• ChatGPT can now remember files you uploaded in previous chats
• Free users now get 500MB of persistent file storage
• OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into something closer to a personal AI workspace

OpenAI just added a neat new feature to ChatGPT without much fuss, but it’s a real game-changer. Now, when you upload a file, it doesn’t just disappear. Instead, ChatGPT keeps it around in a new Library so that you can refer to it again in future chats.

The same thing will happen with any files, like spreadsheets or presentations, that ChatGPT generates in the course of following your instructions. They’ll now be added to the storage area for future use.

Instead of being instantly forgotten as soon as you end a chat, uploaded files now persist in ChatGPT, which means it's starting to function more like an AI workspace, a bit like Google Drive. The new feature includes storage limits for different subscriber types, but the good news is that even Free users get 500MB of storage, which is pretty generous.

AI is getting useful in a very ordinary way

The new storage feature means you’ll now be able to ask ChatGPT about old tax forms, resurface recipes, compare resumes, and revisit travel plans shared on the platform. I can imagine it being particularly useful for remembering warranty PDFs or finding notes from weeks ago.

We all have a lot of digital clutter with nowhere sensible to keep it apart from a random folder on our laptop’s hard drive. Being able to store it all in ChatGPT could become a lifesaver, because that’s really what most of us want — a way to navigate the digital clutter of modern life.

What you get for your money

The storage limits for the different subscription tiers look like this:

• Free: 500MB
• Go: 4GB
• Plus and Business: 20GB
• Pro: 100GB

The new storage feature can be managed on the mobile app and web interface from a new menu option in Settings called Storage. It means you can reuse old documents, build on previous uploads, and gradually build up your own personal archive over time.

You can see what you’ve uploaded in a new Library menu option in the sidebar next to Images. Any images you create will still appear in Images, but uploaded files now belong in the Library. A new Recent files and Library option is also available in the Composer menu (the ‘+’ menu in the prompt bar).

With this new feature, ChatGPT is taking a step closer to the territory occupied by Google Drive, Notion, and Evernote, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. ChatGPT is currently terrible at acting as your personal planner because it can’t do things like run a proper to-do list or even set a timer. The first step toward correcting that shortcoming is persistent file storage, and now that’s been addressed.

• February 2026 update adds local file back for Android, using Google Drive
• It's unclear whether this is a one-way backup, or live syncing
• iPhones can sync Downloads file with iCloud Drive already

Google has confirmed it is adding local file backup to Google Drive with its latest February update (Google Play services v26.06, 2026-02-16), meaning your Downloads folder will now sync with Google Drive and be available to access from other devices.

This is on to of Android's existing Google Drive backup service, which covers system elements like apps, calls and settings, to preserve your phone's essentials when changing device or restoring after a factory reset.

At the moment, it's unclear how the feature could work, and whether Google Drive will open a new Downloads folder than syncs between devices, or whether locally-downloaded files will just be backed up in case of emergency.

Google Drive will back up your Android local downloads

"With the new local file backup feature, you can automatically save your downloaded documents to Google Drive, ensuring they are safe and accessible from any of your devices," Google's release notes read.

Most importantly, this is an Android update, so it's not available for iOS fans who have installed the Google Drive app. However, iPhone users can already download files straight into iCloud Drive, with those files becoming available anywhere users can access iCloud Drive.

It would make sense for Google's local file backup to work like this, rather than like device backups which don't offer live syncing.

Though the actual feature isn't available just yet, the underlying update can be downloaded from System Services within Settings. It should go live once Google turns it on server-side.

• Google Drive’s Data Migration Service now includes Dropbox
• It was updated with SharePoint support earlier this year
• Dropbox and Microsoft also have migration tools

Google has announced a new way to poach customers from Dropbox in the hope cloud storage users will want to join its wider ecosystem of apps and connected services.

The new Data Migration Service is much more than downloading files and re-uploading them – it copies them directly over, maintaining folder structure and associated permissions.

But from launch, there’s one important catch – admins won’t be able to lift and drop all company data in one big go.

Google Drive gets new Dropbox migration tool

Google explained in a blog post that admins will need to select up to 100 Dropbox users or team folders at a time to migrate, but at least keeping an eye on progress should be easy.

“You can find comprehensive reporting on migration progress, including site and file counts (migrated/skipped),” Google confirmed.

Data Migration Service is available in the Admin console under Menu > Data > Data Import & export > Data Migration.

A separate help page confirms that OneDrive business editions are also supported for migration to Google Drive.

Google added Microsoft SharePoint migration in July 2025 after beta testing it starting in May. At that time, the new Data Migration Service got a redesign, including a simplified interface.

The Microsoft option is also limited to 100 SharePoint Online sites at a time.

But Google isn’t the only company playing this game. Microsoft has its own set of instructions to poach Google Drive’s customers and migrate them to M365. Dropbox also has its own Data Migration service.

Starter/Standard/Plus versions of Google Workspace Business/Enterprise can use the new tool, as well as Essentials Starter, Enterprise Essentials/Essentials Plus and some education/nonprofit accounts.

• Ransomware attacks drain millions while disrupting hospitals, retailers, and schools
• Google Drive introduces AI-powered detection to halt syncing during attacks
• Microsoft Windows and Office continue to be central targets for ongoing ransomware threats

Ransomware continues to cause disruption across industries, with incidents reported in healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, and government.

Financial losses can exceed millions of dollars per case, and recovery often takes time that organizations cannot afford.

Now, Google executives have argued the long-standing approach of relying mainly on antivirus measures is no longer enough to stop these threats.

Microsoft products under scrutiny

Google’s announcement claims ransomware remains a persistent threat to Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.

Although native Google Workspace files, such as Docs and Sheets, have not been affected by ransomware, formats like PDF and Office documents remain vulnerable.

The company has positioned its new protection tools as a response to this ongoing risk, as Google Drive for desktop now includes artificial intelligence designed to detect ransomware activity before it can damage data stored in the cloud.

Instead of attempting to block every malicious program before activation, the system looks for suspicious encryption attempts and halts syncing immediately.

By cutting off synchronization, Google says it can prevent ransomware from spreading through an organization’s files.

Users are then presented with options to restore their data to a safe state without relying on external tools.

For administrators, alerts are issued through the Admin console, offering visibility into suspicious activity.

IT teams can review logs, decide whether to allow restoration, and maintain oversight of affected accounts.

The system operates on both Windows and macOS devices, with detection models trained on millions of samples.

Google states that continuous updates from threat intelligence services like VirusTotal help refine detection and adapt to new attack techniques.

The announcement stresses that ransomware is not only an IT problem but one that interrupts core business operations.

Google’s AI-based approach aims to provide a safety net after an intrusion has occurred, whereas traditional methods focus on prevention alone.

In theory, combining antivirus defenses with new cloud-level interventions could reduce damage, although it remains uncertain how well these systems will hold up against increasingly complex attacks.

While Google presents its tool as a breakthrough, no single technology guarantees full protection.

Organizations still depend on layered security practices such as malware removal, secure authentication, and the use of password managers to guard against intrusions.

“By seamlessly integrating AI-powered ransomware detection and restore capabilities into Drive, Google is helping organizations with an innovative way to avoid an increasingly common and increasingly dangerous threat while also giving end users the ability to continue working,” said Bob O'Donnell, President and Chief Analyst, TECHnalysis Research.

“This is great not only for Google Workspace users but individuals and companies who may use other office productivity suites as well.”

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When it comes to subscriptions, we all know how quickly things can go from convenient to costly. Though app subscriptions seem like small purchases in the moment, they really mount up, and it can be hard to notice just how much you’re spending if each payment comes out on a different date.

Personally, I’ve hit a bit of an inflection point when it comes to subscriptions. I’ve tried loads of different apps during my time testing some of the best phones, from streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus to music streaming apps like Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify. Alas, my current subscription situation is getting expensive, so it's time to reel it in a bit.

With that said, there are some services that I’ll simply never get rid of. There’s been a lot said about subscription versus ownership, but when you use something enough, a subscription can be a very cost-effective way to experience, if not actually own, new media.

So, without further ado, here are the three app subscriptions I’ll never get rid of.

YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium is the best subscription service I’ve ever used, and it’s not close. Every device I’ve ever owned has, to a substantial degree, been a YouTube machine – it’s the most used app on my Nintendo Switch and I suspect that’s also true for my iPad Pro and the various phones I test for TechRadar.

And unlike other social media, which feels a little too brain-rotting sometimes, I genuinely love YouTube; I’ve used it all my life for inspiration, to relax after a long day, and to find new perspectives on the world.

All this being true, I've somehow used the site for nearly twenty years – that’s tens of thousands of hours of watching – without ever picking up a YouTube Premium subscription. YouTube Premium removes all advertising from the site, and comes with other benefits like background playback on mobile and video downloads (in-app only, you can’t rip the files). Still, the monthly cost of $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$13.99 put me off.

That all changed last year, when the YouTube app offered me a free trial just as I was starting to feel sick of a surge in advertising across the site. From my first day with YouTube Premium, I knew I could never go back. As well as saving time and mental space by not watching ads, I’ve used the background playback feature constantly to listen to DJ sets and live performances, some of which are only uploaded to YouTube.

Without ads, YouTube feels like the best possible synthesis of TV and forum sites like Reddit. It’s a site with several lifetimes' worth of enjoyment and a dozen channels for every possible niche, which makes that slightly heftier monthly payment more than worth it.

Google One

Sticking with Google-owned platforms, my second must-have subscription is a bit less exciting but just as essential. As a daily Android user, I’ve used Google One for the last three years to expand my Google Drive storage and manage my mobile photo library. I’m signed up to the Basic tier, which gives me 100GB of cloud storage and costs $1.99 / £1.59 / AU$2.49 per month.

The basic premise of Google One isn’t much different than that of, say iCloud+ or third-party cloud storage services like Dropbox, but I like it for how well it integrates with Android and how accessible everything is on other platforms. Your Google One account is, effectively, the same as your Gmail account, which means everything’s super easy to get to on Chrome, whether that’s on a phone, desktop, or tablet.

Speaking of tablets, Google Photos (which uses Google Drive storage) is excellent on iPhone and iPad – I’ve never had an issue accessing or backing up my images on an Apple device, and the service can even back up live photos. Google One helps me keep all my photos and videos together, no matter which device I took them on. If you're all about Apple, then iCloud+ might be the better pick.

Admittedly, I first purchased Google One Basic out of necessity when my original 15GB Google Drive storage ran out during university. But since then, I’ve come to appreciate it as a simple and cost-effective solution to the cloud storage problem – it’s one I won’t be getting rid of any time soon.

Google One comes in Basic, Premium, AI Pro, and AI Ultra packages. You can compare all four Google One plans on Google's official web store.

Spotify Premium

I’m pretty sure I’ve used Spotify every single day of my life for at least the last decade. If you’re any sort of music fan, a solid music streaming service is likely to be an essential part of your day. For me, Spotify has been an instant install on any new phone for years, for a few key reasons.

The first is that while all modern streaming services have a broad catalog, Spotify offers a truly gargantuan selection of music. I’ve been able to track down rare vinyl rips, bootleg remixes, regional exclusives, and more through its search engine, which continues to perform well even as Google and others dissolve into wonky AI recommendations.

Spotify was also the first music streaming service to really understand social media. Spotify Wrapped is a cultural institution that draws music lovers to Instagram and TikTok every year to share their top artists and other bespoke listening statistics. It’s a good bit of fun that helps to make Spotify feel like a community, rather than just a big menu of music to choose from (the new direct messaging feature has the same aura).

Additionally, Spotify comes with a really good selection of non-music media. Its podcasts section is rich with exclusives and video pods, and the app also has a selection of audiobooks and meditation aids to choose from.

Now, it is true that Spotify and its founder Daniel Ek have come under fire (including from myself) for their treatment of artists, so I understand anyone who wants to pick another service, like Apple Music or Tidal – I’ve tried and loved both, especially for their lossless sound quality (which is finally around the corner for Spotify, too).

Still, for $11.99 / £11.99 / AU$15.99 a month for the Individual Plan, Spotify offers an unmatched breadth of listening options.

What are your go-to subscriptions? Which app memberships would you never give up? Let us know in the comments below.

And for more app recommendations, check out our roundups of the six best reading apps for Android phones and six best streaming apps on Android.

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• Google is tweaking the UI for document scanning, but only for Android users
• New tools like cropping and rotating have been added to the mobile app
• Android users get a Material 3 design update – iOS users get nothing

Google is making some changes to how you scan documents from your phone, but it’ll only be available for Android users (who, according to Statcounter, account for three times as many people as iOS users).

The company is now adding crop and rotate functions to its document scanning tool, as well as color adjustment via filters, shadow erasing and more.

The Android experience, through the Google Drive app, is also coming with a few changes to the user interface for a cleaner look.

Scanning documents via Google Drive gets better – for some

Key to the UI changes are the larger page previews, which make it easier to check the scan for imperfections before saving it.

