Organize your files in Google Drive

To organize your files in Drive, you can create folders to make files easier to find and share with others.

Note: If you organize a lot of files or folders at once, it might take time for the changes to appear.

Create, move, and copy files

Create a folder

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app.
  2. At the bottom right, tap Add Add question.
  3. Tap Folder.
  4. Name the folder.
  5. Tap Create.
Move a file or folder

Important: To move a file, you must have permission to move the file from the source to the destination, otherwise the file won’t be moved. A shortcut is created in the destination folder instead.

You can move an item from anywhere in Google Drive: the main window, the left panel, or search results.

Note: If you move folders with a lot of files or subfolders, it might take some time for you to see the changes.

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app.
  2. Next to the file you want to copy, click More Moreand then Move.
  3. Choose the folder, then tap Move here.
    • To create a new folder, tap New folder Create new folder.

You can also move items between side-by-side screens open in the Drive app.

Important: Both instances of Drive must be logged into the same account.

  1. On your Android device, open 2 instances of the Drive app side by side.
  2. From your primary Drive account, long press on the file or folder you want to move.
  3. Drag your selected file or folder into its new location.
Make a copy of a file

To make a copy of a file, go to drive.google.com on a computer.

Delete a file or folder
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app.
  2. Next to the file you want to copy, click More More.
  3. Tap Remove.

If you accidentally put an item in the trash, you can restore your item.

Change the color of your folder

You can customize the color of folders and shortcuts to folders in your My Drive and shared drives. If you change any colors, it only applies to your view in Drive.

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Drive app.
  2. Next to the folder you want to change, tap More More and then Change color.
  3. Choose the color you want.

Drag files into and out of Drive

You can drag and drop files into Drive to upload them. You can also drag files out of Drive and drop them into other apps. When you drag a file out of Drive, you will paste a link to the file in the other app.
Important: Your device must be on Android N or later and be in split screen mode. Not all apps support drag and drop.
  1. Touch and hold the item.
  2. Drag the item into another app.
  3. Lift your finger to drop the item.

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