“Google cloud” can mean two different things. Most people asking how to get into their Google cloud mean the storage that comes with every Google account: the files in Google Drive, the pictures in Google Photos, and the email in Gmail, all sharing one storage allowance. Others mean Google Cloud, the paid computing platform that businesses and developers use to run servers and apps. This guide covers how to get into both, on a computer and on a phone.
Quick answer
- Files: go to drive.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
- Photos and videos: go to photos.google.com.
- How much storage you’ve used: go to one.google.com/storage.
- Google Cloud for developers: go to console.cloud.google.com.
Access your Google cloud storage on a computer
Open Google Drive in a browser
- Open any web browser and go to drive.google.com.
- Sign in with the Gmail address and password for your Google account. If you’re already signed in to Gmail in that browser, Drive opens straight away.
- Your files appear under My Drive. Files other people have shared with you are under Shared with me, and anything you deleted in the last 30 days is in Trash.
- Double-click a file to open it, or right-click it and choose Download to save a copy to your computer.
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files live in Drive too, so this is also where to find a document you wrote in Google Docs.
Open Google Photos
If your phone backs up its camera roll to Google, those pictures are in Google Photos, not in Drive. Go to photos.google.com and sign in with the same account. Use the search bar to find pictures by place, person, or thing, such as “beach” or “receipts.”
Put Google Drive in File Explorer
If you’d rather see your cloud files like ordinary folders, install Google Drive for desktop. It adds a Google Drive location to File Explorer on Windows and Finder on a Mac, and keeps it in sync with the web version. Our guides cover installing Google Drive on Windows 11 and installing Google Drive on Windows 10.
Access your Google cloud on a phone or tablet
- Install the Google Drive app (and Google Photos if you want your pictures) from the App Store on iPhone or iPad, or Google Play on Android. Many Android phones already have both.
- Open the app and sign in with your Google account. On Android, you can pick the account that’s already on the phone.
- Tap Files in Drive to browse your folders, or open the Photos app to see your backed-up pictures.
Check how much cloud storage you have
Every Google account comes with 15 GB of free storage, shared between Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. To see what’s using it:
- Go to one.google.com/storage and sign in.
- The bar at the top shows how much you’ve used in each service.
- Click Clean up space to find large files, old emails with big attachments, and items in the trash you can delete.
If you need more room, the same page lets you buy a Google One plan. Prices vary by country and change from time to time, so check the page for current options.
Access Google Cloud (the developer platform)
Google Cloud is a separate service for running websites, databases, AI models, and other software on Google’s servers. You only need it if you’re building or hosting something, or your employer uses it.
- Go to console.cloud.google.com.
- Sign in with your Google account. If your company gave you a work account, use that one.
- The first time you visit, you’ll be asked to accept the terms of service and pick a country. You don’t have to enter payment details just to look around.
- Select a project from the drop-down at the top of the page. Everything in Google Cloud belongs to a project. If you don’t have one yet, click New Project.
- Use the menu on the left, or the search bar, to open a service such as Compute Engine (virtual machines) or Cloud Storage (file buckets).
New customers can usually get free trial credit when they set up billing, and some services have an always-free usage tier. Google lists the current offer on its sign-up page.
Troubleshooting
I can’t remember which Google account I used
Your Google account is usually the Gmail address on your Android phone or the one you use for YouTube. On a phone, open the Google Photos or Drive app and tap your profile picture to see which account is signed in. You can switch accounts from the same menu.
I forgot my password
On the sign-in page, enter your email address and click Forgot password?. Google will verify you with a code sent to your recovery phone or email.
My photos aren’t in Google Drive
That’s expected. Google Photos and Google Drive are separate, even though they share storage. Open photos.google.com to find them. If they aren’t there either, check in the Photos app on your phone that backup is turned on for that account.
Google Cloud says I don’t have permission
In a work account, an administrator has to give you access to each project. Ask whoever manages your company’s Google Cloud to add you, and tell them which project you need.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Drive the same as Google Cloud?
No. Google Drive is personal file storage that comes with every Google account. Google Cloud is a business platform for running software. They both use Google’s data centers, but you sign in to them in different places.
Is my Google cloud storage free?
The first 15 GB is free. Beyond that you need a paid Google One plan, or you’ll have to delete things to get back under the limit.
Can I access my Google Drive without the internet?
Only files you’ve marked for offline use. In Drive on the web, turn on offline access in Settings, or in the mobile app tap the three dots next to a file and choose Make available offline.
How do I get everything out of my Google cloud at once?
Use Google Takeout at takeout.google.com. It packages your Drive files, photos, email, and other data into downloadable archives.
Summary
For your own files, go to drive.google.com. For pictures, go to photos.google.com. To see your storage, go to one.google.com/storage. Only go to console.cloud.google.com if you need Google’s developer platform.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.