Google has also added page deletion and retake buttons onto the screen for quicker adjustments, as well as a new thumbnail carousel per the company’s Material 3 design principles, which dictate how many Google experiences (including the Android OS as a whole) look.

With the visual enhancements aligning with the broader Google ecosystem redesign, the whole experience will become more consistent. While the Material 3 updates don’t matter too much to iPhone users, the editing tools would be a welcome addition.

On the theme of consistency, the cloud storage platform also got a UI update to give videos saved on Google Drive thumbnails more akin to those found on YouTube, while Gemini continues to be integrated into different areas of the entire platform on an almost weekly basis.

Already in rollout, the new design and features should have arrived for all Google Workspace customers (including business and personal accounts) by mid-September 2025, but Google failed to mention whether the new tools would also be coming to iOS users.

TechRadar Pro asked Google whether iOS users can expect a similar update in due course.

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• Google Drive adds thumbnail previews when watching videos
• Much like YouTube, it will let you spot exact moments in videos
• It'll be available to all Google Drive users soon

Scouring through videos to find the moment you need should soon get a lot easier thanks to a new update coming to Google Drive.

The cloud storage platform has revealed users will now be able to see a thumbnail preview image when hovering over a video's progress bar.

Much like when viewing a video in YouTube, this feature should allow users to quickly navigate around a video, making it easier to track down the specific moments they need.

Google Drive video thumbnails

"With the ability to find the right moments in videos, this update improves productivity and the overall video viewing experience in Google Drive," the company wrote in a Google Workspace updates blog post.

The feature will only be available for new videos uploaded to your Drive account via web or mobile app.

Users will then need to open the newly uploaded video in Drive web, and can then simply hover their mouse over the video progress bar to see thumbnail previews. Dragging your mouse along the progress bar will let you quickly run through the video using the thumbnails to find the spot you need.

What's even better is that the feature will be open to all users, with the company noting it will be on offer to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

It is rolling out now, and also won't require any extra admin control to utilize.

The feature is the latest in a series of Google Workspace upgrades aiming to boost productivity among users.

The company revealed a host of new AI tools and services for Google Workspace earlier this year, including Generated Background Images and Studio Look, Studio Lighting, and Studio Sound for Google Meet, as well as Translate for me, coming to Google Chat.

This was soon followed by a number of AI-powered office software upgrades at its Google Cloud Next 25 event designed to give users a productivity and creativity boost when they need it most, including new audio tools in Google Docs which can create listenable versions of your document, as well as upgraded analysis tools for Google Sheets to help get the most out of your data.

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• New Gemini Catch Me Up tool can highlight changes to Google Drive files
• Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are all included
• Users can pick a specific file to analyze, or their whole Google Drive

Keeping up to date with any changes made to key Google Workspace work or business files should soon be a lot easier thanks to a new "Catch me up" feature powered by Gemini.

The tool is able to scan through your Google Drive space and quickly identify which files have been recently edited, providing a full recap of the changes in a brief overview.

Although Google cautions that these reports are not meant to be entirely comprehensive, the tool will cover the likes of file edits on Docs, and file comments on Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Gemini "catch me up"

""Catch me up" provides a high-level overview of important changes across documents from your Drive, or a synopsis of the main changes and comments in a particular file since it was last opened to ensure users are always up to date," a Google Workspace Updates blog post announcing the changes explained.

The tool will be able to provide several types of update - a high-level Catch Me Up report can be found by selecting the “Catch me up” nudge at the top of the Google Drive home page, with the response shown in the Gemini side panel.

For a specific file or doc, the tool can show if there have been changes to that file since you last viewed it and provide an overview of what changed, with a specific Catch Me Up activity indicator displayed next to the file name in Google Drive.

Users will need to have smart features and personalization turned on for Google Workspace in order to access Catch Me Up, which is rolling out now.

It will be available across the following Google Workspace tiers; Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on, and Google One AI Premium - with any users who have previously purchased the Gemini Business or Gemini Enterprise add-ons also set to receive the feature.

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• Google Drive is getting new Gemini features to make the platform smarter
• This include video summary and analytics tools
• AI chatbots must be trusted with sensitive information to be effective, so be careful how you use them

Google Drive has revealed some new Gemini-powered features, but concerns have already been raised over possible security and privacy issues.

Previously only able to skim read long documents (and probably missing out key information), the cloud storage platform will now benefit from video file summaries, and full content analysis, which could be genuinely useful for missed meetings that would otherwise take a long time to catch up on.

That being said, this comes with risks, as with all chatbots, there must be a serious level of trust in the AI model, as carrying out these tasks requires access to potentially sensitive information and files - including your company's innermost secrets.

Privacy concerns

The tool relies on Google’s auto-generated captions, and will be accessible from the Gemini Overlay in Drive - so make sure these are enabled if you want to use these features.

This feature is primarily aimed at professionals (if you want Gemini to summarize and explain precious family memories, then there are much bigger problems at play) - but the move means you would be giving Gemini access to potentially sensitive company information - from board meeting recordings or business strategy meetings.

In 2024, the Gemini AI platform was accused of scanning Google Drive files without user permission, which raised serious concerns over Google’s handling of user data and privacy settings.

That’s not all though, as Google has announced a new feature to help users measure the engagement on videos uploaded to Google Drive, a “highly requested” tool that aims to give users a better insight into their video analytics.

As of yet, there is no admin control available for this feature - and it will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as Google Workspace Individual Subscribers, and personal Google account holders.

Via ArsTechnica

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• CSE-protected Word documents are to be supported in Google Docs (currently in beta)
• Some features may not be fully functioning to begin with
• Admins must apply for beta access

Google has announced a handy new update coming to its online productivity suite, allowing users to view and edit client-side encrypted Microsoft Word (.docx) files from within the Google Docs interface.

The benefit for users is that edits will continue to be saved in the original Word format, enabling the use of Google Workspace with all the familiar Word tools and formats.

Google's updated feature also maintains data confidentiality by keeping the client-side encryption (CSE) active, however there are some restrictions in place.

Edit CSE-protected Word docs in Google Docs

"This update makes it easy for you to leverage Google Workspace with the tools and formats you already use while preserving confidentiality of your sensitive data with client-side encryption," Google's announcement reads.

While the feature remains in beta, users will need to work within the feature's limitations. For example, it only supports .docx files (not other Word file types), and a maximum file size of 20MB applies. Some feature incompatibles may also occur – some Word features may be view-only or non-editable in Docs, and others may be lost or altered after editing.

Google confirmed: "As we continue to improve Office editing in encrypted Google Docs, you may encounter incompatibilities for certain features." The company said that notifications will appear if edits are expected to cause feature loss.

Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Enterprise Plus and Frontline Plus will get access to the feature, however it requires admins to request access via a form. Once accepted, they'll get immediate access to the beta feature.

"Eligible Google Workspace admins can use this form to request access to the beta. We’ll share more specific instructions once you’re accepted into the beta," Google said.

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Epson’s WorkForce Pro WF-C5890DWF will appeal to small workgroups with big print demands who need to keep a close eye on running costs. This versatile multifunction A4 inkjet printer can churn out mono and color pages for only 1.4p and 6.3p respectively, while a monthly duty cycle of 5,000 pages means it can take a lot of print punishment.

The WF-C5890DWF offers plenty of features, combining print, copy, scan and fax functions with USB, gigabit wired or 802.11n wireless, Wi-Fi Direct and AirPrint connectivity. The color flatbed scanner provides a 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF), there’s an 80-page multipurpose feeder at the back and the standard 250-sheet tray can be augmented with up to three 500-sheet cassettes.

Slotting into a drawer under the paper tray, Epson’s ink packs offer plenty of choices with K available in 3,000 (L), 5,000 (XL) and 10,000 (XXL) page capacities while C, Y and M come in L and XL page volumes. There’s very little difference between them for overall running costs, but note that the “Initial” packs supplied with the printer are only good for around 300 pages.

Installation is swift – Epson’s utility discovered the printer on our network, downloaded the latest software, installed a desktop status monitor, ran an automatic firmware upgrade and offered to load a wealth of free utilities. The Scan 2 desktop software includes a TWAIN driver with plenty of network scan controls, Document Capture Pro manages personal scan jobs and saves them for fast one-click access, while Epson’s iOS and Android mobile apps provide remote print and scan tools.

You can keep an eye on consumables from the printer’s web console and register it with Epson’s Connect remote print service. This assigns a customizable email address to the printer so remote users can print documents by sending them as mail attachments.

Scanning and faxing to the cloud couldn’t be easier. After adding personal Box, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and OneDrive accounts at the Connect portal, they’ll appear in the printer’s touchscreen menu. The panel presents more icons for copying documents and scanning them directly to computers, network folders, FTP and email servers, a local USB stick and Windows PCs using Web Services on Devices (WSD).

Performance depends on the selected resolution. A 25-page Word document printed at standard mode in precisely one minute but dropped to only 6.4ppm with the driver’s high mode selected. We also saw this with our 24-page color DTP document, which averaged 23ppm and 6.1ppm for each mode. The good news is that the standard setting is fine for text: print quality is sharp enough for general office use, with only fonts smaller than 12pt showing hints of dusting. Color quality is another winner, with graphics and photos looking sharp and detailed without any signs of banding in large single-color areas.

Using Document Capture Pro to scan a 20-page sheaf of bank statements to a PC as a searchable PDF returned speeds of 22ppm. Duplex scans take much longer, though, as the ADF has to flip each page to scan both sides, with a double-sided scan of the same test document averaging only 4.3ppm.

You won’t need a high resolution for document archiving as output quality at 200dpi is fine for these tasks, with Epson’s OCR services correctly converting every word on the statements down to 6pt fonts. The software provides plenty of scan management tools along with a good range of output formats, and each PC that has it installed appears in the printer’s touchscreen menu for quick scan selection.

Epson’s WorkForce Pro WF-C5890DWF ticks all the right boxes for busy workgroups with high print and scan demands. The starter ink packs are a bit stingy but ongoing running costs are low, it offers great output quality and packs in an impressive range of user-friendly scan services.

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In a digital world where our most important files and memories are increasingly stored in the cloud, finding the proper storage solution has never been more critical.

Like many professionals juggling multiple projects and personal files, I've long relied on Google Drive as my go-to cloud storage platform.

But with growing concerns about privacy, security, and the actual cost of subscription-based services, I decided to explore alternatives.

Enter pCloud, a Swiss-based cloud storage provider that's been gaining attention for its security-focused approach and unique payment model.

When I first heard about pCloud's zero-knowledge encryption and lifetime payment options, I was intrigued but skeptical. Could it offer a viable alternative to the Google ecosystem I'd grown accustomed to?

To find out, I committed to using pCloud exclusively for all my cloud storage needs for a whole week. I transferred important documents, backed up photos, tested cross-platform functionality, and explored its security features. What began as a simple comparison quickly became a revealing journey about what matters most in cloud storage solutions.

In this article, I'll share the five most important things I learned during my week with pCloud, insights that might help you decide if this secure Google Drive alternative fits your digital life.

1. Superior security features

pCloud stands out among cloud storage solutions, particularly when it comes to privacy practices.

Unlike Google Drive, which has standard encryption protocols, pCloud offers an optional "Crypto folder" feature that provides zero-knowledge encryption. Not even pCloud can access your files, ensuring maximum privacy and security.

However, it’s important to note that this added layer of protection comes at an additional cost, even for users with paid plans.

In addition to its strong privacy features, pCloud excels in performance. In various comparison tests, it has consistently demonstrated remarkable speed, boasting upload speeds nearly twice as fast as those of Google Drive.

This speed is particularly advantageous for users who frequently upload large files or need to transfer data quickly.

Overall, pCloud combines superior privacy features with impressive performance, making it an appealing choice for those prioritizing security and efficiency in their cloud storage solutions.

2. Unique lifetime payment option

Unlike Google Drive's subscription-only model, pCloud offers various one-time payment options for all its storage plans.

While the upfront costs may seem higher than those of traditional subscription services, this approach can be more economical over the long term, especially for users who prefer to avoid ongoing monthly or annual fees.

For instance, pCloud’s Premium plan provides 500GB of secure cloud storage for a one-time payment of $300. Alternatively, users can opt for a subscription model at $50 per year.

If you anticipate needing more storage, the Premium Plus plan offers an impressive 2TB of space for $600 as a lifetime purchase or $100 per year.

This flexibility allows users to choose a payment structure that best fits their budget and usage needs, making pCloud a compelling option for those seeking both value and convenience in cloud storage solutions.

3. Excellent cross-platform vompatibility

pCloud stands out in the cloud storage landscape due to its impressive platform availability, catering to many users.

The service provides dedicated desktop clients for Windows and macOS, ensuring a seamless experience for most desktop users.

Additionally, pCloud extends its support to Linux users through its AppImage format, facilitating easy installation and integration into different Linux distributions.

