3 Best Ways to Upload Photos to Google Drive From Android

Google Drive, the cloud-storage service from Google, has simplified our lives in several ways. You can save photos or other types of files in it and access them from any device or part of the world. Saving photos to Google Drive helps in preserving them without using a PC. But how does one save photos to Google Drive from an Android phone? Here we shall tell you how to upload photos to Google Drive from Android phones.

You can upload photos and other files from Android-based phones and tablets to Google Drive in three different ways. Out of those three, you will have to manually add photos to Google Drive in the first two ways. The third method helps in auto-syncing photos to Drive.

Note: The photos added to Google Drive will count towards your overall Google Drive storage quota.

Let’s check the methods.

Method 1: Upload Using Google Drive App

One of the easiest ways to upload single or multiple photos, videos, etc., to Google Drive is using the built-in upload functionality in the Google Drive app.

Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Install the Google Drive Android app on your phone in case it isn’t installed already.

Download Google Drive

Step 2: Launch the Google Drive app on your phone. Now you can either upload the photos directly in the root directory or in a particular folder. For the latter, tap on the folder to open it and then follow the next step.

Step 3: Tap on the floating Add icon and hit the Upload button from the pop-up screen.

Step 4: The File Explorer app will open. Tap on the photo that you want to upload to Google Drive. The photo will be added to Google Drive, and you will see the status of the photo.

Tip 1: Upload Multiple Photos

To upload multiple photos, touch and hold any one of the photos to select it. Then tap on other photos to select them. Finally, tap on the Select option at the top to upload them to Drive. The app will take you to the Google Drive screen where the file uploads is in progress.

Tip 2: View More Files

When the File Explorer opens, you will see only the recent files. Tap on the three-bar icon at the top to browse photos in other folders. Alternatively, view and open any other gallery app to upload photos right from the File Explorer.

Method 2: Upload Directly From Other Apps

In this method, you don’t need to open the Google Drive app every time you want to add photos. You can use the Share menu from any app – be it a File Manager, Gallery, or chat apps, to upload photos in any Google Drive folder.

Here are the steps:

Note: The following steps are performed on a Gallery app but can be used for other apps. Also, the Google Drive app needs to be installed on your phone for this method to work.

Step 1: Launch the app from which you want to add the photo to Google Drive. Open the required photo or select multiple photos.

Step 2: Tap on the Share icon. Look for Drive (or Save to Drive icon) in the menu. Tap on it.

Step 3: The Save to Drive screen will open. Type the name of the photo or use the suggested name. Select the required account if multiple accounts are added. Also, select the Google Drive folder where you want to save the photo. Tap on the options to choose a different account or folder.

In the case of folders, you will be taken to the Google Drive app. Use the back button at the top to navigate and select the required folder. Once you are in the desired folder, tap on Select at the bottom.

Tip: Create a new Google Drive folder using the folder icon at the top.

Step 4: You will reach the Save to Drive screen again. Tap on Save.

Can You Delete Photos From Gallery After Adding Them to Google Drive

Many users wonder whether they can delete pictures from their phone’s Gallery app after uploading them to Google Drive. The answer is yes, provided you are using the above two methods. Once you have uploaded the photos to Drive, you can safely delete them from the Gallery app. The two aren’t linked as it happens in Google Photos. You can still view them in Google Drive. However, do not delete them from the Google Drive app.

Tip: Find out where you should save photos – Google Photos or Drive?

Method 3: Auto-Sync Photos and Add Folders

The above two methods are limited in functionality. Firstly, Google Drive doesn’t offer a photo auto-sync feature. Secondly, you cannot upload folders to Drive using the mobile app. You will need to use Drive on the computer for the same purpose.

Fortunately, both these limitations can be defeated using third-party apps. We have covered how to auto-sync photos to Google Drive and how to upload folders to Google Drive on Android.

Take Regular Backups

The above methods should have helped you in saving photos to Google Drive. In case you have to upload a large number of photos, do not upload all of them at once. Often, due to network or other issues, you might face sync issues. We would suggest dividing them into small groups and then upload each group separately.