing them into small groups and then uploading each group separately.