These are the Google Drive tips and tricks I use the most

Google Drive is a handy tool that many people rely on to keep their files neatly organized. It provides plenty of storage space for documents, sheets, videos, photos, and much more. As a cloud-based platform, you can access Google Drive from just about any device — your phone, laptop, tablet, and more.

Anyone with a Google account gets automatic access to Google Drive, and yes, it’s completely free. You might dismiss it as just another cloud storage platform — after all, the market is flooded with them, and on the surface, they all seem pretty similar. But don’t let the familiarity fool you; Google Drive has more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

You probably don’t even pay attention to them or even know they exist. From automatic transcriptions to being able to save anything to Google Drive that you’re working on, it can come in handy for just about anyone. Here are some of the best-kept secrets about Google Drive and how to use each one.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage platform that delivers a ton of features for any user. It is free to use and can store documents, sheets, photos, videos, and more.

1 Share transcripts of videos

This is the newest feature for Google Drive

Google

Google has offered automatic captions for uploaded videos for some time, but it recently took things a step further by introducing automated video transcriptions. These transcriptions not only appear automatically alongside your videos, but they’re also shareable.

The transcription includes time stamps for each part of the conversation and pinpoints the exact moments specific things happen in the video. This feature is incredibly useful for people like filmmakers or presenters who need to jump to specific points during a presentation or editing session. Plus, there’s a search function that lets you look up specific words or phrases within the dialogue. This pulls up the corresponding section in the transcription along with the time stamp.

Related

10 Google Drive tips and tricks to supercharge your workflow

With these tips and tricks, you’ll finally get the most out of Google’s online cloud storage service.

2 Add captions of your own to videos

Another video-related tip that’s very helpful

Google

When you upload and process a video on Google Drive, Google uses AI to automatically create captions and transcriptions. But, just like any technology, it can be wrong sometimes. Fortunately, if you notice mistakes in the captions or transcriptions, you can edit them directly.

You can do this by following these steps:

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Right-click on the video you want to add captions to.
3. Click Manage caption tracks.
4. Click Add new caption track.
5. Click Select file.
6. Upload the file that you want. This can be either a caption file or a transcript file.
7. Select a language for the captions and give the track a name.
8. Click Upload.

If you prefer to just turn on automatic captioning and not worry about it, you can click Generate automatic captions in the Manage caption tracks menu. You can also add captions by clicking the three-dot menu at the top right of the video if you’re playing it in your Google Drive.

Related

How to get Google Drive’s new dark mode on mobile or desktop

You’ll never strain your eyes again when sharing files, thanks to Google Drive’s new dark mode update. Here’s how to turn it on on mobile or desktop.

3 Create a new file from your bookmark bar

Just program it and you won’t have to open Google Drive

Make your life easier when you need to create a new file in Google Drive. Instead of opening Google Drive, navigating to the application, and clicking New to start a new Google Sheet, Google Slide, or more, set up a bookmark in your browser. This bookmark will directly open a new document, sheet, or slide with just a single click.

You have to manually add a bookmark to either your bookmark bar or All Bookmarks system.

1. Open a Chrome browser window.
2. Click on the three-dot menu on the top right.
3. Hover over Bookmarks and Lists and click on Bookmark Manager.
4. Click on the three-dot menu on the top right and click Add New Bookmark.
5. Name it whatever you want but the url should be http://doc.new for Google Docs, http://sheets.new for Google Sheets, http://deck.new for Google Slide, http://site.new for Google Site, or http://form.new for Google Form.

Then, you can use the bookmark to open up a brand-new version of the Google file you want to create.

Related

Our 10 picks for the best Google Chrome extensions

Don’t just browse the web with Google Chrome – grab it by the horns with these extensions!

4 You can save anything to Google Drive

Add an extension, and it becomes an option

Importing files to Google Drive just got a whole lot easier. You no longer have to navigate through Google Drive to open a spreadsheet, document, or slideshow just to save it to the cloud. Instead, you can streamline the process by adding the Save to Google Drive extension. Adding it to your Chrome browser will allow you to right-click and save to Google Drive.

Everything you save will automatically be organized into its own folder in Google Drive. However, keep in mind that there are some limitations — for instance, saving entire web pages might result in the text being converted into a Google Doc, which can alter the original formatting. But saving pictures and other parts of sites will work well.

Related

Which cloud storage service is right for you? iCloud vs Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Dropbox

To help you optimise your mix-and-match approach, or better understand the pros and cons of each service, Pocket-lint has answered all your questions.

5 Keep your Google Drive safe from spam

Don’t worry about any mysterious files that you might get

Google Drive is great for sharing documents with colleagues, friends, and family, and it allows you to store everything all in one specific location. You can control just how shareable something is by adjusting permissions, allowing others to edit, view, access, or share the content. However, not everyone may prioritize security as you do, and sometimes you might receive a file with edit access that could pose a risk.

Scammers can exploit this by sending files that, when clicked, could infect your computer or device with malware. If you encounter something suspicious in your Drive, particularly in the “Shared with Me” section, you can protect yourself. Simply right-click on the questionable file and select “Block.” This will block the e-mail address that sent you the file and remove it from your Google Drive.

Related

Scammers aren’t going to like these new Pixel security features

Google is adding two new AI-powered features to Pixel phones to protect you from scammers and malware.