This article explains how to find, download, and watch Google Drive movies. Instructions apply to Windows and Mac computers.

What to Know

  • Easiest way: Do a Google search using this term: site:drive.google.com movies.Then, to play a movie, select the link > Play. To view later, select Download > Add to My Drive. On your Google drive, select Download and use an app like VLC to view.

Where to Find Google Drive Movies

Google Drive lets users share movies directly with others or publicly on the web. With this in mind, you may find movies listed on a host of websites and online communities. Make sure you have the necessary permissions to share or download content.

One way to find movies on Google Drive is with a Google search using this search: site:drive.google.com movies.

How to Play, Save, and Download Google Drive Movies

After you find the link to a film you want to watch, you’re only a few steps away from playing your movie, saving it to your Google Drive, or downloading it directly to your computer.

Google Drive’s Terms of Service dictate all users must comply with local laws, including copyright restrictions. Google explicitly warns against uploading content for which you don’t have the necessary sharing permissions and also warns that violations may lead to account suspension. Adding copyrighted files to your Drive or downloading them to your computer may also trigger punitive measures.

  • Select the link to open a Google Drive movie file. You are taken directly to the player screen.
  • Select the Play icon to watch the movie.
  • To download the movie to your computer, select the Download icon.
  • To save the movie to your Google Drive, select the Add to My Drive icon.
  • Once the film is added to your Google Drive, you can always opt to download it later. To do this, find the file in your Google Drive and either right-click or double-click it to open the additional options menu. Select Download and choose where you want to save it on your computer.
  • Not all videos that can be streamed can also be downloaded; you might hit a “quota exceeded” page if too many people have recently downloaded the file.

How to Download Google Drive Movies Using Google Backup and Sync

If you want to download movie files saved to your Google Drive, you can use Google Drive for desktop to sync files in the background. It’s also a good way to download a batch of movies or other content you’ve saved to your Google Drive.

When you choose to download a Google Drive movie to your computer, Google runs a virus scan on the file. However, many files are too large for Google to scan, in which case you see an advisory notice. It’s good practice to exercise caution and only download movies from sources you trust.

Select the link to open a Google Drive movie file. You are taken directly to the player screen.

Select the Play icon to watch the movie.

To download the movie to your computer, select the Download icon.

To save the movie to your Google Drive, select the Add to My Drive icon.

Once the film is added to your Google Drive, you can always opt to download it later. To do this, find the file in your Google Drive and either right-click or double-click it to open the additional options menu. Select Download and choose where you want to save it on your computer.

Not all videos that can be streamed can also be downloaded; you might hit a “quota exceeded” page if too many people have recently downloaded the file.

  • Download Google Drive for Desktop.
  • Install Drive for Desktop.
  • Choose folders on your computer to sync with Google Drive and then you’ll be able to access all of your content directly from your PC or Mac.

How to Play Google Movies Saved to Your Computer

There is a slew of digital media file formats, not all of which are naturally supported by desktop media players. Fortunately, VLC is a media player that works with a variety of formats and has versions for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Download Google Drive for Desktop.

Install Drive for Desktop.

Choose folders on your computer to sync with Google Drive and then you’ll be able to access all of your content directly from your PC or Mac.

To install VLC on a Mac and use it to open a movie file:

  • Go to the VLC website and select Download VLC.
  • Install the app.
  • Launch VLC.
  • Locate the movie on your computer and either drag it into VLC or select Open media on a Mac (or Media > Open File in Windows) to launch the file selector.

Once added, your movie automatically begins to play. Your movie remains in the VLC playlist until you remove it.

Go to the VLC website and select Download VLC.

Install the app.

Launch VLC.

Locate the movie on your computer and either drag it into VLC or select Open media on a Mac (or Media > Open File in Windows) to launch the file selector.

You can add additional movies by dragging and dropping files or select File > Open file and using the file selector.

  • How do I download a video from Google Drive to an iPhone?
  • Launch the Google Drive app on your iPhone and navigate to the video file you want to download. Tap More (three dots), and then tap Open in > Save to Files. Choose your save destination > Save.
  • How do I use Google Drive offline?
  • To use Google Drive offline on a PC or Mac, download and install the Google Docs Offline extension for Chrome. On an iOS or Android device, download the Google Drive app so you can work with your files offline.

Launch the Google Drive app on your iPhone and navigate to the video file you want to download. Tap More (three dots), and then tap Open in > Save to Files. Choose your save destination > Save.

To use Google Drive offline on a PC or Mac, download and install the Google Docs Offline extension for Chrome. On an iOS or Android device, download the Google Drive app so you can work with your files offline.

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