For those who rely on mobile devices, pCloud doesn’t disappoint. It offers robust mobile applications for both Android and iOS, allowing users to access their files on the go, manage uploads and downloads, and even share documents effortlessly from their smartphones.

Furthermore, pCloud enhances its accessibility with web-based access, complemented by intuitive browser add-ons that allow for quick file saving from the web directly into your pCloud account.

This cross-platform compatibility is particularly noteworthy when compared to other cloud storage services, such as Google Drive.

While many options might overlook Linux users, pCloud provides them with dedicated apps that ensure full functionality, making it a standout choice for individuals with diverse operating system needs.

Overall, pCloud's comprehensive platform support makes it an excellent option for users looking for a reliable and versatile cloud storage solution.

4. Social media integration

pCloud offers seamless integration with popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, making it incredibly easy for users to back up their cherished images and videos directly to their cloud storage.

This feature ensures that your valuable memories are safe and accessible from anywhere, eliminating the fear of losing them due to accidental deletions or account issues.

In addition to social media backups, pCloud supports integration with leading cloud storage services, including OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

This versatility allows you to consolidate your files from multiple sources into a single, organized location, simplifying file management and enhancing accessibility.

With its user-friendly interface and robust security measures, pCloud provides a reliable solution for anyone looking to safeguard their digital content effortlessly.

5. Virtual drive implementation

Upon installation, pCloud seamlessly integrates with your file manager by creating a virtual drive, which is typically assigned the drive letter 'P' on Windows systems.

This innovative feature mirrors your pCloud account, allowing for intuitive file management.

Any files you place within this virtual drive automatically synchronize with your online account, ensuring your data is always up-to-date without consuming valuable local storage space.

Additionally, pCloud offers an offline mode, enabling access to your files even when you’re not connected to the internet, thereby enhancing productivity and convenience.

For individuals prioritizing privacy and security, pCloud provides a highly reliable cloud storage solution that stands out from popular options like Google Drive.

One of its key features is end-to-end encryption, ensuring your sensitive data remains safe from unauthorized access.

Furthermore, pCloud offers flexible payment plans, including lifetime payment options, which can be more economical in the long run compared to traditional subscription models.

With robust cross-platform support, pCloud is accessible on all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

This allows users to manage their files effortlessly across various devices. This comprehensive approach makes pCloud appealing to those seeking a secure, versatile, and user-friendly cloud storage experience.

• Google Drive update brings big improvements to document scanning
• The app will be able to automatically reduce shadows, fix lighting, and more
• It’s rolling out to Android, but there’s no word on an iOS version

Google Drive is making a play to become one of the best document scanning apps around with its latest update, and it could help to make your scans crisp and clear like you always intended – all without you having to lift a finger.

Let’s face it, even when using one of the best Android phones, scanning documents can often feel hit or miss, with bad lighting and distracting shadows often conspiring to ruin your images. With this Google Drive update, that might hopefully become a thing of the past.

The update is coming to the Google Drive for Android app, as per a recent Google blog post. The article explains that Drive will be able to “digitize paper documents into higher quality images much faster.”

That’s because you’ll no longer need to spend ages fiddling with your Google Drive scans to make them clear and legible – instead, the app will handle all that for you.

Automatic enhancements

As Google explains, “Depending on the document, auto enhancement will perform actions like white balance correction, shadow removal, contrast enrichment, auto sharpening, light improvement, and more.”

That should help banish blemishes without you having to do much work at all. In comparison images on Google’s blog (at the top of this page), the company showed a heavily-shadowed receipt being corrected to crisp black and white using the process.

It’s the latest upgrade Google has added to Drive’s document scanning capabilities. The company recently added an option to add black and white filters to scanned images, as well as the ability to save scanned files as either PDFs or JPEGs. Yet the latest change sounds like it will be even more significant due to the amount of work it could save you.

The update isn’t available to all Android users just yet. Google says it’s coming to Google Workspace and personal accounts, starting with Rapid Release users, where the rollout should be complete by January 2, 2025.

It will then come to Scheduled Release users on January 6, 2025. There’s no word on when (or if) it will land on iOS. Still, once it’s fully rolled out, it might be able to put an end to poorly lit and overly shadowy scans once and for all.

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• Google Drive beta software now available for Snapdragon processors
• Only available for Windows 11 (and presumably onward)
• Marks a trend of increased support for ARM

Google has confirmed machines running Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors, previously unsupported by its cloud storage software, will now be able to download and run Google Drive natively, albeit currently in beta form.

The welcome news comes amid a rise in interest in Snapdragon processors, which are gaining more support from software makers.

Built specifically for ARM64, it offers users most of the same functions as the x86 version and offers a more efficient and seamless experience for Snapdragon users.

Google Drive app now available for Snapdragon processors

“We're excited to announce beta support for Drive for desktop on Windows 11 devices powered by Snapdragon processors. Compiled natively for ARM64, this release enables users to easily sync and store files online from Windows PCs powered by Snapdragon," the company posted in a blog update.

Although previous Google Drive apps have been available with versions prior to Windows 11, the ARM-based beta app is compatible exclusively with Microsoft’s flagship OS. It also requires Microsoft WebView2, which is usually preinstalled within the OS but could require users to download is separately during setup if that’s not the case.

Google emphasized, because this is a beta product, some bugs may be present, therefore Snapdragon users should not rely on it until general availability is confirmed. Any issues can be reported via Help > Send feedback within drive.google.com.

More broadly, Google isn't the only company optimizing its software for ARM hardware. Other apps, like Arc Browser and NordVPN, have also received recent support for the hardware.

The beta version of Google Drive for ARM devices is available to download now for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

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Scanning documents is a really useful skill to have for a lot of reasons, both personal and professional. Digitalising documents, sending important documents, and many other uses are covered by scanning.

While standalone scanners and home printers with scanners, including all-in-one printers, are the best for scanning important documents and high-quality photos, smartphone cameras have become so powerful they can now scan documents.

The latest iPhone and top-end Android smartphones all have really high quality cameras that can easily discern text on a page and other symbols, meaning scanned documents can be sent as PDFs, as well as analysed for their data.

• The best camera phone: top mobiles for photography

Tools and requirements

• A modern smartphone
• Google Drive
• A document to scan

Steps for how to scan a document with Google Drive

• Make sure your document is well-lit and clear of smudges
• Open Google Drive
• Scan the document and edit it

Step by step guide

• The best Android phones: top Google-powered phones for every budget

FAQs on scanning a document in Google Drive

Final thoughts

Scanning a document using Google Drive is a simple solution for when you need to scan a document quickly and conveniently. With the iPhone 16 Pro and other top smartphones having such powerful cameras in 2024, you can get really clear images of documents.

For some, a scanner or printer might work best, but we recommend trying out Google Drive first just to see whether it can meet your needs.

• The best scanning software right now

Google is rolling out a new calendar overview directly in newly opened browser tabs for Workspace users in a bid to get them quicker access to information they’re likely to need.

The new tool will provide immediate access to schedules and meetings as soon as workers open Chrome, with opens to view their Google Calendar as well as check details, locations and join video calls.

As part of the update, Google has also included another tile for Drive, designed to surface recently accessed documents across apps like Docs, Sheets and Slides.

This minor Google Workspace update is actually a big one

By removing just one or two steps and compiling glanceable and interactive information on the Chrome homepage, Google has effectively eliminated the need for workers to open their Workspace apps in some circumstances.

The update forms part of a broader set of enhancements to Google Workspace and Chrome, all with an eye on efficiency and productivity. Enterprises can also set up managed-site shortcuts, allowing departments to quickly access sites like Salesforce without employees having to configure it themselves.

Moreover, Google is adding more control for IT teams with profile-level security policies. Acknowledging that, for many, the browser is the endpoint, especially for those using Google’s office software, the company has had to adapt to hybridized workforces and BYOD policies to ensure that bookmarks, extensions and browser data remain separate for work accounts.

The new Calendar and Drive views in the new tab page as well as enterprise-configured managed-site shortcuts are rolling out now, and further security controls will become generally available later this year.

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• You can now upload additional types of documents to Gemini AI

Google’s Gemini AI has been accused of scanning PDF files hosted on Google Drive without active permission or initiation, sparking yet another discussion around AI safety and privacy concerns.

Senior Advisor on AI Governance Kevin Bankson took to X to share concerns over an automatically generated AI summary in a private and confidential tax return.

Bankston’s thread detailed his experience with Gemini AI reading private documents without consent and the subsequent troubles in disabling the functionality on the cloud storage platform.

Gemini might be more buried in Google Drive than you thought

Despite attempts to disable the feature, Bankston found that Gemini’s continued to operate in Google Drive, raising questions about Google’s handling of user data and privacy settings.

After failing to find the right controls to disable Gemini’s integration, the Advisor asked Google’s ChatGPT-rivalling AI chatbot on two occasions to pinpoint the settings. A second, more detailed response still brought no joy: “Gemini is *not* in Apps and services on my dashboard  (1st option), and I didn't have a profile pic in the upper right of the Gemini page (2nd).”

With help from another X user, Bankston found the control, which was already disabled, highlighting either a malfunctioning control or indicating that further settings are hidden elsewhere.

However, previous Google documentation has confirmed that the company will not use Google Workspace data to train or improve its generative AI services or to feed targeted ads.

Bankston theorizes that his previous participation in Google Workspace Labs might have influenced Gemini’s behavior. The Gemini side panel in Google Drive for PDFs can be closed if a user no longer wishes to access generative AI summaries.

While Google promises to handle user data safely and securely, the case reaffirms the importance of consent and user control as AI continues to advance and becomes more deeply ingrained in the products we use every day.

A Google spokesperson shared with TechRadar Pro in an email: "Our generative AI features are designed to give users choice and keep them in control of their data. Using Gemini in Google Workspace requires a user to proactively enable it, and when they do their content is used in a privacy-preserving manner to generate useful responses to their prompts, but is not otherwise stored without permission."

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A computer science student at Purdue University has managed to boot Linux using Google Drive. This project began as a fun challenge to match a peer’s success in booting Linux from NFS (Network File System), but evolved into an intricate and somewhat impractical experiment.

Ersei, who is also an open source developer, wanted to boot Linux directly from Google's cloud storage platform without depending on another computer for support. To do this, they used FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) to create a filesystem driver within the user space, laying the technical foundation for the project.

Understanding the Linux boot process was crucial. Essentially the way it works is the firmware (BIOS/UEFI) loads a bootloader, which then starts the kernel. The kernel opens a temporary filesystem in RAM, mounts the actual filesystem, and hands over control to the init system. Ersei’s task was to integrate a FUSE filesystem at this point in the process.

Success!

This was done by modifying the initramfs to include FUSE binaries and network support with the help of Dracut, a tool for creating initramfs images. Choosing Arch Linux for its simplicity, Ersei built the required environment from scratch.

After successfully creating the EFI image, Ersei began initial tests using a root stored in an S3 bucket. There were numerous issues related to network and drivers that took a lot of time, resources, and determination to resolve, but eventually progress was made.

Mounting the root filesystem on Google Drive through google-drive-ocamlfuse led to further complications like unsupported symlinks, hardlinks, and permission issues, along with slow performance. Despite significant efforts to fix these problems, they greatly, and inevitably, affected the system’s functionality.

Testing on actual hardware exposed more limitations, such as issues with hardware compatibility and network settings, and a lack of support for built-in keyboards, requiring the use of an external keyboard. You can read all about the full project, and the numerous problems encountered, on Ersei’s blog here.

Despite its technical impressiveness, there are clear practical limitations of booting Linux from Google Drive. While it reflects the current trend towards using cloud technologies, Ersei acknowledged the limited usefulness of their setup, suggesting it might inspire niche commercial applications or similar experiments, like booting Linux from SSH or a Git repository.

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Google Drive is built to be web-centric but also provides useful mobile applications. It offers desktop backup tools for Windows and macOS platforms to quickly upload your files to the cloud. Although it may not have all the advanced features, it excels in speed and efficiency.

• You can sign up for Google Drive here

Google Drive has grown nicely from its shaky start to be a genuine competitor to the likes of Box and Dropbox as a cloud storage and file syncing solution. Looking at how advanced its web apps are currently, it's hard to find a fault anywhere with the Google Drive package.

Google Drive features

Google Drive impresses easily when it comes to the key areas you look for a cloud storage solution to offer. The web interface and mobile apps allow you to get at your files (and edit them) from anywhere. Also, the sharing options strike an excellent balance, walking the line between functionality and ease-of-use.

Sharing permissions can be set at the admin level of course, which allows different contacts access to different files, and you can also share files and folders as needed with regular links or email invites. We like the commenter permissions, which sit somewhere between read-only and editing rights, which is great for collaborating on an important document.

The Team Drives component is really well done, although it is only available on the Business and Enterprise plans, with customized spaces where groups of colleagues can work together on files and folders collaboratively. Managing access to Team Drives is simple, with the ability to see who can (and can't) get to and edit the files. There are thoughtful touches as well, like the way each Team Drive can be themed differently, or the feature to email all the members of a Team Drive in one shot.

