How to Download Files and Folders From Google Drive

Quick and easy-to-follow guide for Google Drive users

You can download files and folders from Google Drive to your computer.

What if I can’t download a file from Google Drive

  • If you can’t download a file, you probably are not the owner, and the owner has disabled downloading.

What happens when I download Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other Google files

  • Google Docs, Sheets, and other Google-type files can only exist in their original format on the web, so they automatically get converted to Microsoft Office-type files upon download.

Google Drive download conversion options

You can also download files in other formats. However, you can only do this when downloading one file at a time. To select a format, open the file and click File > Download as.

  • Google Docs can be converted to Microsoft Word (.docx), OpenDocument Format (.odt), Rich Text Format (.rtf), Adobe PDF (.pdf), Text file (.txt) or Web page (.html).
  • Slides can be convered to Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx), ODP (.odp), Text file (.txt), Adobe PDF (.pdf), JPEG (.jpg), PNG (.png) and Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg).
  • Sheets can be convereted to Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), OpenDocument format (.ods), Adobe PDF (.pdf), Comma-separated values file (.csv), Tab-separated values file (.tsv) and Web page (.html).

How to download files from Google Drive step-by-step with images

Step 1

How To Download Files And Folders From Google Drive - Step 1

Go to Google Drive https://drive.google.com and right-click an item, then select Download.

Step 2

How To Download Files And Folders From Google Drive - Step 2

You can select and download multiple items simultaneously:

  1. Left-click and hold down the mouse button over empty space.
  2. Drag your cursor to form a rectangle over all items you want to download.
  3. Release the left mouse button, selecting all items below the rectangle, indicated by the blue highlight.
  4. Right-click and choose Download.
How To Download Files And Folders From Google Drive - Step 3

Alternatively, you can:

  1. Left-click to select the first item you want to download.
  2. Hold down the SHIFT key.
  3. Left-click to select the last item you wish to download.
  4. Items in-between are selected as well, indicated by the blue highlight.
  5. Right-click them and choose Download.

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