This guide will give you various tips and tricks on how to organize your Google Drive.

Searching

You can search for files by how recently they were modified, their owner, or their type. In Google Drive, click on the down arrow icon on the right side of the search box. This will open up the advanced search box, allowing you to enter these details and refine your search.

You can also enter the following in the search bar to help refine your search:

• title:
  • Search by title
  • Example: title:Important Document
• type:
  • Search by type of document: folder, document, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF, image, video, drawing, form, site, script, table, or jam file
  • Example: type:spreadsheet
• using quotes
  • Find documents that contain an exact word or phrase
  • Example: "match this phrase exactly"
• minus sign
  • Find documents that exclude a particular word
  • Example: salsa -dancing
• before: and after:
  • Find items that were edited before or after a certain day, formatted as YYYY-MM-DD
  • Example: before:2014-05-01
• creator:
  • Find documents in a Team Drive created by a specific person
  • Example: creator:[email protected]
• owner: or from:
  • Find documents owned or shared by a specific person
  • Example: owner:[email protected] 
• to:
  • Find documents you shared with a specific person or a group
  • Example: to:[email protected]
• is:starred
  • Find items that are starred
• is:trashed
  • Find items that are trashed
• app:
  • Find Google Fusion Tables or Apps Script files
  • Example: app:"Google Apps Script"

To find files sorted by size, click on Storage on the bottom-left. Your largest files will be shown at the top. To reverse the sort order, on the top-right, click "Storage used".

Sorting

Files in Google Drive can be sorted in the following ways:

• Name: orders files alphabetically by filename
• Last modified: orders files by the last time anyone changed them
• Last modified by me: orders files by the last time you changed them
• Last opened by me: orders files by the last time you opened them

If you're on the "Recent" tab, you won't be able to sort your files.

Folders

You can create folders in Google Drive to organize your files. To create a folder, click on the New button on the top left, then choose Folder. Name the folder and then click Create. The folder will now be in your Google Drive. You can also right-click and select "New folder".

 To put files in Google Drive into the folder, simply click and hold on the file, then drag it into the folder. You can also right-click on the file, select "Move to", then choose the folder you want to move the file to. You can do this with multiple files at the same time if they are all selected.

Sub-folders can also be made within other folders. Simply enter the folder you want to create a sub-folder in, then create a folder normally. It will be made inside of the folder you're currently in.

If you want to delete a folder, right-click on the folder, then choose "Remove". Any files inside the folder will also be removed. If you accidentally delete a file or folder, you can go to Trash on the left side of the screen and restore the folder by right-clicking on it and choosing "Restore".

Labeling

Colors

You can change the color of a folder icon by right-clicking on the folder and selecting "Change color".

Stars

You can star important documents or folders for easy access. Right-click on the file or folder and select "Add to Starred". You can also star a Google Doc, Sheets, or Slides while you're in the file by clicking on the star icon to the right of the document's title. These documents can then be accessed in the Starred tab. It's a good idea to star documents that are frequently used.

Labeling Tips

• Create a folder for each class that you teach (ex. "Cinematography")
• Create a sub-folder for each year (ex. "2019-2020")
• Create a sub-folder for each section (ex. "Block 2")
• Go through your Google Drive every so often and drop files into folders for better organization

Shortcuts

Type Ctrl + / or Command + / to open a keyboard shortcuts menu that lets you view all shortcuts available in Google Drive.

Workspaces

With your Trinity Google account, you can create a Workspace to quickly access multiple files. On the left side of the screen, click on Priority, then click the Create button next to Workspaces. Once the Workspace is made, you can add any files you have access to to the Workspace.

Convert Files to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides

If you uploaded a Microsoft Office document to Google Drive, you can edit it in Google Docs by right-clicking on it and selecting "Open with", then choosing the Google app you want to open the file with.

Quick Creation Links

If you want to quickly create a new doc, spreadsheet, presentation, or drawing, add the following links to your browser's bookmark bar:

• http://doc.new - new Google Doc
• http://sheets.new - new Google Sheets
• http://deck.new - new Google Slides
• http://site.new - new Google Site
• http://form.new - new Google Form

Translate Documents

If you have a document in a foreign language, open it in Google Docs, then click on Tools -> Translate Document. You'll get a duplicate doc in your preferred language.

Voice Typing

Open a document in Google Docs, then click on Tools -> Voice Typing. A microphone icon will appear next to the document. Click on it and the microphone icon will turn red, indicating that it is recording. Speak what you want to be written down, and it will automatically be written into the document, along with basic punctuation.

Save to Google Drive Chrome Extension

The "Save to Google Drive" Chrome extension helps you save web content or browser screenshots to your Google Drive. Simply right-click on an image, document, audio, or video, then choose "Save to Google Drive". You can download it here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/save-to-google-drive/gmbmikajjgmnabiglmofipeabaddhgne?hl=en 

Team Drives

You can use shared drives in Google Drive to store, search, and access files with a team. Shared drive files belong to the team instead of an individual. Even if members leave, the files stay in place so your team can keep sharing information and work anywhere, from any device.

More Information

• See the attached in-depth PDF