There is integrated access to Docs, Sheets and Slides, each of them a slick web app that is mature and polished, and which can now genuinely compete with the dominant player, Microsoft Office (they do an admirable job of converting Office files into the Google Drive equivalents too). If you don't want to convert Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, you can just store them in Google Drive instead, syncing them between computers and devices as needed.

With file versioning, advanced search, offline access, and variety of preview and layout options, Google Drive is an impressive offering. The desktop syncing isn't quite as simple as you get with Dropbox, but you can sync any folder you like to the cloud from Windows and macOS, as well as keep certain files and folders exclusively on the web (with no need for local copies to take up room on your hard drive). The slick notification feature for changes to files and collaborations works really well too.

Google Drive interface

Every Google app has a familiar interface with lots of white space, a dash of color, and bold graphics. What the Google Drive interface lacks in sophistication it more than makes up for with intuitiveness and speed as finding files is quick and simple, whether you're searching for keywords and file types from the top search bar, or browsing through folders and shares from the navigation bar on the left. Google Drive applies its Optical Character Recognition (OCR) automatically to PDFs and images, which allows you to search through the text they contain as if they were any other document.

Files can be easily copied, moved, starred, and arranged as you like. You can make use of a thumbnail view, or a more conventional list view on the main web interface, and files can be shifted around via drag-and-drop just as if you were using a regular desktop app. We find it very straightforward, once you get past that everything is working inside a browser instead of a more conventional file system.

On that note, there aren’t many drawbacks to the Google Suite as a whole, but those wanting to have dedicated offline access will be disappointed. On the go, there are smartphone and tablet apps for Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as offline access tools in the Google Drive app. Users working off a computer or laptop will be disappointed when they find out that an Internet connection is needed to access all their information.

Google indicates that Drive has AI processing that brings documents and shares you're likely to want next up to the top of the file list, but we found this somewhat hit and miss overall, but it's easy enough to sort through the folders you've created or search more specifically. The view we particularly like is ‘Recent,’ which is essentially just a list of files in reverse chronological order, and works well enough in most cases.

In the mobile apps for Android and iOS, files can be instantly accessed with an interface design that very closely mirrors that on the web, with no need to swap between different mindsets as you change devices. For Windows and macOS, along with accessing Google Drive through a browser and uploading files there, you can also download the Backup and Sync tool which lets you sync your Google Drive locally, analogous to Dropbox, as well as upload files to the web from other commonly used folders.

Because apps like Docs, Sheets and Slides are accessed online, it makes sense to use the browser version of Google Drive, however some users will still like to sync files to their computer’s file management system to keep things in check. Previous versions of the desktop client were clumsy and lacking in features, but the latest version is just as easy to navigate as a browser version. 

Hidden away in the settings of the Google Drive client is the option to backup files from your computer. For those with a reasonable amount of storage space, this can add reassurance that, should something go wrong with your computer’s hard drive, copies are saved in the cloud. There are better cloud backup tools out there, but for a basic consumer-facing tool, Google does quite well. 

We like the extra granularity when it comes to control. Google Drive’s desktop client offers bandwidth throttling, which is especially useful for houses with poor connections. While this is fairly common for other cloud backup services, iCloud Drive (one of Google’s key competitors) doesn’t allow for this level of control.

In our testing, upload and download speeds were as expected across the board including desktop and smartphone apps and browser access. It’s likely that your own broadband connection will pose the biggest limiting factor here.

Google Drive security

 Drive stores files and transfers them using encryption, but take note that it's not end-to-end encryption, which means that Google can see your files, if it wants to. Generally, Google has a decent record with security, and offers various levels of two-factor authentication (2FA), with numerous checks to catch unauthorized account access should it occur. Basically, if someone wants to get at your files, they're going to have to work very hard to get them.

Files and folder sharing tools are quite specific and difficult to get confused, as you can see at all times who has access to what. For those on a Business or Enterprise plan, the ability is gained to analyze Google Drive usage via comprehensive audit logs so you know every 1 and 0 is accounted for, along with customized admin alerts for specific events occurring on files in Google Drive.

Google Drive pricing

The free version of Google Drive provides 15GB of cloud storage shared across all Google apps, including Gmail and Google Photos. Additional storage is available through Google One, starting at $1.99 per month for 100GB. The 200GB plan costs $2.99 per month, and the 2TB plan is $9.99 per month. There's also a premium package for $19.99 per month, which includes Google AI Premium.

Google One is similar to Apple’s subscription bundles, but with less variety. Paid plans can be shared with up to five users, and subscribers receive 3% or 10% cashback in the Google Store, depending on the plan. Premium subscribers also get access to a VPN on mobile devices.

For long-term subscribers, annual payment options are available at a discounted rate of $29.99 per year for the 200GB plan and $99.99 per year for the 2TB plan.

For businesses, Google Workspace offers Google apps such as Drive and Gmail, along with additional features for managing teams. Storage options include 30GB, 2TB, or 5TB per user, with costs ranging from $6 to $18 per user per month. An Enterprise tier is also available for customization. Every plan includes access to the Google Suite of apps.

Google Drive: Our tests 

We performed three tests on Google Drive using a Windows 11 virtual machine running the desktop client. The virtual machine was connected to the internet via fiber broadband and a VPN server, and it exhibited an average upload speed of 2500 Mbps. The tests assessed the sync speed, file recovery, and versioning.

• Test 1 - Sync speed

During our initial test, we used the Google Drive desktop client to transfer a test folder with 232 files spread across seven folders to the Google Drive cloud. The total size of the files was 589MB. We were happy to see that the app displayed the number of remaining files and the progress of the upload.

The app confirmed the successful upload of all files in just 60 seconds. The upload speeds were comparable to those of well-known competitors such as Dropbox and OneDrive.

• Test 2 - File recovery

After uploading our test folder to Google Drive, we accessed the web portal and selected "Move to Trash." When we checked the trash, we immediately saw the folder and were able to click "Restore."

The Google Drive web interface is excellent for previewing files. We used this feature to open images and audio tracks to confirm the restoration's success.

When finished, we permanently deleted the uploaded files. Otherwise, Google keeps them in the trash for up to 30 days.

• Test 3 - Versioning

In our final test, we wanted to observe the effects of uploading a Google Docs document to Google Drive and then editing it. We used the Google Drive interface to accomplish this.

After syncing the document, we opened it and removed all the text except for the introduction. Once these changes were synced, we accessed Google Drive and located the file in the virtual drive.

While doing this, we found the "Previous Versions" feature available in the Google Docs interface, where both the original and modified versions of the document were displayed.

Google Drive automatically maintains a history of modifications, which can assist users in keeping track of file changes and content revisions. In the revision history, users can view the edits made and revert to a specific version of a file with specific edits.

Final verdict

Google lives and breathes the web (unlike some of its competition), which is a natural fit for robust and reliable cloud storage. Add in the simple appearing, but powerful apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and it's a comprehensive package for both consumers and businesses. Of course this also ties in nicely to Google's other excellent apps, including Google Calendar or Gmail.

Google Drive certainly doesn't have everything (notably bare metal backups and end-to-end encryption are missing), so it simply won't be the best cloud backup storage solution for everyone. However, what it has offers so much – across online apps and sharing options and file management, making it one of the most impressive cloud storage services at the moment. As it's very web-focused, it is available from any computer or device, too.

We've listed the best free cloud storage services.

Your workplace emails, spreadsheets and files might look a bit different going forward as Google officially rolls out its Gemini AI tools across the Workspace suite.

In a Google Workspace Updates blog post, the company confirmed the general availability of Gemini as a new side panel across popular apps including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive - however only paying Google Workspace customers will be able to access it for the time being.

The company says this new AI-powered update should help users everywhere unlock new levels of productivity and efficiency, as well as introducing Gemini to millions of users across the world in the battle for AI supremacy.

Gemini in Google Workspace

The new side panel, opened by clicking on the “Ask Gemini” (spark button) in the top right corner of Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive on the web,  will utilize some of Google's most advanced and developed models. 

This includes Gemini 1.5 Pro, giving users access to a longer context window and more advanced reasoning, both of which could be particularly useful when looking back at workplace documents which could be several years old.

"Through the side panel, Gemini can assist you with summarizing, analyzing, and generating content by utilizing insights gathered from your emails, documents, and more—all without switching applications or tabs," the blog post noted.

"The updated interface automatically summarizes the content you're working on and provides contextually relevant prompts to help you get started."

The company provided a range of possible use cases for Gemini at work, including writing and refining content or summarizing documents within Google Docs, and generating new slides and custom images within Google Slides.

The tool could also be used to help track and organize data within a Google Sheets spreadsheet, creating tables, generating formulae and giving advice on how to complete certain tasks. 

Finally, in Google Drive, Gemini can help summarize multiple documents, or create summaries on a certain topic without the user needing to find and read through a number of files.

As mentioned, only certain Google Workspace customers will initially be able to access the tools - namely, those with the Gemini Business and Enterprise add-on, the Gemini Education and Education Premium add-on, or a Google One AI Premium subscription - although we'd be amazed if this policy applied for too long.

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A new hacking campaign has been spotted in which the attackers are abusing legitimate cloud storage services to host malicious payloads.

In a research report, Securonix said that the campaign starts with a phishing email containing a .ZIP archive. When unzipped, the archive delivers an executable file that was made to look like an Excel file. The file uses a hidden left-to-right override (RLO) Unicode character, reversing the order of the characters that follow.

So, instead of seeing the file name as “RFQ-101432620247fl*U+202E*xslx.exe”, the victims will see “RFQ-101432620247flexe.xlsx” and can thus be tricked into thinking they’re opening a spreadsheet file. 

Abusing the cloud

The .ZIP archive comes with a couple of additional scripts to make the entire campaign seem more authentic, but the main .exe file will trigger a multi-stage deployment action that concludes with two PowerShell scripts hosted on Dropbox and Google Drive. 

"The late-stage PowerShell script zz.ps1 has functionality to download files from Google Drive based on specific criteria and save them to a specified path on the local system inside the ProgramData directory," the researchers said.

This is not the first time hackers were observed abusing cloud services to host malware, or run malicious campaigns in general.

For example, Google Docs, Google’s cloud-based word processor, has the ability to share files with other people via email, using Google’s infrastructure. Hackers were abusing this fact to bypass spam protections and get malicious emails to land directly into people’s inboxes. Other services, such as DocuSign, Sharepoint, GitHub, and many others. 

In fact, according to Netskope’s report published two years ago, cloud applications were the number one distributor of malware in 2021.  

Securonix dubbed this latest campaign CLOUD#REVERSER. We don’t know how many victims it affects.

Via The Hacker News

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OpenAI has announced its latest update to ChatGPT will include new integrations with top cloud storage drives to allow enterprise users to pull in files from Google Drive and OneDrive for additional context.

The improvements are planned to roll out over the course of the coming weeks, and will rely on the company’s latest GPT-4o model.

There’s a catch, though, because free users will not benefit from the latest upgrades. Instead, Plus, Team and Enterprise users will be first in line, meaning you’ll need to fork out at least $20 per month if you want to be party to the enhancements.

ChatGPT integrations with OneDrive and Google Drive

As part of the upgrade, users will soon be able to access files from the cloud storage platforms via a new integration that should eliminate the need to download files and upload them manually to the chatbot. 

OpenAI says that “this allows ChatGPT to understand your [documents] more quickly.”

Although free account holders will miss out on the tighter integration, all accounts will still be able to upload files directly into the window as is already the case.

Besides this handy addition, ChatGPT has also gained new interactive abilities with tables and charts. Clicking on a specific data entry, for example, will guide ChatGPT into providing more contextually aware responses.

Using these two functionalities together, paying users will be able to generate, customize and interact with bar, line, pie, and scatter plot charts, before downloading them to use in presentations and documents.

Moreover, the company’s new GPT-4o model, which accepts and generates any combination of text, audio, image, and video, is now rolling out across all tiers, including free accounts. However paying accounts will get access to more features.

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A new study analyzing Google Play downloads of productivity tools has shown an overwhelming majority of mobile users turning to their smartphones to navigate their professional lives and schedule day-to-day tasks.

The report by SplitMetrics found the top apps in the business and productivity categories have amassed a staggering 4.7 billion and 55 billion downloads respectively. Microsoft’s LinkedIn leads the business category with a whopping 1.5 billion lifetime downloads, followed by video conferencing giants Zoom (1.1bn) and Microsoft Teams (426m), then OfficeSuite (195m) and Indeed (188m).

In the productivity category, it’s Google that leads the way. Google Drive has racked up an impressive 10 billion lifetime downloads, followed by Google Calendar (6bn), Microsoft OneDrive (4bn), Google Assistant (3bn) and Google Keep (2.7bn).

