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How to download and install Google Drive on Mac

Google Drive for desktop puts your Google Drive in Finder and syncs it with your Mac. Google offers it as one free installer for every Mac. Here is how to install it, turn it on in Finder and keep the space it uses under control.

Google Drive

  • macOS 13 or later
  • One file for Apple Silicon and Intel
  • Free with 15 GB of Google storage
Official Google Drive websiteworkspace.google.com ↗

Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:

For any Mac.dmg

The links go to the developer’s website (workspace.google.com, dl.google.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.

Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:

brew install --cask google-drive

Homebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.

No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.

Before you download

You sign in with your Google account. The free 15 GB are shared between Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. The same installer fits Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. With a work or school account, your organization may install Google Drive for you.

Google Drive for desktop needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. Its installer is a .pkg inside a .dmg and runs with administrator rights, so download it only from google.com.

How to install Google Drive

  1. Open GoogleDrive.dmg in your Downloads folder.
The Google Drive disk image window: Google Drive and the Applications folder to drag it to
  1. Double-click GoogleDrive.pkg in the window that opens.
  2. Click Continue, then Install, enter your Mac password and click Install Software.
  3. When the installer says it is done, click Close and eject the Google Drive disk in the Finder sidebar.
  4. Google Drive opens and asks you to sign in: finish signing in to your Google account in the browser.

The installer also adds Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides to Applications. They are shortcuts: these files open in your browser.

What to set up after the first launch

  • Turn it on in Finder. macOS asks for your approval: in the Finder sidebar, under Locations, click Google Drive, then Enable at the top right. Without it, Drive can’t show your files.
  • Stream or mirror. In Google Drive’s settings, streaming keeps files in the cloud and downloads them when you open them. Mirroring keeps a full copy on your Mac and takes as much space as your Drive.
  • Folders on your Mac. If you back up Desktop, Documents, Downloads or Photos to Google, allow access in System Settings › Privacy & Security, under Files and Folders or Photos.
  • Opening at login and cache. Google Drive starts with your Mac. Turn it off in System Settings › General › Login Items if needed. Files you open while streaming stay in a local cache that grows.
  • The installer. Move GoogleDrive.dmg from Downloads to the Trash once Drive runs.

If Google Drive won’t install or open

  • The installer stops with an error. Download GoogleDrive.dmg again from Google and make sure you are signed in to macOS as an administrator.
  • Google Drive won’t start or shows a File Provider error. Google advises updating macOS to the latest version and restarting the Mac.
  • It won’t install on an older Mac. Check your macOS in About This Mac: Google Drive for desktop needs macOS 13 or later.
  • Nothing helps. Remove Google Drive completely, with its cache and settings, and install it again. Your files stay in the cloud: see how to uninstall Google Drive on Mac.

Alternatives to Google Drive

Keep your Mac tidy

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System Junk in MacWashing finds the caches apps build up over time, Google Drive’s included, and shows how much space they take. And if you decide to remove Google Drive, the Uninstaller takes its files with it.

Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Questions and answers

Is Google Drive for desktop free?

Yes. The app is free, and every Google account gets 15 GB shared by Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. More space is a paid Google One plan.

Is Google Drive in the Mac App Store?

No. Google Drive for desktop comes only from Google’s website. The Google Drive apps in the Mac App Store are made by other developers. You can also install it with Homebrew.

Where are my Google Drive files on a Mac?

In the Finder sidebar, under Locations. When streaming, they live in ~/Library/CloudStorage, a place macOS manages, so you can’t move them elsewhere.