Whether we’re capturing recordings on a phone with an incredible camera or downloading files from the web, there’s no mistaking that storage space is going to fill up. Rearranging and removing other files may work as a temporary fix, but eventually, you’ll run out of space again and be back at square one. If you really want to fix your storage problems while keeping all of your videos close, one of the best ways to do that is by uploading them to Google Drive.

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What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage solution that allows users to store files online via Google Workspace or their personal Google accounts. This means anybody with a Gmail account regardless of device can take advantage of the service, which allows you to upload documents, audio, photos, and videos to Google’s cloud servers.

Each new account comes with 15GB of free storage. Like other cloud storage programs, Google Drive requires an internet connection to upload and download files, but you can also work with files offline and update them after you connect to Wi-Fi.

The benefits of uploading videos to Google Drive

The black version of the Google Pixel Fold is being held with one hand, folded open and with the back facing the camera. The outer screen is turned on, showing the camera viewfinder and the person taking the picture.

Using Google Drive comes with a range of benefits. Some of these include:

Cloud storage

The most obvious benefit is being able to upload your files to a cloud server. Drive automatically comes with 15GB of free space for all users, and it can be upgraded to a whopping 30TB via a Google One subscription. This can help you free up space on your devices’ hard drives, so you can keep your older videos while making space for new ones.

Access from any device

Your Google Drive account access isn’t limited to a single device. Google lets you access your videos from any device, anywhere. You can even open your Google Drive account on multiple devices simultaneously, making it easy to upload your files no matter where you are.

Editing and sharing in real-time

Uploading videos is a seamless experience, but it’s also possible to do some basic editing. You can use multiple editing options from Drive, including crop, rotate, trim, and stabilize, and you can even choose a still from the video. What’s more, you can download a third-party editing app that’s compatible with Google Drive to give you even more editing options while working on the server.

What to avoid when uploading to drive

Before you get started, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind to make your uploading experience great.

Try not to upload multiple videos at once

Many first-time Google Drive users have made the mistake of uploading more than one video to the cloud to try to speed up the process. However, multiple uploads at once would actually slow everything down, as your internet is forced to divide its bandwidth between each of them. More problematically, Drive may take your simultaneous uploads and compress them into a ZIP file, which could reduce your video resolution and make it difficult to edit individual files.

Properly label your videos before uploading

Google Drive offers a dedicated search widget to help users look for their files by name. Take advantage of this by labeling each video you upload to the cloud, so you can keep from losing your files.

Star your videos after uploading them

Drive allows you to label your videos as important by starring them. This places your uploads in a specific section of Drive that makes it easy to come back to them later. You’ll want to do this as soon as you’ve uploaded your video, as files in Google Drive have a habit of getting buried over time by more recent uploads.

How to upload on an Android phone or tablet

Now that you know what to expect, it’s time to learn how to actually complete the process. This works the same way for both Android phones and tablets, so we’ll start there first.

  1. Open up Google Drive and tap the + icon.
  2. Select Upload. You’ll be led to the Recents menu listing all the most recent files on your device.
  3. Scroll through the list until you find the video you wish to upload. If you don’t see your video, click on the hamburger icon in the top left corner, select Videos, then locate the folder you saved the video to.