How can I add Google Drive to Finder on my Mac?

Mac
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I installed Google Drive on my Mac but I can’t see it in Finder’s sidebar like iCloud Drive or external drives. I need quick access to my Drive folders for work projects and file syncing, but right now I have to open the web browser every time. Can someone explain how to properly add Google Drive to Finder and keep it visible?

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How I Got Google Drive To Show Up In Finder On My Mac

So I kept seeing people click into Google Drive from their Finder sidebar like it was just another folder, while I was here digging through the browser every time I needed a file. I finally sat down and figured out a few ways to make Google Drive behave more like local storage on macOS. Here is what actually worked for me, in plain language.

Option 1: Use Google’s Official App (Google Drive for Desktop)

This is the basic, built-in way. No tricks, just Google’s own tool.

1. Download and install

  1. Go to Google and search for ‘Google Drive for desktop’.
  2. Download the Mac version from the official Google page.
  3. Open the .dmg file you downloaded.
  4. Drag the Google Drive app into your Applications folder and open it.

2. Sign in

  1. When the app launches, it will ask you to sign in.
  2. Log in with your Google account.
  3. Give it the permissions it asks for so it can access your files.

3. Make it show up in Finder

After signing in:

  1. The app will create a Google Drive location on your Mac, usually under:
    • Locations in the left sidebar of Finder
      or
    • As a mounted drive at the top of the sidebar.
  2. If you don’t see it:
    • Open Finder.
    • Go to Finder > Settings… > Sidebar.
    • Make sure the option related to Google Drive (or connected servers / external disks) is checked.

Now you can click Google Drive like any other folder and open, move, or copy files.

4. Stream vs. mirror (simple explanation)

When you set it up, Google might ask how you want files handled:

  • Stream files:
    Files stay online. They show up in Finder, but they only download when you open them. Saves disk space.
  • Mirror files:
    Files are fully stored on your Mac and also in the cloud. Uses more space, but you can use them offline more easily.

If your Mac storage is tight, go with streaming.

Option 2: Use a Third‑Party App to Mount Google Drive Like a Network Disk

The built‑in Google Drive app is fine, but I ran into occasional sync weirdness when juggling multiple cloud accounts. I wanted something that treats Google Drive more like a mounted disk and keeps everything manageable in one place, without feeling like I installed five different sync clients.

One of the tools I tried for this kind of setup is CloudMounter. What it does, in simple terms:
It connects to cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and shows them in Finder as if they were extra drives. It does not copy everything to your Mac automatically, which is nice if you are low on disk space.

How I set up Google Drive in CloudMounter

  1. Install CloudMounter from the link above.
  2. Open it from your Applications folder.
  3. In the app, click to add a new connection and choose Google Drive.
  4. Sign in with your Google account when it prompts you.
  5. After connecting, CloudMounter mounts Google Drive so it appears in Finder as another location (like an external disk).

From there, it behaves almost like plugging in a USB drive, except the files are actually in the cloud.

Which Approach To Use?

Short version:

  • Use Google Drive for Desktop if you:

    • Just want the default Google experience.
    • Prefer an official app.
    • Do not care about managing multiple cloud services in one place.

  • Consider something like CloudMounter if you:

    • Want Google Drive to show up as a mounted drive without syncing everything locally.
    • Use more than one cloud provider and want them accessible through Finder.
    • Are trying to save disk space but still work with lots of online files.

Either way, once the setup is done, Google Drive lives in your Finder sidebar and you can stop digging through your browser every time you need a document.

4 Likes
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Couple of things to try that are after what @mikeappsreviewer already covered, since you’ve got Drive installed but it’s just ghosting your sidebar.

1. Check that Drive actually mounted as a volume

Google Drive for desktop usually shows up as a mounted volume, like an external disk.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Press Shift + Command + C to go to Computer.
  3. Look for something like Google Drive or Google Drive – [your account].

If you see it there but not in the sidebar, the app is working, it’s just a Finder sidebar preference issue.

2. Manually pin it to the sidebar

If the volume exists but doesn’t show under “Locations”:

  1. In Finder, go to Computer (as above) or wherever you see the Google Drive volume.
  2. Drag the Google Drive icon into the Favorites section of the sidebar.
  3. Drop it where you want it to live.

