{ "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1", "title": "Connecting Google Drive", "slug": "connecting-google-drive", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/connecting-google-drive", "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/connecting-google-drive.md", "category": "Cloud accounts", "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts/", "tags": [ "cloud accounts", "google drive", "sign in" ], "summary": "Add a Google Drive account by signing in through your own browser. Google always shows its account chooser, so you can connect several Google accounts side by side.", "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:14:45.000Z", "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:31:55.000Z", "headings": [ { "level": 2, "text": "Step by step", "id": "step-by-step" }, { "level": 2, "text": "More than one Google account", "id": "more-than-one-google-account" }, { "level": 2, "text": "What Storage Studio connects to", "id": "what-storage-studio-connects-to" }, { "level": 2, "text": "If the sign-in doesn't finish", "id": "if-the-sign-in-doesn-t-finish" } ], "links_out": [ { "slug": "data-transfers", "label": "Data Transfers", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers" }, { "slug": "the-storage-studio-location-in-finder", "label": "the Storage Studio location in Finder", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-storage-studio-location-in-finder" }, { "slug": "backup-destinations", "label": "backup destination", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-destinations" }, { "slug": "duplicates-in-cloud-accounts", "label": "duplicates", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/duplicates-in-cloud-accounts" }, { "slug": "google-photos", "label": "Google Photos: what's possible and the Takeout route", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/google-photos" }, { "slug": "using-your-own-app-credentials", "label": "using your own sign-in credentials for an account", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/using-your-own-app-credentials" }, { "slug": "cloud-account-list-is-empty", "label": "my cloud accounts list is empty after signing in", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-account-list-is-empty" }, { "slug": "cloud-accounts", "label": "Cloud accounts", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts" }, { "slug": "testing-editing-and-removing-an-account", "label": "Testing, editing and removing an account", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/testing-editing-and-removing-an-account" }, { "slug": "when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again", "label": "When an account needs signing in again", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again" }, { "slug": "how-account-sign-ins-are-stored", "label": "How your account sign-ins are stored", "exists": true, "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/how-account-sign-ins-are-stored" } ], "links_in": [ { "slug": "cloud-accounts", "title": "Cloud accounts", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts" }, { "slug": "google-photos", "title": "Google Photos: what's possible and the Takeout route", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/google-photos" }, { "slug": "cloud-account-list-is-empty", "title": "My cloud accounts list is empty after signing in", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-account-list-is-empty" }, { "slug": "using-your-own-app-credentials", "title": "Using your own sign-in credentials for an account", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/using-your-own-app-credentials" }, { "slug": "when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again", "title": "When an account needs signing in again", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again" }, { "slug": "google-photos-and-the-finder-location", "title": "Why Google Photos isn't in the Finder location", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/google-photos-and-the-finder-location" } ], "diagrams": [ { "kind": "flowchart", "caption": "What happens while a Google Drive account is being added", "outline": "- You click Open browser to sign in\n - leads to Your browser opens Google's account chooser\n- Your browser opens Google's account chooser\n - leads to You sign in and approve access\n - You click Cancel: leads to Authentication canceled, nothing was added\n- You sign in and approve access\n - leads to Did the browser come back in time?\n- Did the browser come back in time?\n - Yes: leads to Storage Studio saves the account\n - No, after 5 minutes: leads to Sign-in timed out, nothing was added\n- Storage Studio saves the account\n - leads to Account added\n", "source": "%% caption: What happens while a Google Drive account is being added\nflowchart TD\n A[You click Open browser to sign in] --> B[Your browser opens Google's account chooser]\n B --> C[You sign in and approve access]\n C --> D{Did the browser come back in time?}\n D -->|Yes| E[Storage Studio saves the account]\n E --> F[Account added]\n D -->|No, after 5 minutes| G[Sign-in timed out, nothing was added]\n B -->|You click Cancel| H[Authentication canceled, nothing was added]" } ], "images": [], "screenshots_pending": [ { "alt": "The Add Cloud Account sheet with Google Drive selected, the nickname work-drive typed in, and the Open browser to sign in button enabled", "caption": "Choosing Google Drive" } ], "faqs": [ { "question": "Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac?", "answer": "Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and…", "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq" } ], "text": "To connect Google Drive, open Remotes & Accounts , click Add Account , choose Google Drive , give it a nickname and click Open browser to sign in . You sign in on Google's own page in your usual browser, and Storage Studio never sees your Google password. Step by step Choose Connect Accounts… from the More menu to open Remotes & Accounts , then click Add Account . Select Google Drive in the list. Type a Nickname , such as personal-drive or work-drive . It's how the account is named everywhere in the app, so pick something you'll recognise. Click Open browser to sign in . The sheet tells you which browser will open. In the browser, choose the Google account you want, sign in and approve access. The browser shows You're connected . You can close that tab — the sheet finishes on its own and shows Account added . Click Add Another to connect a second account straight away, or Done to close. What happens while a Google Drive account is being added Flowchart outline: What happens while a Google Drive account is being added You click Open browser to sign in leads to Your browser opens Google's account chooser Your browser opens Google's account chooser leads to You sign in and approve access You click Cancel: leads to Authentication canceled, nothing was added You sign in and approve access leads to Did the browser come back in time? Did the browser come back in time? Yes: leads to Storage Studio saves the account No, after 5 minutes: leads to Sign-in timed out, nothing was added Storage Studio saves the account leads to Account added More