Productivity boosts all round

The study also reveals the apps that have delivered the most significant year-on-year growth. Lopay: Payments & POS achieved a 339% increase in the business section in 2023, followed by Etsy Seller (329%), JobSwipe (221%), Parcel Tracking - pkge Mobile (144%) and Shopify (83%).

PDF Reader - PDF Viewer experienced the biggest growth in productivity in 2023 with a 701% jump. It was followed by Notepad (457%), All Document Reader (431%), Google Tasks (29%) and Link to Windows (21%). 

Thomas Kriebernegg, General Manager of SplitMetrics, said: “The data paints a clear picture. Tools that empower people to be productive and manage their work or businesses effectively are very popular. The rise of on-demand services, remote work, and mobile entrepreneurship is driving the demand for user-friendly, feature-rich business and productivity apps. While user acquisition costs may be higher in the business category, the high engagement and potential value users bring means there's a significant market opportunity.”

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Microsoft OneDrive has finally introduced a feature long considered a staple of Google Drive and iCloud: an offline mode. The mode will be rolled out to students and professionals from today onwards, allowing users to save and edit work whether they have an internet connection or not. 

Offline mode for the web version of OneDrive will now let you open your files in the various sections of the cloud storage program, like your shared folder and meeting views, as well as edit your documents, rename them, and sort them - all without needing an internet connection. 

All these changes will be ‘saved’ offline and implemented once you regain internet connectivity with your changes synced to the cloud. Files will be marked as ‘available offline’ as they are in Google Drive. 

How to set it up

If you want to use the new offline mode for OneDrive, you’ll need to install the OneDrive app on your Windows or Mac device. Once you’ve done that, you need to head over to OneDrive on your web browser of choice. 

You should be prompted to complete the one-time setup for offline mode, and voila! You’re all set! You should bear in mind that there are limitations on what you can and cannot do with offline mode at present. As MSPoweruser reports, offline mode only includes support if you have 250,000 files or fewer - hopefully, you do! - and the feature is currently only supported for OneDrive for work and school (although a wider rollout is presumably in the works). 

While long overdue, this is a great chance for Onedrive users who have to work on the go and make last-minute changes to work, and it helps take the stress off those unfortunate times when your Wi-Fi crashes and you worry about losing all your progress! Hopefully, this will tempt more people to try the file management program - now that it’s finally up to speed with basically every other alternative. 

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iDrive, one of our best cloud backup service providers, is adding another string to its bow by allowing personal Google account users to back up the contents to its own service.

Per the blog post announcing the move, the cloud storage service is now offering backups of Google Drive, Mail, Calendar, and Contacts, with a 10TB storage limit for $20 a year.

iDrive have form for this kind of interoperability. As we reported in March, the company began offering ‘unlimited cloud storage’ (with some catches) when backing up Microsoft 365 accounts - also for $20 a year.

Same old, same old

The sales pitch here is much the same: iDrive suggests that backing up a Google account to another cloud service (read: theirs) keeps data secure and protected from ransomware or identity theft attacks. This is, per the 3-2-1 backup strategy, objectively true, but iDrive are pulling the same rabbits out of their hat as they did in March.

In brief, these include automating the backup process three times a day, the ability to manage the backup and recovery processes directly from the iDrive interface, and what it calls ‘granular recovery’: the ability to restore individual files stored in Google Drive, rather than having to download every single file to be sifted through manually.

We think it’s good that iDrive are bringing its cloud-to-cloud backup service to more providers, and expanding it beyond business accounts. 

The storage limits are generous enough to compliment even the more expensive Google Drive subscriptions, making it an ideal companion subscription for solo professionals or small businesses with data that need peace of mind over their data.

Via Storage Newsletter

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It looks like Google Drive could finally get a dark mode option for its web version, meaning perusing documents could become a lot easier on the eye for people who like their web pages muted rather than a searing while. 

This information comes courtesy of 9to5Google, which reports that one of its Google accounts received an update that prompts users to try out a “New Dark mode” so that they can “enjoy Drive in the dark”. The option to trigger this dark mode is reportedly under the ‘Appearance’ option in the Settings menu of Drive, but I’ve not seen this in either my personal Drive or my workspace Drive. 

However, from the images 9to5Google provided, it looks like the dark mode in Drive is rolling out bit by bit, and will be a fairly straightforward integration of the mode that one can find in Android, Chrome and other Google apps. No icons are changed in terms of design or color, rather the background switches from white to black, with text flipping to white – all fairly standard. 

There’s some difference in shading between the inner portion of Drive, where one will find documents and files, compared to the sidebar and search bar; the former is black, while the latter is slightly grey in tone. 

Is this a huge deal? Not really, but for people who work late into the evening, the ability to switch from light mode to dark can be a blessing on tired eyes. And having a dark mode can offer a more pleasant experience for some people in general, regardless of the time of the day. 

I’m definitely up for more dark mode options in Google services and beyond. Where once I thought dark mode was overhyped, I started using it on some of the best Android phones and my iPhone 15 Pro Max and haven't really looked back – it makes scrolling through various apps in bed more comfortable, though common sense would say you’re better of putting your phone down when in bed and picking up a book instead. 

My hope is that by bringing dark mode Drive, Google will better integrate dark options into more of its apps and services, especially in Gmail, which has a dark mode but won’t apply it to actual emails when using the web versions, which is jarring. So fingers crossed for a more ubiquitous dark mode from Google.

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Finding your way around your Google Drive files could be about to get a lot easier: there's evidence that you'll soon be able to categorize your files into different groups, like banking and work, to keep them better organized.

This is according to hidden code spotted in the Google Drive app by TheSpAndroid (via Android Police). Apps often lay the coding groundwork for future features, before those features go live and are announced to users.

As per the app, the categories you'll be able to make use of are Auto, Banking, Expenses, Home, IDs, Insurance, Medical, Pets, School, Taxes, Travel, and Work. From this leak, it doesn't seem as though custom labels will be allowed, but those 12 categories cover the business of modern life pretty well.

As Android Police points out, these categories are similar to the labeling system that companies can use in Google Workspace. However, this should be available to individual users too, across Android, iOS, and the web.

How it'll work

Here's how it's going to work: From the Home tab in the Android app, you'll be able to tap the three dots next to a file, then choose from the categories list. A file can be in multiple categories, potentially making the feature more useful than the current folders system.

We don't get any indication here about when the switch might be flipped to give users access to file categories: the report on TheSpAndroid says "it won't come very soon", so presumably there's still work to do before it's ready for the public.

Given Google's recent and very committed push into artificial intelligence features, it's possible that some kind of AI processing might be involved as well, in categorizing files for you (or at least suggesting categories based on a file name or its contents). Suggested categories do appear in the screens produced by the hidden code.

We now know that Google I/O 2024 is getting underway on May 14 this year, so in between all the Android 15 and Pixel 8a news we might get an announcement or two regarding new Google Drive features – and of course we'll bring you all the news from the event.

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Google is leveling up Google Drive with several shiny new improvements, such as speeding up the loading times of videos and introducing search filters.

The speedier loading times will come thanks to Google’s addition of DASH transcode technology, which lets Drive adapt video quality based on the user’s network conditions. The improved search filters for Drive, which have been in development since at least October 2023, are limited to iOS for now - but Android users can look forward to these very soon. 

For the uninitiated, Google Drive is a popular cloud file storage service and it’s an integral part of Google’s suite of productivity apps known as Google Workspace. Google Workspace apps like Drive and Docs get a lot of praise for being intuitive and interfacing well with one another, as well as for their overall functionality. One of the features that gets a lot of love is Google Drive’s uploading and sharing capabilities for video, in part thanks to the sharing tools in the Android share sheet.

Unfortunately, Google Drive’s video playback wasn’t up to the same high standard as the rest of Google Workspace - and this stuck out like a sore thumb since Google also runs the video hosting giant, YouTube. 

Faster video for Google Drive incoming

That looks like it’s about to change, with the Google Drive team announcing these new features and improvements in a Google Workspace blog post. It will be adding DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) transcodes to help process any videos hosted on Drive. This technology helps facilitate adaptive bitrate playback (the rate at which data is processed and sent during video and audio playback), which is adjusted to offer higher or lower-resolution video based on factors like the quality of the local network connection of the user. This development should result in improved “join times,” which refers to the time taken from the user clicking on the video to the start of playback.

The newly applied DASH transcodes will affect new videos that are applied to Google Drive from here on out, while existing videos will be updated to comply with this change by the end of the year, according to Google. 

But wait! Better search filters are being added, too

Along with the boost to video loading times, another feature that’s coming soon is the souped-up search filters that will soon be included in the Google Drive app for Android and iOS. These were spotted by Android Police back in October, hidden under code flags, with the web version receiving them first back in November.

Now, these improved search filters are being introduced to the Drive app on mobile devices. The filters are coming to iOS first, and “coming soon” to Android, although an exact date hasn’t yet been given. Google does clarify in its blog post that an update for the app on Android will be available when these search filters are added to it. The new filters will show up when you tap the search bar, and include Type, People, and Date Modified, and are already available to many Google Workspace users on Apple devices.

These are positive updates for everyone who uses Google Drive for video storage and file organization (and will help it achieve some parity with competitors: we already see sophisticated search parameters in cloud storage services like Microsoft OneDrive). 

The video processing improvement also seems somewhat overdue, considering Google’s video hosting expertise and resources. Changes and updates like this may not be the flashiest, but good, intuitive, and functional products like those we’ve come to expect from Google are what ultimately win and keep users.

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Like most parents, the amount of digital photos I took exploded when my daughter was born. By the time her umbilical cord was cut I’d already had emails from Google – not to congratulate me (thanks Google), but to let me know my Google Drive was filling up fast.

As my daughter turned from a grey and slimy newborn into an adorable baby, and started actually doing interesting and cute things, rather than just being a screaming potato, my Google Drive capacity came under even greater strain thanks to the deluge of photos I was taking. Google’s emails became more alarming as I reached my storage quota.

As a filthy Android user, Google Photos and Google Drive were my default services for cloud storage, and I hadn’t felt the need to look elsewhere. As an owner of an original Google Pixel smartphone, it actually made sense to stick with Google Photos, as the company was once offering unlimited storage for your snaps. Sadly, not only had Google since stopped offering that incentive to get people to buy its smartphones, but by the time my daughter was born, I’d switched to a Samsung smartphone.

Having the photos I take on my smartphone get automatically backed up in full quality was extremely important for me – these were photos I would be devastated to lose if my phone got lost or broken. So, with the threat that my photos would no longer get backed up, I needed to act fast.

The most obvious step was to increase my Google Drive storage amount. However, I was already paying $2.99 per month for 200GB. The only larger option was for 2TB for $9.99 – a huge increase in the monthly price – and even with my trigger-happy snapping, I didn’t think I would need that much. As a new parent, I needed to watch my outgoings. So, I decided to shop about – and it didn’t end well for Google.

Putting aside my prejudices

When looking for a replacement cloud storage solution for my rapidly growing photo collection, there was one service I had already made up my mind about not using – OneDrive.

This was Microsoft’s cloud storage solution, and in classic Microsoft style, it had been pushing it hard in Windows 11. To an almost obnoxious extent. Every time I tested out a new laptop or PC – which due to my job, is very often – I was being begged to turn on OneDrive to sync all my devices.

I wasn’t a fan, and most of the time, I had been happy with Google Drive, so I didn’t want another cloud storage service – and I resented constantly being asked about it.

But as I was no longer content with Google Drive, I thought I’d look into what Microsoft was offering. While, like Google, Microsoft offers a free tier for OneDrive, it’s just 5GB, which isn’t enough for my photos.

However, the Microsoft 365 Personal tier offers 1TB of storage – a lot more than the 200GB I was using, but without being more than I would need – for $6.99 a month (and it’s cheaper if you pay yearly). Along with 1TB of storage, it also includes licenses for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This was another big selling point for me, as even in the age of Google Docs, I’m one of those weirdos who still prefers to use office apps, especially word processors, that have been installed locally.

For longer-form articles, they give me a sense of security and control I just don’t feel with Google Docs, so I was thinking of investing in Microsoft Office anyway (or using the free alternative LibreOffice). Having physical files on my PC also meant I could back them up to a NAS device, while also using cloud storage (paranoid? Perhaps).

One thing I do like about Google Docs is that it’s constantly saving in the background, so if your PC crashes, you’re unlikely to lose much work, and you can log in and access the documents from other machines as well. 

Even if your PC completely breaks, your documents will be accessible via the internet from another machine. So, I was quite happy to see that Word (and the other Office applications) offer similar functionality. If you save a document to your OneDrive folder on your PC, you can select it to auto save constantly (rather than saving every five minutes or so), and then access those files via the web. It also has version history as well, and you can edit documents within a web browser, so you don’t even need Word or Excel installed.