That forces it into the sidebar even if Finder is being dumb about auto listing locations. This sticks per user, so if you changed macOS accounts, you need to redo it.

3. Fix Finder sidebar settings properly

Sometimes the “Locations” section is half disabled.

  1. Go to Finder > Settings… > Sidebar.

  2. Make sure at least:

    • External disks
    • CDs, DVDs and iOS Devices (on older versions)
    • Connected servers

    are checked.

On newer macOS versions, Google Drive often piggybacks on the “Connected servers” / volume behavior instead of having its own checkbox. If that stuff is off, Finder just hides the Drive mount entirely.

I kinda disagree slightly with relying only on Apple’s sidebar check for “Google Drive” if it shows up. That checkbox sometimes vanishes or resets after OS updates. Dragging the icon manually like in step 2 tends to be more reliable long term.

4. Make sure the Drive app is actually running on login

If you only see Drive sometimes, it may not be set to auto start.

  1. Open the Google Drive app from Applications.
  2. In the menu bar, click the Drive icon.
  3. Open Preferences.
  4. Turn on any option like Launch Google Drive at system startup.

If the app isn’t running, the Drive volume won’t mount, so Finder has nothing to show.

5. If you mainly want quick access to specific project folders

Even if Google Drive itself is visible, having to click through a long path is annoying. Two tricks:

A. Add subfolders to Favorites

  1. Open your Google Drive volume.
  2. Drill into the folder you actually use for work (e.g. Work > Client A > Current).
  3. Drag that folder directly into the Finder sidebar Favorites.

Now you skip the whole Drive tree and jump straight into the important stuff.

B. Make aliases on the Desktop or in Documents

  1. Right click the folder in Google Drive.
  2. Choose Make Alias.
  3. Drag that alias to Desktop or wherever.

That still uses the Drive mount underneath, but gives you “one click” access.

6. When the official Drive app is flaky

If you’re constantly fighting with the Google client (disconnects, sidebar disappearing, multiple accounts), then something like CloudMounter is worth a shot.

CloudMounter mounts Google Drive as a network drive visible in Finder, without mirroring everything to local storage. That can actually be cleaner than Google’s own streaming sometimes, especially if you juggle multiple cloud services. Once configured, it also shows up under Locations in Finder and you can drag its mounted drive or subfolders into Favorites just like above.

7. Quick sanity check list

Since you already installed Drive but don’t see it:

  • Drive app running: Yes/No
  • Drive volume visible under Computer: Yes/No
  • Finder sidebar settings for Locations turned on: Yes/No
  • Tried dragging the Drive volume into Favorites: Yes/No

If all of those are “Yes” and it still doesn’t show, then it’s usually:

  • Corrupted Finder prefs (delete com.apple.finder.plist and relaunch Finder)
  • A third party cleaner / “tuner” app killing the helper process

But 90% of the time it’s just Finder settings + not dragging the volume manually.

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Couple more angles you can try that don’t repeat what @mikeappsreviewer and @sonhadordobosque already walked through.

1. Verify Google Drive is mounting in the expected place

Recent Google Drive versions sometimes mount in slightly weird spots:

  • Open Finder

  • Press Cmd + Shift + G

  • Paste this and hit Enter:

    /Volumes/

Look for a folder or volume named something like:

  • GoogleDrive
  • Google Drive
  • Or Google Drive – <your account>

If it’s there, Drive is working, Finder’s sidebar is just not cooperating.

From here you can:

  1. Open a second Finder window.
  2. Drag that volume from /Volumes into the sidebar of the other window under Favorites.
  3. That usually “sticks” better than waiting for macOS to auto list it.

I actually trust this more than using Finder’s own “Google Drive” checkbox, which likes to forget its settings after updates.

2. Reset only Finder’s sidebar prefs

If the sidebar’s acting cursed:

  1. Quit Finder:

    • Option + right‑click Finder in the Dock → Relaunch

  2. If that doesn’t help, reset sidebar favorites:

    • Open Terminal and run:

      /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder &

    Then in Finder:

    • Go to Finder > Settings > Sidebar
    • Uncheck everything under Favorites and Locations
    • Close settings, reopen, then re‑check what you want (including whatever shows Drive / connected servers)

Not as destructive as deleting the whole Finder plist, but often enough to wake up the sidebar.

