How to Make a Shortcut in Google Drive: Easy Steps for Quick Access

Google Drive is a powerful tool for storing and organizing files, but did you know that you can make it even more efficient with shortcuts? In this guide, we'll take a deep dive into how to make a shortcut in Google Drive, along with other tips and tricks for mastering this essential feature.

What is Google Drive Shortcuts and Why Need That?

Google Drive shortcuts are like bookmarks that allow you to quickly access files, folders, and even Google Workspace apps. They appear in a separate section of your Drive. The shortcuts offer several benefits that can enhance your overall user experience and productivity:

1. Quick Access: Shortcuts allow you to quickly access frequently used files, folders, and Google Workspace apps without having to navigate through your entire Drive.

2. Organizational Efficiency: By creating shortcuts to important items, you can better organize your Drive and reduce clutter. Shortcuts provide a convenient way to categorize and access files and folders based on your workflow or project needs.

3. Saves Time: With shortcuts, you can save time by avoiding the need to search for files or navigate through multiple folders. This can be especially helpful when working on time-sensitive projects or tasks.

4. Cross-Platform Accessibility: Shortcuts created in Google Drive are accessible across all platforms, including desktop, mobile, and web. This ensures that you can access your shortcuts from anywhere, on any device.

5. Collaboration: Shortcuts can also be shared with others, making it easier to collaborate on files and folders. By sharing a shortcut, you can grant others access to the same file or folder without having to share the original item.

Overall, Google Drive shortcuts are a valuable feature that can help you stay organized, save time, and improve collaboration. By incorporating shortcuts into your workflow, you can streamline your Google Drive experience and work more efficiently.

How to Make A Shortcut in Google Drive?

Creating a shortcut in Google Drive is a simple process. You can either right-click on a file or folder and select "Add shortcut to Drive," or you can drag and drop the item into the "Shortcut" section of your Drive. Detailed steps are:

1. Open Google Drive: Go to drive.google.com and sign in if you're not already signed in.

2. Locate the Folder: Find the folder you want to create a shortcut for. You can navigate through your folders in Google Drive to locate it.

3. Right-click on the Folder: Right-click on the folder you want to create a shortcut for. A menu will appear.

4. Select "Add shortcut to Drive": In the menu that appears after right-clicking, navigate to "Organize" and then hover over the "Add shortcut to Drive" option and click on it.

5. Choose Location: A dialog box will appear asking you to choose the location where you want to add the shortcut. Select "My Drive" or any other location where you want the shortcut to be placed, then click on "Add shortcut".

6. Open "My Drive": Go to the location where you added the shortcut (e.g., "My Drive" or another folder). You should see the shortcut to your Google Drive folder there.

7. Create Desktop Shortcut: Right-click on the shortcut, hover over "Send to," and then click on "Desktop (create shortcut)".

Are Shortcuts in Google Drive the Same as Making a Copy of a File?

No, shortcuts in Google Drive are not the same as making a copy of a file. Shortcuts simply point to the original file or folder and do not create a duplicate. This means that any changes made to the original file will be reflected in the shortcut as well. If you want to make a copy of a file, you can use the "Make A Copy" feature instead:

Step 1. Find the file you want to make a copy of. You can navigate through your folders in Google Drive to locate it.

Step 2. Right-click on the file you want to make a copy of. A menu will appear.

Step 3. In the menu that appears after right-clicking, hover over the "Make a copy" option and click on it.

Step 4. (Optional): A dialog box will appear asking you to choose the location where you want to save the copy. You can choose a different folder or leave it in the same folder. Click on "OK" or "Make a copy" to create the copy.

Step 5. (Optional): By default, the copy will have the same name as the original file with "Copy of" added to the beginning. You can rename the copy by right-clicking on it, selecting "Rename," and entering a new name.

Or you can move the files or folder to another cloud as a copy or backup for easy recovery. Thus, you can turn to MultCloud, which is popular as a powerful cloud to cloud transfer, sync, backup tool. As its name suggests, it focuses on transferring, syncing and backing up data across different clouds. Different from manually download and upload, MultCloud directly transfer files from one cloud to cloud online, no need to go through the local storage.

Conclusion

Mastering Google Drive shortcuts can significantly improve your productivity and efficiency when working with files and folders. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you'll be able to create shortcuts to your most important items and navigate Google Drive with ease. Start using shortcuts today and streamline your workflow in Google Drive!