That made my mind up – and I subscribed. So far I’ve been very happy with OneDrive, and feel a bit bad about ignoring it for so long. There’s an Android app available that automatically uploads the photos I take on my phone, and also helps me save space on my handset by safely deleting uploaded images once they are backed up. It’s not as seamless as using the Photos app and Google Drive on an Android phone, but it’s also not the nightmare I had feared.

So far, the 1TB of storage space has been more than enough for all my photos. I haven't felt the need (nor been bugged) to upgrade my storage. In fact, I now use OneDrive for storing music projects I’ve created in Ableton Live. These can be quite large files, but I still have plenty of space, and it means I can open up those projects on my desktop PC – as well as my MacBook. Yep, there’s a OneDrive app for Macs, and it integrates quite nicely into macOS.

Of course, Windows 11 integration is where it shines – even if I still get annoyed by Windows 11 trying to make everything default to my OneDrive storage, and having to scroll past all my OneDrive folders in File Explorer just to get to my local storage (you know, sometimes Microsoft I may want to go into my Downloads folder).

It’s also helped when reviewing new Windows 11 devices. Instead of getting angry about the suggestion of signing up for OneDrive, now when I set up a new Windows 11 laptop or PC, I use my Microsoft Account and enable OneDrive – and all of my files and folders appear without me having to install any third party applications.

So I am happy to admit that I was wrong about OneDrive – it’s a genuinely useful and good value service. Perhaps if Microsoft hadn’t been so pushy about me trying it, I’d have given it a go sooner.

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Microsoft’s on fire recently with the addition of some super-useful features thanks to its artificial intelligence assistant Copilot, and it looks like OneDrive is finally getting a much-needed AI tool boost. Soon, you’ll be able to search through your files without having to open them to find the relevant info simply by asking Copilot the question you want answered. 

Say you’re looking for a specific figure or quote but you have too many files to start searching, or you’re like me and don’t organize anything into folders at all (oops). Instead of opening every document and scanning through to find the specific bit of info you’re looking for, you’ll be able to pull up Copilot and tell it what you want to find. You could ask it to find a specific bit of info from a lecture presentation, or group project, and Copilot will go through the files and provide the relevant answers. 

According to MSPoweruser, this feature will work across multiple file types including DOC, DOCX, PDF, TXT,  and more, so you won’t be restricted to just Word documents. 

The feature is included in Microsoft’s 365 roadmap, due to be released to users sometime in May 2024. Hopefully, we’ll see this trickle down to Microsoft’s free Microsoft365 office suite (formerly known as Office Online) which includes an in-browser version of Microsoft Word and 5GB of OneDrive cloud storage. 

A win for the unorganized girlies

This feature alone is enough to entice me away from Google Drive just for the convenience alone. There’s nothing worse than having to crawl through your folders and files to find something you’re looking for. 

I would have appreciated this feature when I was at university, especially with how many notes and textbooks I had scattered around my school One Drive account. By bringing Copilot into the mix, I could have found whatever I was looking for so much faster and saved myself from a fair amount of panic. 

If you work in an industry where you’re constantly dealing with new documents with critical information every day, or a student consistently downloading research papers or textbooks, this new addition to Copilot's nifty AI-powered skill set is well worth keeping an eye out for. 

While I am disappointed this feature will be locked behind the Microsoft 365 subscription, it’s not surprising - Microsoft is investing a lot of time and money into Copilot, so it makes sense that it would use its more advanced features to encourage people to pay to subscribe to Microsoft 365. However, there’s a danger that if it paywalls all the most exciting features, Copilot could struggle to be as popular as it deserves to be. Microsoft won’t want another Clippy or Cortana on its hands.

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Japanese game developer Ateam has admitted that a simple misconfiguration of its Google Drive cloud storage service had been putting the personal information of users at risk for more than half a decade.

“On November 21, 2023, we discovered that personal information in files located on the cloud service Google Drive used by our group could possibly be viewed… [by] anyone who knew the exact URL link to access the files," the company said in a statement.

Files created, stored, and shared between March 2017 and November 22, 2023 – a period of over six-and-a-half years – have now been secured, says the company.

Google Drive files shared inadvertently

Ateam says that a report “checking the accuracy of a security product being considered for implementation detected files that were at risk” highlighted the misconfiguration.

Data of nearly a million individuals had been caught up in the misconfiguration, including 925,728 customers, 6,909 business partners, 264 employment candidates, plus several thousand employees. Ateam, Ateam LifeDesign, Ateam Entertainment, Ateam Wellness, and Ateam CommerceTech were all affected.

An employee with access to the company’s Google Drive publicly sharing a link (inadvertently or maliciously) could have been catastrophic for Ateam, with search engines picking it up and indexing it. Threat actors (and genuine cybersecurity workers) often come across publicly exposed data this way.

The company started contacting affected parties on December 20 to notify them that their data had been exposed to those with access to the precise URL, however Ateam also acknowledged that it has no evidence of any unauthorized access or damages.

Although user data looks to be completely safe, the near miss has pushed Ateam into action. It has promised to strengthen monitoring through security tools, review file sharing settings and permissions, and increase the awareness of officers and employees about the handling of personal information.

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Small businesses and start-ups will now be able to benefit from eSign software capabilities thanks to a new expansion from Google Workspace.

The office software provider is looking to take on the likes of DocuSign with the rollout of its eSignature tool in Google Docs and Drive for Google Workspace Individual users.

The news is an expansion on the initial eSignature launch in August 2023, and now means all Google Workspace subscribers can access the tool.

Google eSignature tool for all

"Built directly into Google Docs, eSignature makes it easier for solopreneurs and small businesses to request signatures, keep track of and manage contracts like customer agreements, vendor contracts, stakeholder sign-offs and more," a Google Workspace updates blog post noted.

With the tool, customers will be able to set up signature fields directly in Google Docs to complete and request digital signatures for important documents such as contracts.

The company says Google Workspace users will even be able to request signatures from non-Google users, giving the feature more impetus as it seeks to eliminate the need for other eSign software.

Elsewhere, the service has been expanded to include several new features, including audit trail, which will automatically contain an audit trail report on all completed contracts.

Users will also be able to request a signature from more than one user, even if some of them don't have a Gmail address, and will also be able to initiate an eSignature on PDF files stored in Drive.

The company also noted it is working on even more features for eSignature to launch in the near future, including the ability to easily reuse a PDF file as contract templates, and custom text fields, which will ask signers to add relevant information (e.g. job titles, email address) to the contract.

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Some Google Drive users have recently been reporting that the cloud storage service has been deleting months’ worth of files from their computers. If you’ve found yourself in that predicament, help could be at hand, as Google has just shared a few tips that might help get your files back.

It’s possible that even after trying Google’s methods, your files can’t be returned, so it isn't a guaranteed remedy. But Google says its fixes are for “desktop users on version 84 who experienced issues accessing local files that had yet to be synced to Drive,” so the solutions seem to be fairly limited in scope.

Judging by posts online, many users have lost files from months ago, which is potentially at odds with Google’s note that the fix is for files that hadn’t been synced to Drive. I myself have lost files due to this bug and regularly sync my Google Drive app. Still, it’s worth trying Google’s ideas if you are affected.

The first method requires you to download the latest version of Google Drive. Once that’s been installed, you’ll need to run Google’s recovery tool. To do so, open Drive for desktop and select the app’s icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS). Hold the Shift key and select the Settings (cog) button, then choose “Recover from backups.”

That’ll kick off the recovery process. You’ll get a message reading “Recovery has started” if there are files to recover, or “No backups found” if not. If there is a backup, you’ll see “Recovery is complete” and a new folder with your unsynced files will appear on your desktop.

You might also see a “Not enough disk space” message once the tool finishes. In this case, you can free up disk space and try again, or attempt the next method to recover the files to a different drive.

Choose a different drive

Running the recovery process on a different drive with more free space requires using the command line, which is a little more advanced. To do this, you’ll again need to download the latest version of Drive for desktop. After that, close the app and open a command prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS).

On Windows, run the following command, including the quotation marks:  “C:\Program Files\Google\Drive File Stream\launch.bat” --recover_from_account_backups

On macOS, you’ll need to enter this, including the speech marks: “/Applications/Google Drive.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Drive” --recover_from_account_backups

You can use '--recover_output_path' in command line to specify where recovered files should be saved. The tool will run in the background in Windows and in the foreground in macOS. When complete, a folder called Google Drive Recovery will appear in your selected output location (the desktop by default) containing your recovered files.

Recover from a backup

There’s one other method to try if neither of the last two work for you, and this could help if you previously disconnected your account or removed the Google Drive cache from your machine. 

However, the technique requires you to have either a Windows backup or a Time Machine backup in macOS. For the full instructions on this last solution, check out the 'Advanced troubleshooting options for data recovery' section in the Google Drive help page.

If after all  of that you still can’t get your files back, you’ll need to let Google know by submitting feedback through the Google Drive app. Use the hashtag #DFD84 and tick the checkbox to include diagnostic logs.

A real pain

This whole sorry saga has been a real pain for some Google Drive users – after all, the whole point of using the app is to keep your files safely synced, not to have them deleted.

I know this issue all too well, as I’ve lost files because of it. One minute they’re in their folder on my computer, the next they’ve been deleted. Sometimes I’ve been able to find them in my computer’s trash, and other times they’re in the trash online in Google Drive, but some files have simply disappeared without a trace.

With any luck, Google’s proposed fixes are able to put a stop to this problem, or at least help users get back files they thought had been deleted. But while this Drive update might help to restore your files after the fact, we don’t know if it will fix your documents being deleted in the first place. We’ll be looking out for a more permanent fix in the coming weeks.

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A report by data security company Metomic has revealed a concerning reality about Google Drive usage among businesses, highlighting the amount of sensitive data that’s being kept in cloud storage drives without adequate protection.

The study, which scanned around 6.5 million Google Drive files, found that more than two-fifths (40.2%) contained sensitive information that could put organizations at risk of data breaches and cyberattacks.

Metomic also found that one-third (34.2%) were shared with external contacts, and a further 350,000 documents had been shared publicly, giving anyone with a link access.

Protect your Google Drive files

Among the sensitive data identified in the files analyzed by Metomic were confidential employee contracts and spreadsheets containing passwords. The company also flagged 18,000 files as critical level, meaning that they contained highly sensitive data or that file permissions had not been applied securely.

In reference to Google Workspace’s three billion users, Metomic CEO Rich Vibert said: “It’s mind-boggling to think of how much sensitive data is accessible to people outside of an organization and how blind most security teams and business leaders are to this.”

The alarming findings underscore the importance of businesses taking proactive measures to secure the data they store in cloud storage drives, including but not limited to Google Drive. The includes implementing proper data classification and access controls, conducting regular security audits, and even issuing employee training on data protection best practices.

With data breaches becoming increasingly prevalent and more costly – IBM says that the average cost of a data breach has increased 15% over the past three years – organizations must prioritize data security to safeguard their sensitive information.

Vibert concluded: “The best way to prevent a data breach is to protect your business’ vulnerable data so that it does not end up in the wrong hands.”

A Google spokesperson told TechRadar Pro: "Google agrees that organizations should take advantage of the best tools to secure their sensitive data and we have strong protections that we encourage all organizations to employ." They include:

• "Check Google’s automatically generated data protection reports in your Google Workspace Admin Console. This is the best first place to investigate where your current risks are and what the best next steps are to improve your data protection posture.
• You can then start by implementing automatically suggested Data Protection rules as well as setting specific Data Loss Prevention policies to protect your specific organization and clawback high risk shares.
• Trust Rules enable the creation of fine-grained sharing controls for users who handle particularly sensitive data, limiting broad oversharing and unauthorized file access.
• Drive Labels enable the classification of sensitive files through manual and automated means, from which reporting and access controls can be implemented such as Label-based DLP policies.   
• Using Context-Aware Access, you can create granular access control policies for apps that access Workspace data based on attributes, such as user identity, location, device security status, and IP address."

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Google has announced that big changes are coming to Google Drive, its cloud-based file storage platform. This latest series of tweaks to the popular cloud storage service come mainly in the form of a shiny new landing page, but there’s an extra treat in sort for iOS users.

The new homepage (aptly named the ‘Home’ view) will become the default landing page for every Drive user when it rolls out over the next couple of months – though you’ll be able to swap back to the old view if you prefer. In a blog post explaining the changes, Google says that Home will be "streamlined" compared to the standard My Drive landing page, designed to make it "easier and faster for you to find files that matter most".

To that end, the Home screen will include personalized suggestions that use AI to learn which files and folders you access regularly (or documents that are tied to upcoming events in your Google calendar). It’ll also include new ‘search chips’ that make filtering your files easier, and will employ Google’s Material Design 3 guidelines for a (hopefully) more modern and user-friendly look.

That’s not all, folks

Google isn’t stopping there, either. A long-awaited Drive feature is finally coming to iPhone and iPad: the document scanner, which uses your device camera to take high-quality scans of physical documents which are then converted to PDFs, with the ability to scan multiple pictures in succession for producing multi-page documents.