3. Check macOS privacy & login settings

Sometimes Drive mounts but vanishes quickly because macOS blocks it:

A. Full Disk Access

  1. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access
  2. Make sure Google Drive is allowed
  3. If it’s not, add it, then quit and reopen the Drive app

If Drive cannot fully access the file system, the mount can be unstable or incomplete.

B. Login Items

You probably do want it to auto start:

  1. System Settings > General > Login Items
  2. Make sure Google Drive is in the list and toggled on

No Drive running = no volume to show in Finder.

4. If you work with multiple Drives or accounts

The official client can be… touchy with multiple Google accounts. If you’re juggling work + personal + maybe a client account, the official app sometimes:

  • Shows only one account’s drive
  • Randomly unmounts one while the app is still open

This is exactly where something like CloudMounter shines. Since you mentioned quick access for work projects:

  • CloudMounter mounts each Google Drive account as a separate location in Finder
  • It does not mirror everything locally, which is good if those work folders are huge
  • You can still drag individual project folders from the CloudMounter‑mounted drive into Finder’s Favorites for one‑click access

You basically get “network drives” for Google Drive, Dropbox, etc, without your SSD crying.

5. Quick workflow tip for project folders

Once you finally see Google Drive in Finder (via the official app or CloudMounter):

  • Go into your main Work folder
  • Drag your top 3–5 active project folders into the Favorites area
  • When a project is done, right‑click its shortcut in the sidebar and choose Remove from Sidebar

You avoid the “dig three levels deep into Drive every time” problem and your sidebar stays sane.

So, checklist for you:

  • Confirm it exists in /Volumes
  • Drag it manually from there into the sidebar
  • Fix sidebar preferences if needed
  • Give Drive Full Disk Access
  • If you’re still wrestling with it or using several accounts, consider switching to CloudMounter and let that handle the mounts

After that, Drive should behave a lot more like iCloud Drive or an external disk in Finder, without the browser detour every time you need a file.

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Two extra angles that build on what @sonhadordobosque, @espritlibre and @mikeappsreviewer already covered, without redoing their step lists:

1. Treat Drive like any other folder and force it into Favorites

Sometimes Google Drive is installed and mounted, but Finder just refuses to “promote” it like iCloud Drive.

What you can do differently:

  1. Open Google Drive from its menu bar icon and choose the option that reveals it in Finder (usually something like “Open in Finder”).
  2. Once that Finder window opens, do not rely on Locations.
  3. Instead, drag the My Drive folder itself into the Favorites section of the sidebar.
  4. You now have a stable shortcut that keeps working even if Apple or Google slightly change how the volume is mounted.

This avoids depending on the sometimes flaky “Google Drive” item under Locations and behaves closer to a pinned project folder.

2. If you use multiple Google accounts, separate them on purpose

Where I partly disagree with some of the earlier advice is on sticking only with the official Google Drive app if you juggle several accounts. It works, but once you have personal + work + client, it can get confusing which “Google Drive” you are looking at.

This is where a tool like CloudMounter is actually more than a nice-to-have:

Pros of CloudMounter for Finder integration

  • Mounts each Google account as an individual drive in Finder, so you can label them clearly (e.g. “Work Drive,” “Client Drive”).
  • No full sync by default, so huge shared drives do not eat your SSD.
  • Lets you use the same pattern for other services (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.) without extra background daemons.

Cons to be aware of

  • It is another app to install and keep updated.
  • Requires ongoing trust: all access to your Drive goes through it.
  • Performance depends on network speed more than local sync, so very large media files can feel slower than with mirrored Google Drive folders.
  • Not ideal if you need huge chunks offline all the time; in that case, mirroring with Google’s own client is usually better.

A lot of people are fine with only the official Google Drive client that @mikeappsreviewer leaned on, especially in single-account setups. If you are mixing accounts or services, a split like this often works best:

  • Use Google Drive’s own app to mirror or stream your primary account.
  • Use CloudMounter to mount secondary accounts and keep them tidy in Finder.

That way you still get quick sidebar access to everything, but your work projects and personal stuff are clearly separated instead of mashed into one mysterious “Google Drive” in the sidebar.