FileOctopus How it works
FileOctopus works with the folders that Google Drive for desktop puts on your Mac. Google’s app signs in and keeps the files in sync; FileOctopus never signs in to Google and makes no network connection for Google Drive.
- Install Google Drive for desktop and sign in from its icon in the menu bar.
- Each Google account then appears under Locations in the sidebar.
- Choose Go → Google Drive to open the first account’s My Drive in the focused pane. With no account signed in, it opens Settings ▸ Cloud instead.
Other providers that keep their folders in ~/Library/CloudStorage, such as Dropbox or OneDrive, also get a Locations row, the way Finder lists them. Rows come and go as accounts are added or removed. Turn them all off with Cloud Storage in Settings ▸ Sidebar.
Settings ▸ Cloud
Open FileOctopus → Settings… and choose Cloud. What it shows depends on Google Drive for desktop:
| State | What you see |
|---|---|
| Not installed | Google Drive for desktop isn’t installed. with Download Google Drive for desktop… (Google’s download page) and Check Again. |
| Installed, no account | Whether Google Drive is running, how to sign in, Open Google Drive and Check Again. |
| Signed in | Each account’s email with Available, Open and Disconnect…, then Add Account…, which opens Google Drive for desktop, where accounts are added and removed. |
Once accounts are listed, the Sidebar: checkbox is the same setting as Settings ▸ Sidebar ▸ Cloud Storage, and Other cloud storage: lists any other providers found.
Disconnect or hide an account
Disconnect… asks what you want. FileOctopus doesn’t sign in to Google, so Open Google Drive takes you to Google’s app to sign out there. Hide in FileOctopus keeps the account syncing but removes it from FileOctopus; Settings then shows Hidden in FileOctopus and a Show button to list it again.
The Welcome card
While Google Drive for desktop isn’t installed, the Welcome window shows a one-time Use Google Drive? card with Google Drive Settings…. Click its close button (Don’t show this again) to hide it for good.
See what is on this Mac
A small icon after the name shows the file’s cloud status, in Icon, List, Column and Gallery view. This works for Google Drive, iCloud Drive and other cloud storage. Files that are on this Mac and up to date show no icon.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not downloaded | The file is only in the cloud. |
| Downloading / Uploading | Google Drive is moving it now. |
| Download failed | The file couldn’t be downloaded; it is still only in the cloud. |
| Upload failed | The file didn’t reach Google Drive. The copy on this Mac is the only one. |
Get Info shows the same status in a Cloud status: row, and the preview pane in its Status row. Opening or browsing a folder doesn’t download anything.
Download, free up space, open on the web
Right-click a file or folder, or use the File menu or a search result’s menu. Download Now and Remove Download appear for items in any cloud storage folder (Download Now when something isn’t downloaded yet, Remove Download when something is). Open in Google Drive and Copy Google Drive Link appear when every selected item is in Google Drive. In Find results inside a folder and in Recents, Download Now and Remove Download are left out.
- Download Now downloads the file to this Mac.
- Remove Download frees space on this Mac and keeps the file in Google Drive. It stops on a file that hasn’t finished uploading, so the only copy stays on your Mac.
- Open in Google Drive opens the file on the web, for up to 10 items at once.
- Copy Google Drive Link copies the file’s web link. It never changes who the file is shared with.
Download Now and Remove Download can’t be undone with ⌘Z; run the other command instead.
Free and PRO. Download Now and Remove Download for one item, and Open in Google Drive, are Free. Running Download Now or Remove Download on several items at once, and Copy Google Drive Link, need the trial or PRO. See Free and PRO.
Copies, moves and Trash
- Copying or moving a file that is only in the cloud out of Google Drive stops and tells you to choose Download Now first. Nothing is half copied.
- Moving items out of Google Drive, or another cloud storage folder, asks first, because they are removed from the cloud and your other devices.
- Moving an item to the Trash inside cloud storage asks too; in Google Drive it also goes to Google Drive’s trash.
- Copies, moves, renames and new folders inside Google Drive use the same conflict and progress handling as other folders.
Current limits
FileOctopus doesn’t index Google Drive on its own. If you add a Drive folder in Search settings, only downloaded items are indexed and cloud-only folders are skipped. Settings ▸ Cloud doesn’t show storage quota or sync progress, and there is no setting for how much Google Drive keeps on this Mac: Google Drive for desktop manages that. Google-native documents, shared drives, mirror mode and offline Drive have not been verified yet.