There aren’t too many good options for open-source clients on the mac.
It is different from Strongsync in that it uses a custom kernel extension to present a virtual filesystem.
It adds cloud storage directly to Finder and every other apps on your mac as a fast network filesystem that includes features like locking for MS Office Files, background transfer, and offline mode. Mount Google Drive as a Network DriveĮxpanDrive is our high-performance network drive for the cloud. Everything happens in response to user interaction. Unlike traditional sync clients it doesn’t pre-download data you’re not interested in or won’t use. It utilizes the macOS File Provider framework to locally sync only the remote content you’re interested in. Strongsync is ExpanDrive’s revolutionary new product to access cloud storage via on-demand sync. This puts your computer’s data outside your regular storage bucket, into a special “Computer” section of your account. You can look at using Google’s backup app, if you’re looking to backup your computer to the cloud. If you want to add Google Drive to Finder and other apps on your Mac, there are some great options. Desktop Google Drive Apps for the Mac Google Solutions Your Google Drive storage will be ready to go when you log in. To get started, head over to and log in using your Google Account. Especially if you’re editing content with apps on your computer like Office, Photoshop, etc. Managing and migrating data using the default web-based interface works well, but isn’t a good solution for regular day-to-day work.
Your first 15GB comes free for a regular consumer account but you can easily bump it up to 100G for $20/year or 1TB for $99/year. It is the storage platform for all Google Workspace, Google for Education and regular Google Accounts. Google Drive is one of the most widely used cloud storage services in the world.
Added ability to manage and purchase additional cloud storage from within Drive for desktop.Added support for some cameras to back up to Drive for desktop.Improved accessibility of folders and files created offline.This latest Drive update, which is now widely available for Mac and Windows, also addresses:
Implemented full support for Apple silicon (M1) Mac computers.įor Mac users, the new unified client features better support for the Photo Library on Apple computers, including media that is synced with iCloud, as part of Google Photos upload. Google originally imposed a September deadline for free account users to upgrade.
A May update brought improvements, though it was still classified as a “beta.”Īs of October 14, version 52.0 of Google Drive for desktop features “Full Apple silicon (M1) Mac support.” Google Drive for desktop has now been updated with full support for Mac laptops and desktops with Apple’s M1 chip.Īt the start of this year, the previous consumer app (Backup and Sync) picked up “improved Apple M1 support.” Meanwhile, the enterprise-focused Drive File Stream – what was updated to become Drive for desktop – gained “open beta” support for M1 hardware in February. “Drive for desktop” is Google’s unified cloud backup application for consumer and business users after years of maintaining two separate clients.