Updated June, 2021

Are you a fan of Google services, just like me? Then, there's a big adventure that you lot're a Google Bulldoze user, the cloud storage with the largest number of active users, two billion monthly users – could you imagine?

Regarding its benefits, no wonder that Google Drive has and then many fans. It'due south top-performing, easy to utilise, & affordable. The storage is besides very secure & has lots of storage capacity.

Google Drive even so has its weaknesses & shortcomings. For example, users tend to complain virtually its low speed. We tried to make your life easier by writing near basic troubleshooting in Google Bulldoze & focusing on more than advanced Google Drive fixes.

Simply its upload speed stays a common source of frustration. Personally, I feel like I'yard wasting my time, sitting in front of my reckoner & trying to upload photos so that I can sell pictures online (big image files) for the last 10 minutes. I bet the irritation of someone working with videos is ten times higher.

Then now it'southward a good time to discuss Google Drive upload speed, its factors & difficulties. We'll reply this big question – how long does it accept for Google Bulldoze to process a video? And more importantly, we'll find means of how to speed up your Google Drive upload.

Behind the scenes of uploading to Google Drive

More often than not, three factors influence your upload speed in Google Drive:

  1. File size. Obviously, smaller files like texts or images will upload quicker than 4k videos;
  2. Cyberspace speed & connectivity. If your device is continued to loftier-speed internet, your assets volition get uploaded to Google Drive faster. And cloud storage will work quicker in general.
  3. Your device capacity. Try using newer & more powerful software for college upload speed. Big or bulk file upload is a large burden for your device processor. This, in turn, affects your performance. Besides, avert running many tasks at the same fourth dimension. This also makes your cloud storage work slower.Let's consider what happens when you upload a file to Google Drive. Once you click Upload files/folders > Open, Google Bulldoze needs some time to procedure your data. The cloud storage is scanning files & rendering previews.

For example, if it'due south an paradigm or video, the arrangement takes time to convert the asset into a variety of formats, codecs, and resolutions. It makes sure you tin can open your media on whatever device yous're using.

Of course, videos are the most challenging file blazon to upload. They're large & bulky so yous see "upload error" on your screen more often. The inquiry "how long does it take for Google Drive to process a video" ranks high on search engines. And I'm sure if you've ever dealt with videos, you lot were wondering virtually this question too.

Our crude estimation says that you'll need one hour per 1 GB to upload a video (or any other type of file). Add 10 minutes per GB to this number for processing a video.

By the way, you tin track the progress of uploading your file. See this pop-upwardly in the right corner of your screen:

Track the progress of uploading files to your Google Drive

You cannot runway the file processing, though. When yous try to open the file, yous'll run into this warning message:

The warning message

You keep failing to open your file until the processing stops. Then you lot'll know for sure when the upload procedure is completed – you lot'll exist able to run the file without any disruption.

For a more than comprehensive knowledge, read our ultimate guide to uploading files to Google Drive.

Make Your Google Drive Upload Faster

Now when we know everything nigh Google Bulldoze upload, let'south find ways to increase your upload speed.

Check your Google Drive upload speed

Start taking the upload speed examination for your Google Drive. You'll get to know the speed of your cloud storage connection & whether whatsoever radical measures are necessary. Like when the upload speed is too slow, you'd probably need to check your hardware or the internet connection. Anyway, this signals some major issues, which we unlikely solve with our lilliputian troubleshooting ideas.

Google doesn't requite any precise info on normal Google Bulldoze speed so y'all could compare it to your own data. Nonetheless, Reddit user /justindustin writes about 45 MB per second as the ideal speed you tin expect.

Here you should also remember almost the Google Drive limit of 3 files per second & 750 GB a day. This ways that the upload of many small files could take you more fourth dimension than one large asset. And if yous're planning to upload five TB of info (as the Reddit user has been trying), yous might need to await a whole week. (Only for the 750 GB limit, in that location's a workaround. Add one more user to Drive, and you get another 750 GB.)

Alter your app settings

Now it'southward fourth dimension to take steps to actually solve your Drive upload problems. A good starting point is to configure basic settings in your Google Drive app. If you're using a desktop version, open Settings (choose the icon & click on three dots). Then click on Preferences > Avant-garde.

In this department, you'll see different options of how to configure your Google Drive. But if you want to increment upload speed, cull Directly connection under "Proxy" and Don't limit for Upload Rate (and maybe also Download Rate) under "Bandwidth".

If you're a browser version user every bit I am, the all-time you can practise is to clear up your browser data. Get to your browser Settings (for instance, in Chrome, you need to click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner). And then select Privacy & Security > Articulate Browsing Data > Advanced > Articulate data.

Clear browsing data

It's upwards to y'all to choose which data you lot desire to delete. Just for better results, we recommend removing everything: your browser & download history, cookies, cached data, etc.

Additionally, you can set up a hardware acceleration for your browser. Again, become to the Settings section > Advanced Settings > Organisation > Use hardware acceleration when available. This should speed up your Google Drive on a web version too.

Set up hardware acceleration for your browser

Reduce your file size

Compressing your file is a fit-it-all solution. You might not know the existent reason for your slow upload to Google Drive. But reducing your file size through compression will work anyhow. For one thing, it'll reduce the buffer time to add a large file to your cloud storage. For some other, you lot'll save upwardly your storage infinite.

Archiving your files is also a very good strategy if you need to transfer your data further like sharing them with colleagues or clients.

You might mutter that yous cannot preview files in this scenario. Merely this is not the case anymore. Unzip your info right in the Google Drive app by connecting apps similar Aught Extractor or something like.

