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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Google Drive

65
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Google Drive remains a highly useful and convenient cloud storage solution for many, despite recent updates introducing frustrating UI changes, performance issues, and persistent complaints about limited free storage and complex file management.

4.8★ lifetime (7,654,354) Free to download since 2012 by Google LLC updated 0.1 mo ago recent negative 28% 120 reviews across 4 regions
File Management Usability & Interface Storage & Cost Performance Reliability & Access
5★584
4★73
3★61
2★54
1★228
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Google Drive is widely appreciated for its utility in daily life, school, and business, offering easy access and organization of documents across devices. However, recent updates have led to a decline in user satisfaction due to navigation difficulties, slow performance, and issues with file uploads and sharing.

What users like

  • Useful for daily life, school, and business, providing easy access to documents.R11R27R44R68
  • User-friendly and consistent for many, with automatic saving features.R7R12R22R35
  • Good for organizing and storing various content, including VR content.R6R12R33R41

What users complain about

  • Recent updates have made the interface laggy, difficult to navigate, and less user-friendly.R29R84R98R178
  • Limited free storage (15GB) is often insufficient, and paid options are considered expensive.R3R76R126R557
  • Users experience issues with uploading, downloading, and sharing files, including slow speeds and errors.R8R80R147R296
  • Difficulty deleting files and managing ownership, sometimes leading to loss of important data.R26R46R60
  • The app consumes a significant amount of device storage and bandwidth.R10
  • New UI changes, like folder name placement and Gemini pop-ups, are disliked and interrupt workflow.R50R167R347

Latest update · v4.2627.41401

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

* Bug fixes and performance improvements

Recurring themes

Usability & Interface negative
Many users find the app's interface clunky, difficult to navigate, and inconsistent, especially after recent updates. Specific complaints include lag, difficulty sharing files, and disliked UI changes like folder name placement and persistent Gemini pop-ups.R29R84R98R17
Storage & Cost negative
A recurring complaint is the insufficient free storage (15GB) provided, with users feeling forced to pay for more. The monthly fees for additional storage are considered egregious and expensive.R3R76R126R557
File Management negative
Users report significant issues with file management, including difficulty uploading multiple files, slow upload times, inability to delete files, and problems with sharing and syncing across devices. Some users also report losing files due to account deletions.R26R46R60R80
Performance negative
Despite developer notes claiming 'performance improvements,' recent reviews indicate the app can be laggy, slow to load files, and experience long upload times. Some users attribute this to new AI systems.R29R80R146R178
Reliability & Access mixed
While many praise Google Drive for being reliable and making documents accessible, others report issues like being signed out constantly, content unavailability errors, and problems with specific file types or integrations.R62R110R156R332

Who it's for

Google Drive is for users who need a reliable cloud storage solution for school, work, or personal documents and are already integrated into the Google ecosystem R11R27R44. It is particularly useful for those who value automatic saving and cross-device accessibility R22R41. It may not be for users who require extensive free storage, prioritize a minimalist interface, or need advanced file editing capabilities directly within the app without downloading other applications R3R76R106R169.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew negative, which contrasts with the high lifetime rating. Many positive reviews are brief, while negative reviews provide more detailed complaints, particularly regarding recent UI changes and performance issues. The developer's notes on 'bug fixes and performance improvements' are directly contradicted by user reports of continued lag and issues.

