I recently started using Google Drive to sync files between my Mac and iPads but I don’t think I set it up properly. I created a new folder on the Google Drive, moved all my files to there and now the only way I can access files is if the drive is mounted. This is a real pain in the neck because Spotlight (hence Alfred) can’t search within it.
I know that the V5 of Alfred ‘supports’ this and I’ve purchased the upgrade from 4 and will check that out too.
So my question is- is there a smarter way to set this up? Was there a way to just point GD to my original folder to sync that? If I were to do that would I have to upload the files again?
Hope I’m explaining myself clearly- Google didn’t seem to understand me so well!
Thanks as always for your help
That’s the way it works.
But, unless you put the local Google Drive folder somewhere other than the default location ~/Google Drive, you do not need to “mount” the drive. Look in that folder, and if that’s not the local folder, find where you have put the local folder. You can quickly locate that finder, if not obvious, in the “Preferences” button, pick “Google Drive”, press “Open in Finder”. While there check you are set to “stream” or “mirror” files – pick what you want.
I will try that- thank you!
did you install the Mac app?
You should see the Google Drive Volume after the app is installed
I did and that will mount the drive but doesn’t help with the spotlight search unfortunately
Once you have Google Drive for Desktop installed on your Mac create a folder anywhere in your user directory to contain the files you want synced from the cloud. In this example the file I created is “Sync_To_iPad”.
Then from the top menu on your Mac select the Google Drive icon, then Preferences (gear icon), then Google Drive from the left hand menu. Select Mirror files and change the default folder location to the folder you created. Click “Confirm location” and Drive for Desktop will restart and sync everything from the Cloud to the folder you selected.
Your files will exist both in the Google cloud and on your Mac. You can add files, delete files, and move files in the cloud from your iPad, but they will not sync to your iPad. If you want a copy on your iPad you will need to copy it from the Cloud. In this respect Google Drive works exactly like iCloud.
An iPad Pro is my primary computer and this is the method I use to backup everything I upload to GD from my iPad. I put files in Google Drive, they sync to my Mac, and Arqbackup backs them up to Backblaze B2.
Note: In this example ALL my files in Google Drive would sync to the “Sync_To_iPad” folder
Cool! Thank you for your help!