than one Google account Storage Studio asks Google to show its account chooser every time, even if you're already signed in to Google in that browser. That makes it easy to add a personal drive and a work drive side by side; each keeps its own sign-in. You can connect up to 5 Google Drive accounts — the Add Account list shows how many you've used. Each nickname must be different. If you type one that's already in use, the sheet says You already have an account called \"…\". Pick a different nickname. — this stops a new sign-in from replacing an existing account. What Storage Studio connects to The account connects to your own files in Google Drive. There's no option in the app to choose a shared drive instead. Once it's added you can use it with Data Transfers , show it in the Storage Studio location in Finder , use it as a backup destination , and check it for duplicates . Google Photos is a separate service and works differently — see Google Photos: what's possible and the Takeout route . If the sign-in doesn't finish Google says \"This app is blocked\" — some Google accounts, often work accounts, need their own sign-in credentials. See using your own sign-in credentials for an account . Sign-in timed out after 5 minutes — the browser didn't come back in time. Click Try Again . The browser picked the wrong account by itself — sign out of Google in that browser, then click Try Again so you can choose. The browser tab didn't open, or you closed it — click Cancel , then add the account again with Add Account . You signed in, but the account list stays empty — see my cloud accounts list is empty after signing in . Closing the sheet while it's still waiting for the browser stops the sign-in, and no account is added. Common questions Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac? Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and… See also: Cloud accounts · Testing, editing and removing an account · When an account needs signing in again · How your account sign-ins are stored", "markdown": "To connect Google Drive, open **Remotes & Accounts**, click **Add Account**, choose **Google Drive**, give it a nickname and click **Open browser to sign in**. You sign in on Google's own page in your usual browser, and Storage Studio never sees your Google password.\n\n## Step by step\n\n1. Choose **Connect Accounts…** from the **More** menu to open **Remotes & Accounts**, then click **Add Account**.\n2. Select **Google Drive** in the list.\n3. Type a **Nickname**, such as *personal-drive* or *work-drive*. It's how the account is named everywhere in the app, so pick something you'll recognise.\n4. Click **Open browser to sign in**. The sheet tells you which browser will open.\n5. In the browser, choose the Google account you want, sign in and approve access.\n6. The browser shows **You're connected**. You can close that tab — the sheet finishes on its own and shows **Account added**.\n\nClick **Add Another** to connect a second account straight away, or **Done** to close.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: What happens while a Google Drive account is being added\nflowchart TD\n A[You click Open browser to sign in] --> B[Your browser opens Google's account chooser]\n B --> C[You sign in and approve access]\n C --> D{Did the browser come back in time?}\n D -->|Yes| E[Storage Studio saves the account]\n E --> F[Account added]\n D -->|No, after 5 minutes| G[Sign-in timed out, nothing was added]\n B -->|You click Cancel| H[Authentication canceled, nothing was added]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — What happens while a Google Drive account is being added. Outline:*\n\n- You click Open browser to sign in\n - leads to Your browser opens Google's account chooser\n- Your browser opens Google's account chooser\n - leads to You sign in and approve access\n - You click Cancel: leads to Authentication canceled, nothing was added\n- You sign in and approve access\n - leads to Did the browser come back in time?\n- Did the browser come back in time?\n - Yes: leads to Storage Studio saves the account\n - No, after 5 minutes: leads to Sign-in timed out, nothing was added\n- Storage Studio saves the account\n - leads to Account added\n\n## More than one Google account\n\nStorage Studio asks Google to show its account chooser every time, even if you're already signed in to Google in that browser. That makes it easy to add a personal drive and a work drive side by side; each keeps its own sign-in. You can connect up to 5 Google Drive accounts — the **Add Account** list shows how many you've used.\n\nEach nickname must be different. If you type one that's already in use, the sheet says **You already have an account called \"…\". Pick a different nickname.** — this stops a new sign-in from replacing an existing account.\n\n## What Storage Studio connects to\n\nThe account connects to your own files in Google Drive. There's no option in the app to choose a shared drive instead.\n\nOnce it's added you can use it with [Data Transfers](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-transfers), show it in [the Storage Studio location in Finder](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-storage-studio-location-in-finder), use it as a [backup destination](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-destinations), and check it for [duplicates](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/duplicates-in-cloud-accounts).\n\nGoogle Photos is a separate service and works differently — see [Google Photos: what's possible and the Takeout route](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/google-photos).\n\n## If the sign-in doesn't finish\n\n- **Google says \"This app is blocked\"** — some Google accounts, often work accounts, need their own sign-in credentials. See [using your own sign-in credentials for an account](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/using-your-own-app-credentials).\n- **Sign-in timed out after 5 minutes** — the browser didn't come back in time. Click **Try Again**.\n- **The browser picked the wrong account by itself** — sign out of Google in that browser, then click **Try Again** so you can choose.\n- **The browser tab didn't open, or you closed it** — click **Cancel**, then add the account again with **Add Account**.\n- **You signed in, but the account list stays empty** — see [my cloud accounts list is empty after signing in](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-account-list-is-empty).\n\nClosing the sheet while it's still waiting for the browser stops the sign-in, and no account is added.\n\n- **Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac?** Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n\nSee also: [Cloud accounts](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cloud-accounts) · [Testing, editing and removing an account](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/testing-editing-and-removing-an-account) · [When an account needs signing in again](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-an-account-needs-signing-in-again) · [How your account sign-ins are stored](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/how-account-sign-ins-are-stored)\n" }