Sync Files to Google Drive Automatically | 4 Ways Included

Why sync files to Google Drive?

There are many devices outside computer, why do you sync files to Google Drive or other storage devices? There are some common reasons listed in the following:

• Spare some free space. Compared with internal disk, cloud storage device has some obvious advantages, it saves local disk space and allows users to access files at any computer.

• For continuous data protection. Everyone has their most precious memories and they can’t afford to lose them. So, syncing files on Google Drive may be one of the best ways.

• Avoid data loss owing to natural disaster. Compare with internal disk and external drive, cloud storage will be much safer. Because it can avoid data loss owing to system crash, disk failure, fire, stolen, virus attack, etc.

Does Google Drive sync automatically?

Referring to sync files to Google Drive, the Google Drive for desktop app could cross your mind. Google Drive for desktop is a two-way file sync software for you to share files on multiple devices anywhere and anytime. And it’s not fully automated. How to sync my files to Google Drive with Drive for desktop? There are multiple ways.

Way 1: Google Drive web page

Open Google Drive web page, log in your account. Then click + New button -> File Upload or Folder Upload to sync files to Google Drive manually.

Way 2: Google Drive folder

You could Drag and Drop files or folders to Google Drive folder on the desktop. And then all the data will be synced to Google Drive automatically.

Way 3: Sync files via Google Drive for desktop

See below detailed steps to sync files to Google Drive automatically:

1. Download and install Google Drive for desktop on your computer. Then, log in your Google drive.

2. Open Google Drive for desktop app. Then click on the Drive for desktop icon in the taskbar, hit the Settings button and choose Preferences.

3. You'll see two parts on this app: My Computer and Google Drive.

At My Computer section, click Add folder to continuously sync files from computer to Google Drive. Then choose Sync with Google Drive or Back up to Google Photos based on your need. Click Save to begin file synchronization.

At the Google Drive section, you can choose the way to sync files from Google Drive to the computer (Google Drive folder). There are two ways available: Stream files and Mirror files. Stream files is recommended to save space on your computer hard drive. Confirm your settings and click Save. It may require a restart to make the changes take effect.

However, there is something you may pay attention to the Google Drive folder and the Google Drive for desktop app.

• For Google Drive folder, it cannot sync local files outside this folder. So, it requires human intervention and you need to drag and drop files to this folder manually and repeatedly. It’s troublesome.

• Google Drive for desktop tool only supports syncing files from computer to Google Drive and vice versa. If you are running out of 15GB free storage space and want to sync files to external hard drive or other storage devices, you need a third-party file sync tool.

Best free way to automatically sync files to Google Drive

If you would like to sync files to Google Drive automatically and once for all, you could try the best free file synchronization software - AOMEI Backupper Standard to sync files to Google Drive. It’s highly recommended by many users due to the intuitive interface and reliable performance, no technical skill required. With the help of AOMEI Backupper, you could do the following:

• Sync files inside and outside the Google Drive folder. Also, you can sync files between multiple devices, such as cloud drive, external hard drive, USB drive, etc.

• More powerful features provided, such as Email Notification, Schedule Sync, Verify the integrity of files in destination during synchronization. These features will bring your more convenience when you sync files.

Now, let’s start to sync files to Google Drive automatically with AOMEI Backupper Standard with the step-by-step guide:

1.  Free download AOMEI Backupper Standard, install and run the program,

2. On the main window, select Sync > Basic Sync in turn.

3. Click Add Folder to choose files or folders to sync to Google Drive.

4. Click the inverted triangle and Select a cloud drive.  And then choose Google Drive as destination.

5. To automatically sync files to Google Drive, tick Schedule Sync and select daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, or USB plug in. (The last two modes are paid features.)

6. Click Start Sync and select Add the schedule and start sync now or Only add the schedule to sync local files to Google Drive.

✎Tip: You can enable “Email Notification” to get alerted if your files are synced successfully or any error occurs during the process, and you could comment on the sync task, run specified program or script before or after sync task (only available in AOMEI Backupper Professional or higher) with Options.

💜 Helpful features you may need:

👉 If you want to sync files as soon as they changed to keep your files up-to-date, you could upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional to enjoy Real-time Sync feature. Besides, Mirror Sync and Two-Way Sync (bidirectional sync) are also available in Pro edition or higher.

👉 If you create an AOMEI account, you can also backup files/folders to AOMEI cloud. It offers you 1TB free storage for 15 days after you sign up for an AOMEI account.

Wrapping things up

How to sync files to Google Drive? you may think about using Google Drive for desktop. And three ways are provided in this article. But if you want to sync files outside Google Drive folder or sync files between multiple devices, you’d better use a free but professional file synchronization software like AOMEI Backupper. It can satisfy all your basic needs and sync files without any obstacles. With its “Schedule Sync” or “Options” feature, the sync process becomes more convenient.