The feature has been available for Drive users on Android for a while now, so it’s good to see that Google isn’t planning on leaving iPhone owners out in the cold. The document scanner (which was recently upgraded for Android Users) will also use machine learning to suggest names for your scanned documents, such as recognizing a receipt from a store and giving it an appropriate filename.

The scanner feature is rolling out to iOS and iPadOS users now, so if you’ve got an Apple device you can expect to have it soon if you don’t already. The updated Google Drive homepage will be arriving at a slower pace, with early access starting now and a wide release for personal users from January 15 next year.

I’m personally a little dubious about an AI-powered homepage for Drive – ‘suggested content’ in the software I use has rarely been useful in my experience, AI-assisted or not. But thankfully Google has already confirmed that users will get an instant pop-up asking if they’d like to swap their default view back to the old My Drive page, so it’s not like this change is being forced on us.

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This week we've seen reports from a growing number of Google Drive users that the cloud storage service has lost months of their files – and now Google has confirmed that it's investigating the problem.

Since we reported on the Drive issue yesterday, Google has posted in a community support thread a short notice to say that it's "investigating reports of an issue impacting a limited subset of Drive for desktop users and will follow up with more updates."

Exactly how small this group is we don't yet know, but at the time of writing 229 people have clicked on the notice to say "I have the same question", and the original support form post is still getting posts from Drive users with the same problem.

Right now, Google says it's a sync issue with the Drive desktop app and has recommended doing a few things while it works on a fix. One is to avoid clicking 'Disconnect account' in the Drive for desktop app. 

Another tip is to avoid moving or deleting the app's data folder on your hard drive. On Windows this folder lives inside the user profile (which you can find at: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\DriveFS), while on Mac you'll find it in the Library folder (~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS). Google's final optional tip is to make a copy of this app data folder.

Some Google Drive users have taken things into their own hands with some success. One community forum member 'MatthewSt' reports fixing the issue by using the fairly convoluted process that involves rolling Drive back to an earlier version, disabling updates and moving the 'backups' folder in that app data folder into its main folder. 

While this appears to have worked for others, it's wise to wait for Google's official guidance on what to do next. Whatever happens, it's likely to be a serious hit to the reputation of one of the biggest cloud storage providers out there – and a good reminder on the importance of having multiple backups.

Analysis: a timely reminder about backups

This Google Drive issue appears to be stem from the desktop app failing to sync data to the cloud, then losing (or at least moving) those local files before they've been uploaded. 

Some users have reported finding the missing files in a 'backup' folder inside the app's local data folder (which Google has suggested making a copy of). But we'll update this article when Google issues further guidance on what to do next.

Whatever the ultimate fix, it's another reminder that even the best cloud storage providers aren't immune from issues – and should never be your sole backup plan. Instead, a 3-2-1 backup strategy is the way to go. In short, this means three copies of your data, stored on two different types of media, with one of them stored in a different physical location to other two.

This usually means combining two local hard drives with an off-site cloud backup. You can also make backups of your cloud storage files. For example, with Google Drive you can go to Google Takeout, choose the things you want to back up, and choose 'create archive' to get a zip folder of you files.

While it's a little late for those hit by Drive's syncing issue to make backups, it's handy reminder for all Drive users to fine-tune their backup plans. If your data involves photos and videos, you should also check out our in-depth guide on how to build the ultimate photo backup for Adobe Lightroom or Google Photos.

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Some Google Drive users are experiencing a bunch of recent files vanishing from their cloud storage locker, according to reports flagging up the issue online.

An affected person first brought this to Google’s attention on its support forums, saying that the last six months of files suddenly vanished in what’s obviously a worrying turn of events.

The user wrote: “The Drive literally went back to [its] condition in May 2023.” That included the folder structure reverting to that old state from half a year ago.

It seems a fair few users are affected, as evidenced by a number of responses, and 150 have clicked the button on the post to say that they have the same problem (10 more in the past hour as we’ve been writing this story).

Not everyone is being rolled back six months, but the reversion process is generally going back at least a few months.

Another user reports getting a reply from Google support as follows: “I am continuously tracking this case and to be transparent with you we totally agree now that you are not the only customer affected by this behavior.”

We’re told other admins have reported the same issue with files going missing, and Google’s software engineers are now investigating, and a root cause analysis is being prepared.

While work is supposedly underway on a resolution, sadly Google support has no firm ETA for a fix yet.

We are told, however, that: “We don’t recommend as well to make changes on the root/data folder while we wait for instructions from our Engineers.”

It’s worth noting that we don’t know for sure if this response from Google support is genuine, as it’s not directly coming from the company, rather it’s being indirectly relayed by a Google Drive user. But it would be an odd (and rather pointless) thing to make up.

Analysis: Leave well alone, for now

At any rate, if you’ve been unlucky enough to be hit by this problem, we’d say follow the advice for now and don’t mess around with any of your folders in Google Drive. Indeed, by the sound of things, we wouldn’t do anything at all with Drive if you can avoid it. Stay clear, sit tight, and hope a resolution comes quickly.

A report on Reddit suggests that the problem could be something to do with updating the Google Drive desktop client. Or at least that’s when this other user’s files disappeared, after an update to the app took place when they left their laptop on overnight. This complaint on Reddit was made eight days ago, so the issue has apparently been hanging around for over a week now.

We can keep our fingers crossed that Google is on the case and as mentioned manages to bring in a fix swiftly, but it sounds like something of a thorny one potentially.

There are some folks who have apparently lost crucial business data here (at least for now) which is food for thought when it comes to your backup strategy. You’ve got one of those, right?

You should have at least two backups (along with the original data) really: one cloud backup, and one on a local drive (external hard disk for example), and it doesn’t hurt to have multiples of each. The more redundancy, the better, frankly, so chucking particularly crucial files in a second cloud storage locker is never a bad idea.

Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that cloud sync is not the same as a cloud backup (when syncing, files deleted from one place are removed from the other medium, too).

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Keeping tabs on all your key documents, train tickets and even receipts could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new Google Drive update.

The cloud storage platform has revealed it has redesigned its Android version to make document scanning even easier than before.

The new-look scanner includes a customized Google Drive image viewfinder with simpler controls, as well a new "Auto capture" camera mode which can snap an image for you as soon as you have your subject lined up.

Google Drive document scanner

Spotted by 9to5Google, the document scanner upgrade also offers a new preview interface once your photo has been taken, with a bunch of tools designed to help get your image just how you like it. This includes Crop & Rotate, Filter (including Auto, Color and Grayscale options), Retake and Delete. Once complete, the tool will let you pick a certain folder to upload the image too.

The document scanner redesign is the latest upgrade for Google Drive in recent weeks as the company looks to ensure its platform remains useful and intuitive for users everywhere.

This includes adding a new look homepage that sports a refreshed appearance and layout Google says will, "help you more easily find the right file much faster."

Available across both Android and iOS, the changes provide a much smoother experience when accessing Google Drive on the move, including an updated suggested view which will display files that have been recently opened, shared or edited.

The refresh will also show more recommended files on the homepage, giving users visibility over much more of their work, and the Notifications menu/view is being replaced with an "activity" menu, which will highlight the files that need your attention in one single place, such as those pending access requests, recent comments, and awaiting approval.

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Multiple malware and phishing scams are running rampant through apps such as WhatsApp, Gmail and Google Drive, affecting businnesses across the retail sector as the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping period approaches, new research has claimed.

In terms of malware downloads per industry, the retail sector topped the list for the amount downloaded through Gmail and Google Drive, edging out cloud storage giant Microsoft OneDrive which saw the most use in other sectors.

The most common mechanism to deliver malicious software through these apps are trojans which trick users into downloading further malware.

Popular apps injecting malware into retail

The report from Netskope Threat Labs examined how the retail sector compared to other industries in terms of cloud app adoption, cloud app abuse, and the types and quantity of malware delivery. 

It found that Google Drive, Gmail, and WhatsApp are among the top five most popular apps within the retail sector, with OneDrive claiming the top spot across all industries.

WhatsApp, designed for personal messaging, is being used by those in the retail section as a collaboration tool, posing huge risks to enterprises in terms of data leakage due to the ability for WhatsApp messages to be forwarded outside of an organization.

WhatsApp also sees the greatest delivery of malware and phishing attacks to those in the retail sector, with the app being downloaded three times more than other apps within the retail sector.

With the retail sector handling sensitive financial information, many of the malware delivered to those in the sector is aimed at stealing credit card information, banking details and personal information.

Overall Google Drive, Gmail and WhatsApp are used significantly more within the retail sector compared to other industries. Google Drive sees a usage of 34% within retail, compared to just 19% in other industries. The statistics are similar for Gmail, with 21% usage in retail compared to 13% in other industries.

WhatsApp’s usage within retail is 17%, with the usage in other industries sitting at just 5.9%. Peak trading times see malware downloads increase significantly within the retail sector, with attacks increasing towards the end of the year.

“Attackers abuse cloud apps to fly under the radar and evade traditional security controls that do not inspect cloud traffic,” advises Ray Canzanese, Director of Netskope Threat Labs. 

“As the holiday shopping season approaches, retail employees and consumers must both be extra vigilant, as phishing, credential theft, and malware activity related to retail tends to increase at the end of the year.”

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Using Google Drive while on the move may soon be a lot less painful after the company announced a major redesign.

The cloud storage platform is getting a new look homepage that sports a refreshed appearance and layout Google says will, "help you more easily find the right file much faster."

What's more, the changes are being introduced across both Android and iOS, meaning users across the business (and personal) world will get a much smoother experience when accessing Google Drive when travelling or simply being away from their desks.

Google Drive on mobile

The company outlined the changes in a Google Workspace update blog post, noting that it includes an updated suggested view which will display files that have been recently opened, shared or edited. 

Previously, this view was limited to a handful of icons and files, but the refresh will show more recommended files on the homepage, giving users visibility over much more of their work.

Elsewhere, the Notifications menu/view is being replaced with an "activity" menu, similar to that recently launched on the web version of Google Drive. This view will highlight the files that need your attention in one single place, such as those pending access requests, recent comments, and awaiting approval.

The updated Google Drive mobile experience is available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts, and is rolling out now across Android and iOS, with users able to update now without needing any specific admin controls. 

If users do not want to use the home tab, Google Drive will simply open up on whatever tab you last used, such as Shared or Files.

The update is the latest in a series of changes to Google Drive as the company looks to ensure its platform remains useful and intuitive for customers everywhere.

This includes a change to make it simpler to lock files in Google Drive, which can now be done with just a few clicks.

Going forward, users will just need to right-click on the desired file, select “File information”, and click “Lock” to secure it. Doing so will mean reviewers aren't able to change a file, as edits, comments and suggestions are not applicable to be added to locked documents.

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As we approach the end of 2023, we also inch nearer to Google’s deadline for resurrecting abandoned accounts before it presses the big red delete button.

In May 2023, Ruth Kricheli, VP for Product Management, said that the company would begin closing down unused accounts in December 2023, three weeks from now.

Account deletion will affect all Google accounts, including Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, Calendar, and Photos.

Google will delete unused accounts beginning December 2023

Kricheli said that the move is one designed to curb attacks and security threats, including “spam, phishing scams and account hijacking.” Dormant accounts are more susceptible to attacks than ones that are maintained, because the company frequently rolls out security updates such as two-factor authentication (2FA) to improve account protection.

The company’s own research suggests that accounts that haven’t been used in a while are 10x less likely to have 2FA set up.

The mass purge will happen in phases, beginning with accounts that were created but never accessed again.

Google says it will send “multiple notifications over the months leading up to deletion” before it takes the drastic action.

In order to keep accounts open, all Google requires is that you sign in at least once every two years to access its services. This could include: reading or sending an email; using Google Drive; watching a YouTube video; downloading an app on the Google Play Store; using Google Search; or using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service.

Active subscriptions, such as Google One, news publications, and apps, are also considered to be sufficient activity.

Kricheli added: “we do not have plans to delete accounts with YouTube videos at this time.”

Google Photos users, though, will need to specifically sign in to that app or web portal in order to keep the service from being deleted.

While these measures may seem drastic, the reality is that most users typically sign in more than once every two years, leaving the vast majority of abandoned accounts to be actually abandoned.

With data centers under intense scrutiny over energy and natural resource usage, decluttering its servers is a step in the right direction for Google and the planet.

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Google has built a new model for Bard which it is calling the most capable iteration of the AI yet.

Google provided an update on the new version of Bard which it calls “more intuitive, imaginative and responsive than ever before,” offering greater levels of quality and accuracy in the chatbot’s responses.

A whole bunch of new features have been brought into the mix for Bard, and that starts with support for 40+ languages, and some tight integration with existing Google products elsewhere.

That includes giving Bard the ability to get its hooks into your emails in Gmail, and data in Google Drive and Docs, meaning you can get the AI to find info across your various files, or indeed summarize a piece of content if needed.