Click on the + symbol on the left side of your Google Drive:

Connect an app to Google Drive

Then, choose More > Connect more apps. Select the app you lot need & grant all the permissions. Now when you lot correct-click on the annal, you'll be able to unzip the files in your Google Drive business relationship.

Endeavour the Drive Uploader app

To employ Drive Uploader is another simple, but constructive manner to speed upwardly your Google Drive. This is an easy-to-utilise & safety app, designed to receive large volumes of info & upload them to your Google Drive. Interestingly, the sender doesn't have to be a Bulldoze user.

Outset, sign up or login into the app. (You lot tin connect to your Google Drive to do it automatically.) So, click Create an uploader:

Drive Uploader interface

And so you lot'll get a run a risk to set configurations for your upload like choosing it a title, destination folder, or whether you want to become notifications about the upload:

Create a new uploader

When you salvage your settings, the app will automatically generate an URL for you. Copy the link & paste it into some other tab. The link will give yous a usual drag'north'drop opportunity. Upload your files there, add your proper noun & email.

Drang-n-drop your files

The speed might not exist skyrocketing. But at least, yous'll meet the progress very conspicuously. Look for your data in your Google Drive > My Bulldoze > Drive Uploader.

Use Speed Uploader Extension

Speed Uploader is 1 more than app developed past Google for uploading files faster. It works every bit an extension for your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari). Also, information technology allows you to upload data to specific folders directly and consummate simultaneous uploads.

Speed Uploader

Once you set upwards the extension, become to your browser apps. (It'll transfer you automatically.) And cull Speed Uploader.

Your adjacent stride is to login & qualify. (But connect to your Google account, equally usual.) And so, configure all the permissions, and yous'll run across the upload page. (It might not expect really squeamish, just we target speed, not an impressive user interface.)

Upload files in Speed Uploader

Here you connect the folder where yous desire your information to upload. (Or create a new ane.) And then, beginning transferring your data – the tool should really speed upwards your Google Drive uploads.

Test other acceleration software

Actually, your options don't limit to Drive Uploader or Speed Uploader just. There are lots of other tools bachelor on the marketplace. Nosotros've covered the most pop ones in our post on Uploading to Google Drive. Only yous're free to bank check them up by yourself (and supplement this listing with your own variants).

How to get the most of your Google Workspace

In brief, here are a few Google Bulldoze dispatch tools yous might attempt to speed up your uploads:

  • Rclone is a frequent recommendation of Reddit users. This is a control-line program to manage your files on cloud storage, including syncing & uploading data. Rclone can upload chunks of data simultaneously, and this is how it'll improve your upload speed.
  • Backup & Sync is a good addition to your Google Drive to create automatic backups. Information technology's a desktop app that connects a binder on your estimator to Google Drive. And once you place files in that location, they get uploaded to your Google Drive automatically. The tool works in the background too, which will salvage you lots of time in the futurity.
  • Drive Filestream is another nice app to add to your Google Workspace business relationship. Its thought is to stream your files to your PC, without actually storing them. In other words, you tin see your information, but they're non physically present (and don't eat up your space). So no downloads are needed, whatever.
  • Pics.io migration services offer you fast uploads between different clouds, including Google Drive. In this way, you can transfer your binder structure & metadata too.
  • Duplicati is some other tool for online backups for the near popular services such as Google Bulldoze, Amazon S3, or MEGA. The app volition permit you to upload your files quicker and safer. And it'due south completely gratuitous of charge.
  • Speedify is a good selection for uploads from mobile devices. The app combines your mobile data & WiFi to ensure more stable connectivity. And thus, it gives you a chance to speed upwardly your uploads to Google Bulldoze.

Upload automatically with Pics.io DAM

Uploading files via Pics.io Digital Asset Management is easy and time-efficient. This file manager works on peak of your Google Drive and then anything yous upload there will exist mirrored automatically on your Google Drive.

Pics.io file upload

How will DAM speed upwards your uploads? Hands! With Pics.io, you can organize your files and make them searchable fifty-fifty at the phase of upload. A user tin add together metadata, assignees, asset marks, descriptions, custom metadata fields, etc., etc., as well as choose a collection where to upload the info.

Here are a few other ways how DAM tin be useful to yous side by side to automating your uploads to Google Drive:

  • Admission files instantly thanks to advanced search capabilities
  • Add and manage all sorts of metadata for your files
  • Work with whatsoever scopes, sizes, and formats, regardless of Google Bulldoze file limits
  • Establish granular office permissions, independent from those of Google Drive
  • See and experience your assets with automatic previews and a visually inspiring layout
  • Collaborate with your team – tag colleagues nether avails and kickoff a discussion
  • Go on revisions of files in one place
  • Share and receive third-political party materials easily

Wrap up

Google Drive is a nice tool to take in your team's arsenal. This cloud storage is easy-to-use, rich in features, & integrates with many apps. And it'south definitely over-performs most of its competitors.

Despite its perks, Google Drive is far from ideal. And many of its users face up upload issues from time to fourth dimension. In the post, we've covered v tangible solutions of how to make your Google Drive upload faster. But don't be lazy to test each of them to find what works best for you lot.


Poor file system is another big problem for Google Drive users. If you also cannot access your files easily & are tired of a total mess in your storage, think about adopting Digital Asset Direction. Schedule a free demo with us to get more details.

And in case y'all're thinking about replacing Google Drive, Pics.io has simply released its own storage & become an all-in-one DAM solution. Give it a try!