Download a file

Download files from Google Drive with a computer, Android, or iOS device.

Important: If you try to download a suspicious file, you may get a warning message. Use caution if you download the file.

Download a file

To download a file from Google Drive:

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Click a file to download.
   • To download multiple files, press Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) click any other files.
3. Right-click click Download.

To download a file from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Vids:

1. On your computer, open a file in:
   • Docs
   • Sheets
   • Slides
   • Vids
2. To download the file:
   • In Docs, Sheets, and Slides:
     1. At the top left, click File Download .
     2. From the list, select a file format, like:
        • PDF document (.pdf)
        • Microsoft Word (.docx)
        • PowerPoint (.pptx)
        • JPEG file (.jpg)
   • In Vids: At the top left, click File Download as MP4 .

Tip: You can't drag a file or folder directly to your desktop.

Save a file to a different format

When you download a file, you have the option to save the file in a different format, such as:

1. On your computer, open a file in:
   • Docs
   • Sheets
   • Slides
   • Vids
2. To download the file:
   • In Docs, Sheets, and Slides:
     1. Click File Download .
     2. From the list, select a file format, like:
        • A PDF document (.pdf)
        • Microsoft Word (.docx)
        • PowerPoint (.pptx)
        • A JPEG file (.jpg)
   • In Vids: At the top left, click File Download as MP4 .

Learn how to convert Office and other file types into Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

Learn why you can't download a file

Reasons why you may have issues with file downloads:

• File permissions: If you can't download a file, the owner may have disabled options to print, download, or copy for users with just comment or read-only access. If you need to download the file, contact the owner and request permissions.
• Blocked third-party cookies: To communicate with Google's secure download server, Drive Web uses third-party cookies. In Chrome, to prevent downloads through Google Drive, block third-party cookies. If you want to block third-party cookies and still want to download from Drive, allow third-party cookies just for Drive.
  1. In the browser address bar, enter “chrome://settings/cookies”.
  2. Press Enter.
  3. Under "Privacy and security," scroll to the "Sites allowed to use third-party cookies" section.
  4. On the right, click Add.
  5. In the “Add a site” window, enter “drive.google.com”.
  6. Click Add.
     • Tip: Learn about changes to third-party cookie requirements.

Fix issues with file downloads from Drive

If you still have problems to download files from Drive, you can:

• Double check cookie settings: Make sure to allow third-party cookies for Drive.
  1. In the browser address bar, enter “chrome://settings/cookies”.
  2. Press Enter.
  3. Under "Privacy and security," scroll to the "Sites allowed to use third-party cookies" section.
  4. On the right, click Add.
  5. In the “Add a site” window, enter “drive.google.com”.
  6. Click Add.
• Check for conflicting sites: Under "Sites that can never use cookies," make sure there aren't any entries for drive.google.com or google.com. This prevents downloads from Google Drive. If you find these sites listed, click Menu Remove.
• Disable extensions: Turn off all extensions and try to download. If you can download a file after that, turn the extensions on one at a time to identify any problems.

Learn about Google Vids availability.