Get started with Drive

2. Access your files

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You can access your documents in Google Drive wherever you go—on your computer, phone, or tablet. When you finish making your changes, Drive automatically syncs the latest changes. So if you open the same document from another device, all the changes you made appear.

In this section, you learn how to:

2.1 Check your sync status
2.2 Access your files from any device
2.3 Access your files offline

2.1 Check your sync status

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On the web

When you see Upload complete, your files have uploaded successfully and can be accessed in any browser or device that has Drive installed.

On your computer

Dragging files to a folder in Drive File Stream automatically uploads them to Drive on the web (though it might take a moment for files to sync).

Files with Sync  haven’t been uploaded to Drive yet.

Files with Done Done have uploaded successfully and can be accessed from Drive in any browser or from any device with Drive installed.

Pause Drive file stream sync

2.2 Access your files from any device

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After your files sync, you can access them from any browser or device.

Browser or device Requirements How to access
Web browser Web browser (any device) Install any web browser. Go to drive.google.com.
Desktop Computer Install Drive File Stream from the Drive Help Center. Click Drive File Stream Drive File Streamand thenOpen Google Drive Folder.
Mobile device Mobile devices Install the Drive app from the Play Store (Android) or Apple® App Store® (Apple® iOS®). Open the Drive app on your device.

2.3 Access your files offline" "

Internet outages and long plane rides shouldn’t prevent you from working in Drive.

Set up offline access so that the next time you don’t have internet access, you can view your documents, shuffle folders around, and edit files stored in Drive.

Important: To make sure other people can’t see your files, set up offline access on devices that only belong to you.  

On the web

Chrome browser only

Set up offline access for Docs, Sheets, and Slides: 

  1. Install the Google Docs Offline extension.
  2. In Drive, click Settings Settingsand thenSettings.
  3. In the Offline section, check the Create, open, and edit your recent Google files while offline box.
  4. Click Done.
  5. Right-click a file and turn on Available offline.

To learn how to access files offline from your desktop or mobile, see Access stored Drive files without the internet.

Access files offline

On your computer

Set up offline access for PDFs, Microsoft® Office® files, and more on your desktop:

  1. Click Drive File Stream Drive File Streamand thenOpen Google Drive Folder.
  2. Right-click the file or folder you want to access offline.
  3. Click Drive File Streamand thenAvailable offline.

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