Find files in Google Drive

You can find files using suggested files, search chips or conventional search. You can also sort and filter search results.

Open suggested files

You can use search chips before you enter a term in the 'search bar' to narrow down the list of files in Drive. To use search chips:

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Drive app.
At the top, tap Search Drive.
Tap to select a search chip. You can select:
- Type
- Folders
- Modified: Today, Yesterday, Last seven days.
After you tap on the chip, you can further narrow your results: type in the search bar.
Tap Search.

These chips appear below the search bar. They will search all files, folders and subfolders. To remove a search chip, on the right of the chip, tap .

As you enter your search, you'll find suggestions to select relevant chips that can reduce the need to enter long text.

Google Drive searches the titles and content of all files that you have permission to see.
To see all results, tap Search .
To save your Drive searches, turn on Web & App Activity.
To search within a folder, go to the folder, enter your search and click the suggestion that pops up.
If you search from a folder location, it automatically adds that filter to the top.
You'll get filter suggestions as you enter text.

In Drive, you can search by:

File title
File contents
Type
Other metadata, which includes:
- Description field
- Shared labels
- File location
- Owner
- Creator
- Modified date
- Approvals
- Follow-ups
Items or words featured in pictures, PDF files or other files that are stored on your Drive