--- title: "What is Google Drive Cloud Storage?" description: "Google Drive Cloud storage is a place where you can easily store and share important files and folders. Because they are hosted on Google’s “cloud” they are secure and accessible from anywhere..." url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/what-is-google-drive-cloud-storage/ date: 2022-02-01 modified: 2024-01-23 author: "InMotion Hosting" categories: ["Business", "Google Workspace"] type: post lang: en --- # What is Google Drive Cloud Storage? ![Learn About Google Drive Cloud Storage](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/What-is-Google-Drive-Cloud-Storage-1024x538.png) Google Drive Cloud storage is a place where you can easily store and share important files and folders. Because they are hosted on Google’s “cloud” they are secure and accessible from anywhere and you can use any internet-connected device to access or share your files. There are also mobile apps available for iOS and Android, so your files are right at your fingertips. Sharing files using Google Drive simplifies team collaboration by allowing multiple users to *view*, *comment*, and *edit* them in real-time.  Any changes that are made to the files will show up immediately for all users that have access. There’s no need to transfer files back and forth after each edit or peer review, saving valuable time for your team. With Google Drive, your files are encrypted and secured by industry-leading technology and protection. You can rest assured that your business information is safe and secure.  This is included with Google Workspace subscriptions along with the full suite of tools such as Meet, Calendar, Docs, and Sheets. This is what Google Drive looks like when you login. ![View of Google Drive Cloud Storage](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/google-drive-1024x445.png) ## Does Google Offer Free Cloud Storage? Google does offer free cloud storage services for **individuals** that allows up to **15GB **of storage space. You can also purchase additional space at a monthly or yearly rate, which would include 100GB, 200GB, or 2TB depending on the plan that you purchase. **Businesses** would need to purchase Google Workspace for a fee based on how many users (or seats) are needed. The amount of storage also depends on the plan you purchase but will typically allow up to **2TB** of storage for each account. This amount of space can accommodate most items such as high-resolution images, HD videos, or just PDF documents making it easy to share. Keep in mind that you can always upgrade and add more storage or users as needed. Once you purchase Google Workspace, users would also get access to all of the tools we discussed earlier such as [Meet](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/google-tools/how-to-schedule-a-google-meet/), [Gmail](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/google-workspace/how-to-activate-gmail/), Calendar, and Drive.  ## How to Use Google Cloud Storage Now you know what Google Drive cloud storage is, you may want to start sharing files and collaborating with your team. But you must complete a few steps before you can begin. The first step is [purchasing Google Workspace](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/google-workspace/how-to-purchase/) from your **Account Management Panel** (AMP). During this step, you will select how many users you will need for your business. You can view and compare the prices. ![Purchase Google Workspace](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/purchasing-google-workspace-1024x364.png) Once you have completed the purchase, the next step is [activating your Google Workspace subscription](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/google-workspace/how-to-activate-your-subscription/). During this process, you will login for the first time and accept the terms and conditions. The final step is [verifying your domain](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/google-workspace/how-to-verify-your-domain/) with Google. This is done by adding a record to your DNS that confirms you own the domain.  ![Verify Domain With Google Workspace](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/google-workspace-verify-domain-1024x464.png) You can then begin [creating users in Google Workspace](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/google-workspace/how-to-manage-users/#add) and they can go to [https://drive.google.com](https://drive.google.com) to begin utilizing Google Drive cloud storage.  ### Add Files & Folders You can simply drag and drop files and folders directly onto the web page to upload them. ![How to Add Files to Google Drive Cloud Storage](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/adding-files-1024x393.png) ### Create New Files & Folders Click the **+New** button on the top left of the page to create a new file or folder. ![Creating a New File or Folder in Google Drive Cloud Storage](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/create-new-file-folder.png) You can also create Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and more. ![Creating Document in Google Drive Cloud Storage](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/google-drive-cloud-storage-create.png) ### Share a File or Folder You can share a file or folder by right-clicking it then choosing the **Share** option. ![Share File in Google Drive Cloud Storage](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/google-drive-cloud-storage-share.png) From there you can choose to share to a person/group or copy a link that can then be sent to someone else. Now you know what Google Drive cloud storage is and how to start using it. Check out our [Google Workspace](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/product-guides/google-workspace/) section for more helpful tutorials. **Reliable Shared Hosting for Growing Businesses** Get the performance your business website demands with NVMe SSD storage, industry-standard cPanel management, and direct access to hosting experts whenever you need assistance. ![check mark](https://design.inmotionhosting.com/assets/icons/standard/check-blue.svg)Free Website Migration     ![check mark](https://design.inmotionhosting.com/assets/icons/standard/check-blue.svg)24/7 Human Support     ![check mark](https://design.inmotionhosting.com/assets/icons/standard/check-blue.svg)100% Money-Back Guarantee [Shared Hosting](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/shared-hosting?mktgp=t&irgwc=1&affiliates=5001860&utm_campaign=Jumbotron&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_term=shared-cta2)