Bard will also be able to pull data in real-time as needed from Google Maps, Google’s travel features (hotels and flights), and YouTube, all of which will be extensions that are enabled by default (you can disable them if you wish, but they’re switched on by default in the new Bard).

Another big move here is the ability to check Bard’s answers. Not too sure about any given response from the AI? A ‘Google It’ button can be clicked to bring up additional info around any query, which is drawn from Google search (where supported), so you can check for yourself to see if there’s any doubt, or difference of opinion, elsewhere online compared to what Bard is telling you.

A further fresh introduction gives Bard users the ability to share a conversation via a public link, allowing others to continue that conversation with Google’s AI themselves, should they wish.

Analysis: The distant but distinct sound of alarm bells

This is indeed a major update for Bard, and there are some useful elements in here for sure. Better quality and accuracy, and the ability to check Bard’s responses, are obviously welcome features.

Some other stuff will set some alarm bells ringing for folks, particularly the more privacy-conscious out there. Do you really want Bard’s tendrils snaking into every corner of your Google Drive, Docs, and Gmail? Doesn’t that sound like the beginning of a scenario of a nightmarish overreach from the AI?

Well, Google is pretty careful here to clarify that your personal data absolutely isn’t being hoovered up to train Bard in any way. As the company puts it: “Your Google Workspace data won’t be used to train Bard’s public model and you can disable access to it at any time.”

So, the only use of the data will be to furnish you with convenient replies to queries, and that could be pretty handy. Know you’ve got a document somewhere on a certain topic, but can’t remember where it is in your Google account, or what it’s called? You should be able to prompt Bard to find it for you.

Don’t like the idea of Bard accessing your stuff in any way, shape, or form? Then you don’t have to use these abilities, they can be switched off (and the mentioned extensions don’t have to be enabled). Indeed, whatever assurances Google makes about Bard not snuffling around in your data for its own purposes, there will be folks immediately reaching for the ‘off’ switch in these cases, you can absolutely bank on it.

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Making sure your most valuable or treasured Google Drive files are secure is about to get easier than ever thanks to a new update.

The cloud storage platform is making it simpler to lock files in Google Drive, which can now be done with just a few clicks.

Going forward, users will just need to right-click on the desire file, select “File information”, and click “Lock” to secure it. Doing so will mean reviewers aren't able to change a file, as edits, comments and suggestions are not applicable to be added to locked documents.

Google Drive file locking

In a blog post announcing the update, Google Drive says the change "simplifies and streamlines" the process of securing files on the platform. Previously, users could only do so through the Google Drive API or through file approvals. 

Users will need to have edit-access to the Drive file they wish to lock, and can unlock a file by choosing the "unlock" option on a locked item.

The tweak is available now to all Google Workspace customers, and has no admin control, so should be on offer immediately.

The news is the latest upgrade to Google Drive as it looks to stay useful and relevant for its customers across the world.

The platform recently launched a redesigned homepage, despite only recently rolling out an entire UX refresh under the Material You program, in a bid to help finding files easier.

The company also recently introduced a new ‘Spam’ folder to the sidebar which served much the same purpose as any spam folder you would find elsewhere. Moving a file to spam will unsubscribe a user from activity notifications and remove the file from all Drive locations apart from the spam folder.

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Google is now letting select Workspace customers try out its up-and-coming eSignature tool for Docs and Drive as the office software provider looks to take on the likes of DocuSign.

With the tool, customers will be able to set up signature fields directly in Google Docs to complete and request digital signatures for important documents such as contracts.

The company says Google Workspace users will even be able to request signatures from non-Google users, giving the feature more impetus as it seeks to eliminate the need for other eSign software.

Google debuts eSignature tool

At least in its early days, Google appears to be targeting SMBs rather than larger enterprises, possibly because the eSignature tool may be lacking some more premium features that could arrive at a later date.

“For solopreneurs and small businesses, keeping track of contracts, customer agreements, and other binding documents can be challenging," the company said in an announcement. "To help streamline this workflow, we’re natively integrating eSignature in Google Docs, allowing you to request and add Signatures to official contracts, directly in Google Docs.”

Support for non-Google users, more than one signature, and signatures on PDFs stored in Drive are all set to arrive “later this year,” as is an audit trail feature to help users keep track of outstanding signatures.

Google Workspace Individual subscribers are eligible to use the open beta now, though it may take until later in August for some accounts to have had the changes made.

Google says that Workspace Business Standard/Plus, Enterprise Starter/Standard/Plus/Essentials/Essentials Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits customers may begin applying to access the beta “over the next several weeks.”

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Cybersecurity software company Check Point has identified a worrying new Google Docs phishing scam that is bypassing usual detection measures to get straight into victims’ inboxes.

The researchers refer to the phishing scam as an evolution of BEC (business email compromise) 3.0, or one that maliciously uses legitimate sites to get access to a target’s mailbox.

With so many companies now favoring Google Workspace’s office software, the scam’s potential for reaching workers in especially troubling.

Google Drive phishing scam

Analysts say that all a threat actor needs to do is create a Google Doc. Inside the file, they can place any sort of attack they desire, including phishing links and URLs that redirect to malware. 

From there, the Doc just needs to be shared with a victim via the typical Google Drive sharing process. Because the email then arrives via a genuine Google email address and domain, and not one that belongs to the scammer, victims are less likely to identify it as an attack.

Furthermore, detection and prevention tools are also more likely to trust emails from genuine services like Google.

Check Point says that this type of BEC attack uses a form of social engineering, leveraging a trusted service provider (in this case, Google) and a trusted process (document sharing).

Google was reportedly informed about the discovery earlier in July, which it says is not a novel attack method, and as such, it already has strong protections to combat these types of tactics. A company spokesperson told TechRadar Pro:

"We have numerous layers of protections that protect our users from this class of attack, such as built-in warnings in Docs, and automatic scans in Drive that block the vast majority of phishing attempts."

In the meantime, CheckPoint advises security professionals to implement new and advanced measures that use artificial intelligence to spot multiple phishing indicators. File scanning software is also a good idea, as is URL protection.

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It just might be time to finally make that upgrade from Windows 8 and 8.1, as the Google Drive app will no longer support them as of August 2023. 

The news comes from a Google support page, reported by Android Police. The tech giant will be ending support for both the 8 and 8.1 OS, as well as Windows 10 32-bit version. After August, users will not be able to use the cloud storage app to sync or upload files through the app and will need to upgrade to a newer OS to continue to use those features.

The good news is that you can still use Google Drive through your browser if you’re using an older OS. But the bad news, according to The Verge, is that browser support is ending for Windows 8 and 8.1 with Microsoft Edge ending support in January 2023, Google Chrome releasing the first version that doesn’t support them in February 2023, and Mozilla Firefox planning to end security support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 next year.

Not to mention the issue of auto-syncing files, which is a feature only available through the Drive app. For that only you’ll need to make the jump to either Windows 10 64-bit version or Windows 11.

Google Drive has been pushing out solid updates

Google Drive has been improving its services in 2023, making the application much easier to use and navigate. This is on top of its new Material You redesign, which cleaned up its UI and completely changed the aesthetics.

In May 2023, Google redesigned the Drive homepage, making it easier to find files. In the ‘Home’ view, two view buttons at the top of the page allow users to alternate between a ‘Suggested’ and ‘Activity’ view. Earlier that same month, Google added a new Spam folder. Moving a file there unsubscribes you from activity notifications and removes the file from all other Drive locations.

February 2023 brought along two updates. The first one introduced a new toolbar for multi-selecting files that made it clearer and easier to make bulk changes, while the second one added new search parameters to help users narrow down their results.

There was the brief file limit update that Google rolled out to a small number of Drive users, before removing it in response to negative publicity. The limit of 5 million items is a large one that most people won’t hit, but the sudden error message with no advanced warning of the rollout was probably quite alarming to see anyway.

Experts have uncovered a method for hackers to steal data from people’s Google Drive accounts without leaving any trace of the files they got away with.

Cybersecurity researchers from Mitiga Security have published findings claiming the problem lies in the fact that for users without a paid license for Google Workspace, nothing is logged and there are no records of any actions a user might make in their private drive.

That means should a threat actor compromise a cloud storage account, they could easily revoke their paid license, bringing the account back to the “Cloud Identity Free”, costless license, and thus turning off any logging or record-taking features. After that, they’d be able to exfiltrate any and all files without leaving a single trace. The only thing an admin would later see is that someone revoked a paid license.

Lacking controls

Mitiga says it notified Google of its findings, who is yet to respond.

Identifying which files were taken during a data breach is an essential part of any post-mortem or hacking forensics process. It helps the victims determine what type of data was taken, and thus conclude if there is any danger of potential identity theft, wire fraud, or similar. 

Proper logging is also one of the standard ways for IT teams to keep track for potential incursions before they are able to cause any serious damage.

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Via: SiliconAngle

Google Drive is playing with a tweaked homepage, despite only recently rolling out an entire UX refresh under the Material You program.

The official Google Drive Twitter account shared a view of the new ‘Home’ tab looks to have made its way to the sidebar, located above the ‘My Drive’ view which is currently the default entry point for most Drive users. 

Inside the ‘Home’ view, a pair of view buttons at the top of the page seemingly allow users to alternate between a ‘Suggested’ and ‘Activity’ view.

Google Drive makeover

‘Suggested’ will likely surface work that has been accessed recently or that is accessed regularly, thus similar in nature to the ‘Suggested’ view that currently appears at the top of the ‘My Drive’ page.

‘Activity’ serves almost as a notification center for new file activity, including comments, changes, and access requests.

Google says that it’s “testing a new homepage in Drive with a group of users” and it’s unclear when a full rollout will occur - if at all.

This is all in an effort to help users of the cloud storage platform find the work they need more quickly, and ultimately, with fewer clicks.

Earlier this month, the company also introduced a new ‘Spam’ folder to the sidebar which served much the same purpose as any spam folder you would find elsewhere. Moving a file to spam will unsubscribe a user from activity notifications and remove the file from all Drive locations apart from the spam folder.

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Making sure your Google Drive account doesn't get clogged up with spam or unwanted files should soon be a lot easier thanks to a new update.

The cloud storage platform has announced it will be adding a dedicated spam folder to ensure your account stays protected, keeping you safe from any potential cybersecurity risks.

Potentially harmful content will be automatically sent to the spam folder using automatic classifiers, with users also able to manually move files or folders there themselves.

Google Drive spam

Moving a folder to Spam, which can also be done by selecting “report spam” from the context menu or by dragging the file into the spam folder in the left hand navigation menu, will also unsubscribe users from the file, preventing any comment, sharing, and mobile push notifications. 

Any file that stays within the spam folder for over 30 days will be permanently removed from Drive.

"This feature improves the security of Google Drive by giving users a new way to suppress potentially malicious content to stay safe and distraction free," a Google Workspace update blog post announcing the news noted.

It added that Google has offered "best-in-class" spam, phishing, and malware prevention on Gmail and Drive for some time, but the latter has until now lacked a specific location to send unwanted content.

"By introducing a spam view, we’re simultaneously giving users more control over their content while blocking harmful files without risking impact to our users," the post concluded.

The new spam folder will be available from May 24 to users on Web, Android, iOS and Drive for Desktop. All Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers and users with personal Google Accounts will be able to access the new tool.

Opinion - another strong security move

The news was announced at Google I/O 2023 alongside a host of other security-themed launches and upgrades from the company.

It seems to patch a rather obvious hole in Google Drive's security, particularly in this modern online collaboration age, where sharing files and folders has become second-nature for many of us.

Getting all of its office software tools up to the same peg on cybersecurity is a smart move, and should hopefully keep businesses everywhere much safer going forward.

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Alongside a series of new hardware and software announcements at Google I/O 2023, the company has released more details on several security features set to arrive in the near future, including the expansion of its Gmail dark web monitoring service.

Having initially launched to Google One subscribers in the US just a few weeks ago, access to the email service provider’s dark web report is set to expand to all US customers with a Gmail inbox “in the next few weeks.”

With the tool, Google can scan the dark web for things like your name, address, email address, phone number, and Social Security number.

Dark web monitoring on Gmail

In March 2023, the company began rolling out dark web monitoring to Google One customers, starting with the $1.99-per-month 100GB plan. While the VPN remains the preserve of paid plans, dark web monitoring is set for a US-wide rollout to all customers. 

While the company hasn’t shared any specific details, a broader international rollout is also expected to follow.

Having carried out a check, customers whose information has been found on the dark web can follow a series of Google’s steps to secure their accounts, such as applying two-factor authentication and using strong passwords or opting instead of passkeys.

With a clear focus on cybersecurity, the company also announced a new spam view in Google Drive to help users distinguish legitimate and dodgy content. And, of course, it wouldn’t be I/O 2023 without plenty of AI, some of which has gone into identifying dangerous sites and files when browsing.

With deadlines unclear, it’s possible that these security-focused updates, and more, will arrive in time for Android 14 in the coming months.

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