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google drive not showing in finder on a mac? how to fix it

by sumit paul · last updated

if google drive isn't showing in finder on your mac, first check that drive for desktop is running (its icon should be in the menu bar). then make sure its file provider extension is approved and switched on in system settings › general › login items & extensions, and that google drive is ticked in finder › settings › sidebar. the files themselves live in ~/Library/CloudStorage, so you can always reach them there and drag the folder back into the sidebar.

where google drive should be

on macos 12.1 and later, drive for desktop uses apple's file provider system to stream files. google says the drive then appears in finder's sidebar under locations, stored in ~/Library/CloudStorage, and that location can't be changed. if you've used google drive on a mac for years, you may remember it under favorites at /Volumes/GoogleDrive; that was the older streaming mode.

to check which one you have: click the drive for desktop icon in the menu bar, the gear, then preferences. if the streaming location says "folder location is controlled by macos", you're on file provider.

1. make sure drive for desktop is running

no menu bar icon means it's not running. open google drive from your applications folder and sign in if asked. with file provider, files you've already downloaded stay reachable when the app is closed, but nothing new syncs or downloads until it's back.

2. approve the file provider extension

this is the most common cause after a fresh install or a macos update. google says you have to approve it explicitly, or drive for desktop can't stream your files:

  1. open finder and click google drive under locations, if it's there.
  2. click enable at the top right of the window, or ok on the pop-up.

if there's no google drive item at all, check the switch in system settings:

  1. open system settings › general › login items & extensions.
  2. scroll down to extensions and click the info button (ⓘ) next to file providers.
  3. make sure google drive is switched on, then click done.

while you're in login items & extensions, check that google drive is in the list of apps that open at login, so it's there after every restart.

3. check finder's sidebar settings

  1. in finder, choose finder › settings (⌘,) and open the sidebar tab.
  2. under locations, tick the boxes so cloud storage items are shown.

if it still doesn't appear, add it by hand: choose go › go to folder (⇧⌘G), type ~/Library/CloudStorage, and drag the GoogleDrive- folder with your email address into the sidebar. if the folder is there and full of your files, google drive is working and it was only the sidebar.

4. check privacy permissions

google's troubleshooting for macos points to system settings › privacy & security › files and folders (and photos, if you sync your photos library). find google drive, switch its permissions off and on, then quit and reopen drive for desktop.

5. update macos and restart

if drive for desktop shows an error about file provider failing to start, google's fix is to update macos and restart the mac. update drive for desktop too, since old versions can break after a macos upgrade.

6. reinstall, carefully

if none of that works, reinstall. do it in this order so nothing unsynced is lost:

  1. let everything finish syncing; the menu bar icon should show nothing pending.
  2. check ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS/lost_and_found for files that failed to sync, and copy any you find somewhere safe. google warns that disconnecting the account deletes this folder.
  3. quit drive for desktop (menu bar icon › gear › quit).
  4. in finder, open applications, control-click google drive and choose move to trash.
  5. restart your mac, download drive for desktop from google again, sign in and approve the extension when asked.

your files in google drive aren't touched by reinstalling. offline copies will need to download again.

still not there?

  • signed in to several google accounts? each one gets its own folder in ~/Library/CloudStorage and its own sidebar item. make sure you're looking for the right one.
  • using a work or school account? an administrator can control how drive for desktop is deployed, so ask them before reinstalling.
  • using the browser instead for now? drive.google.com works while you sort it out.

if you use feather drive too

feather drive shows up in finder as its own drive, separate from google's app, and it uses a different kind of extension. if it's missing, open system settings › general › login items & extensions › file system extensions and make sure feather drive is switched on. it only shows the files you've put in it, not your whole google drive, so the two apps don't replace each other. there's more on running them side by side in how to use google drive in finder on a mac.

related

common questions

where is google drive in finder on a mac?

under locations in finder's sidebar. the folder itself is in ~/Library/CloudStorage, named googledrive followed by your email address. older setups used /Volumes/GoogleDrive and showed it under favorites.

why did google drive disappear from my finder sidebar?

usually because drive for desktop isn't running, its file provider extension was never approved or got switched off, or the item was hidden in finder's sidebar settings. a macos update can also leave it needing a restart.

does reinstalling google drive delete my files?

files already in your google drive stay in the cloud. anything that hasn't uploaded yet, offline files and the lost and found folder can be lost, so let it finish syncing and copy lost and found first.

how do i enable google drive in system settings on a mac?

open system settings › general › login items & extensions, scroll to extensions, click the info button next to file providers and switch google drive on.