Top 3 Ways to Allow Others to Upload to Your Google Drive [Updated 2022]

Google Drive is a popular file storage service for many big businesses, universities, and private individuals alike. But, did you know that Google doesn’t have an easy way for other people to upload to your Google Drive?

So let’s say you want to create a folder on your Google Drive so that other people can send files to it… How can someone upload to your Google Drive?

Option #1: Creating a Shared Folder in Google Drive

The built-in way of allowing someone to upload to your Google Drive is to create what's called a "Shared Folder".

This is the simplest option as it can be accessed directly in your Google Drive.

How to allow someone else to upload to your Google Drive using a Shared Folder

Step 1: Right-click the folder and click "Share"

Step 2: Either share the folder with specific people or share it with everyone.

Make sure to select "Editor" as the role as this is what gives people access to upload.

The problem with this option is that, when you give other people a link to that shared folder, they're going to be able to see everything else in that folder including the files that other people upload.

They also need to have to be logged in with a Google account and you cannot restrict what type of files are uploaded (e.g. you can't restrict "max 1GB upload size" or choose "Images only").

The other problem for many people is that the uploaders will still be the "Owners" of their files. That means that if they delete the file, you lose access to it.

And, it's counted against their storage limit which, if the file is very large, can be a problem for them as it will use up a lot of their free space.

Pros:

• Can access this option directly in Google Drive

Cons:

• No privacy because every uploader can see everyone else's uploaded files too
• The uploader is still the "Owner" of the file so they can delete it
• It still uses their free storage space
• Cannot choose what type of files are uploaded

So, what are your other options?

Option #2: Creating a Google Form

The next way is to create a Google Form with a file upload option and connect it to your Google Drive. You can then send people a link to the Google Form.

How to allow someone else to upload to your Google Drive using a Google Form

Step 1: Create a new Google Form and select the question type

Step 2: Change the question type to "File upload"

This is a good choice because the other files in the selected Google Drive folder will be hidden from the other uploaders. And Google Drive will assign you as the "Owner" of the uploaded files, meaning you will never lose access to them. You also have some options for restricting which types of files are uploaded.

The downsides to this option are that you cannot select which folder you want the uploaded files to go to, and the Google Form can look unprofessional.

People trying to upload using this method will also have to log in to their Google account.

Pros:

• Uploaders can't see other people's uploaded files
• You are the "Owner" of the uploader files so the uploader can't delete them
• Can restrict which types of files are uploaded

Cons:

• You cannot select which folder you want files to go into
• Uploaders have to log into their Google account
• Looks unprofessional to uploaders

Option #3: Using the free PigeonFiles Google Drive uploader app

The last option is to use the free PigeonFiles Google Drive uploader app. PigeonFiles allows you to quickly create Google Drive upload pages that you can share with people by sending them a URL link.

Other people can then drag and drop their files onto that page and send files directly to the Google Drive folder that you choose.

How to allow someone else to upload to your Google Drive using PigeonFiles

Step 1: Sign in to PigeonFiles for free with your Google account.

Step 2: Create an upload page

Step 3: Select the Google Drive folder that you want uploaded files to be sent to

Step 4: Copy the URL and share it with people who you want to upload to your Google Drive

Anyone you share that upload URL with will now be able to visit that page to upload files directly to your Google Drive.

Free users of PigeonFiles can:

• Create unlimited upload pages that each have their own unique upload URL for sharing.
• Receive large files with no limits on uploaded file sizes.
• Collect the name and email address of uploaders as well as an optional message.
• Keep a record of who is uploading files.
• Create upload pages that are active for a maximum of one week.

They also offer additional features with the Premium plan which allows you to password protect your upload pages, receive email notifications when people upload to your Google Drive, and create upload pages that never expire. The price of the Premium plan starts at $4.99 a month (billed annually).

Pros:

• Uploaders can't see other people's uploaded files
• You are the "Owner" of the uploader files so the uploader can't delete them
• You can restrict which types of files are uploaded
• You can keep a record of who is uploading files
• You can password protect your forms (with Premium plan)
• Receive email notifications when someone uploads (with Premium plan)

Cons:

• Upload pages expire after one week (or upgrade to Premium so that pages never expire)

Click here to learn more about PigeonFiles and create your free account.

Summary

If you don't mind that everyone uploading to your Google Drive can see other people's uploaded files, and they are very small files, then using Shared Folders in Google Drive will probably be okay.

If you don't want each uploader to see other people's uploaded files, you want uploaders to be able to upload large files, you want more control over which types of files can be uploaded, or you want to protect your upload pages with a password, then you will want to use a service like PigeonFiles.