Frequently asked

Is Google Drive free?
Google Drive is free to download and offers 15GB of free storage, but many users find this insufficient and express frustration over the need to pay for additional storage R3R76R126.
Can I edit documents directly in the Google Drive app?
Users report that editing Google Sheets or other documents often requires downloading a separate app, and some features like highlighting PDFs are not available within the Drive app itself R106R169.
Why is my Google Drive app slow or laggy?
Recent reviews indicate that the app can be laggy and slow to load files, with some users speculating it's due to new AI systems being integrated and scanning content R29R146R178.
Can I easily delete files from Google Drive?
Many users report difficulty deleting files, stating there isn't a clear 'erase' button or a straightforward way to remove unwanted files, leading to storage issues R26R60.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R11] 5/5 · US So amazing.: Google Drive really helps me with my daily life. 10 out of 10
  2. [R27] 5/5 · US Y: It good to have so you can do school work
  3. [R44] 5/5 · US Amazing: I've been using drive every since it entered in Google. It's been a very blessing to me and my family. It helped with school work and business. 10 plus for me.
  4. [R68] 3/5 · US Business made easy: It made my job a whole lot better and fast. My business is at ease now
  5. [R7] 5/5 · US Google Drive review A+: Always user friendly and consistent
  6. [R12] 5/5 · US Amazing: Organized and convenient
  7. [R22] 5/5 · US Access: I love how it automatically saves when you are working
  8. [R35] 5/5 · US Very clean!: Has everything in the website, easy to use and very handy!
  9. [R6] 5/5 · US Good for vr content: It’s really good if you wanna post VR content all you gotta do is just have the app on VR and on your mobile or whatever device that you do it you just explode it on your the Google Drive and then on your mobile you can check it and then download it to your Photos and edit it and post it
  10. [R33] 5/5 · US Well when I think About where I want to keep my data and I mean the important stuff I think goog: Yup #chuckitall to hear my music see my art of read my comics but I store it all on Google Drives when you don’t get the googly eyes
  11. [R41] 5/5 · US Wonderful!: I love Google Drive. I can find all of my documents right here on my phone. It makes it so easy to use. I also love how much space you get with your account. I save everything in there. It makes everything so wonderful and accessible and searchable. I love Google products and I use them every single day I could not do
  12. [R29] 3/5 · US App: Interface is a bit laggy and doesn’t have legend have drive viewers.
  13. [R84] 3/5 · US Hard to navigate: I have a hard time sharing files with this app.
  14. [R98] 3/5 · US Update: It is now difficult to navigate
  15. [R178] 3/5 · US Would Have Been A 5: I have used Drive for a while now and even pay for extra storage. The app used to be fast and fast to load files. But as of recent I have noticed multiple large updates that are shoving the ai systems down everyone's throat without even giving an option to download it or not. As a result the app has become slower and almost makes me think it's due to every single thing being s
  16. [R3] 1/5 · US It has so less storage: It really does have really low storage
  17. [R76] 1/5 · US Not enough free storage: 15gb is hardly anything. Charge a flat rate for more storage like an external hard drive- the monthly fees are egregious.
  18. [R126] 1/5 · US Too expensive: Too expensive
  19. [R557] 3/5 · CA In theory it's great, but....: I love Google Drive but I need more storage, please!
  20. [R8] 1/5 · US Can’t watch: Can’t even watch what I uploaded. Completely sucks
  21. [R80] 2/5 · US Dolly: Uploading time is too long and I have to be on drive while uploading!
  22. [R147] 3/5 · US I can’t add files from my phone: Still can’t add more videos from my phone because the app does’t work well.
  23. [R296] 3/5 · GB Alr ig but..: It wont let me download videos onto my phone ive been trying for days please fiz this
  24. [R26] 1/5 · US Cannot erase once downloaded! Takes space!: Does not have an “erase” button or “I dont want that file anymore”. All files I have are NOT IN USE, and it is impossible to delete them. Will keep looking!
  25. [R46] 1/5 · US It’s like they don’t care if you lose 9yrs worth of files: I recently graduated high school and new that my school google account would get deleted eventually. What I didn’t know and no one ever tells you, is that you have to switch the ownership of documents from the account that will be deleted, to the new account, not just share the documents. What infuriated me the most is that google didn’t g
  26. [R60] 1/5 · US I can’t delete files I don’t need anymore: Annoying
  27. [R10] 1/5 · US Nearly HALF a GIGABYTE and bloating… 🚨🚨: Just one of many self-inflicted Google apps that have no regard for end-users’ storage and bandwidth limitations. 420.4 megabytes and growing… Uninstall. Divest from Google.
  28. [R50] 1/5 · US Please remove gemini: Hi google, I clicked no thanks for gemini, but I keep getting pop- ups on every single image asking me if I want to summarize this file. I don’t, ever. Please remove every pop-up and hide the gemini icon from the main view because now I associate that sparkle icon with the aggravating pop-ups
  29. [R167] 2/5 · US stupid ui change: they put the file names above the icons for some inexplicable reason. terrible ux
  30. [R347] 3/5 · GB Amazing and useful but why the drastic change: Amazing app and so useful to have all of my work admin etc on my phone. An easy app to use. But tell me WHY did they change the name of folders from below the folder, to above the folder???!! It makes no sense. Now I keep clicking the wrong folders. When the name had been below and close to the folder for YEARS, why change it to the opposite now when
  31. [R17] 2/5 · US Could be a lot better: The time spent redesigning the app icons could have been better utilized making Google drive more functional. With the resources and talent Google has this app and any other Google app should be seamless, easy to use, and intuitive. Google drive is not those things. It gets stuck when you try to upload several files at once. The folder organization is a mess, the layout is s
  32. [R146] 3/5 · US Drive: I try to get into my docs, but it lags.
  33. [R62] 1/5 · US won’t let me sign in: it just says manage accounts and i can’t click any of them or sign in with any of them
  34. [R110] 1/5 · US Awful: This might be the worst app I’ve ever used. Constantly signs me out. Seemingly never seems to work the same at twice. Super clunky. When it does work instead of being able to do things in the app it send me to an external link.
  35. [R156] 1/5 · US Photos: My photos won’t upload. Message says file not supported
  36. [R332] 3/5 · GB ‘Content Unavailable’ error on iPad: Consistently get “Content Unavailable The folder contents could not be displayed because of an unknown error. Try Again.” And it never can fix!!! So frustrating! Reinstall drive app restart iPad etc all does not work. Basic bug has been there for years!
  37. [R106] 3/5 · US Edit a google sheet: I feel like I shouldn’t have to download another app to be able to edit this document
  38. [R169] 1/5 · US Marking option: Can’t even highlight or mark anything on the pdfs. It’s way worst than phone. And multiple windows doesn’t support.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store