Google’s apps and services keep trying to play nice with Apple’s ecosystem, but honestly, it’s kinda frustrating sometimes — especially when you’re trying to get Photos stored on Google Drive for iPhone into your native Photos app. Fortunately, the latest update managed to make this a bit easier. Now, you can actually save multiple photos and videos directly from Google Drive to your iPhone’s Photos app without too much fuss. That said, it’s not always super intuitive, and you might run into stuff like missing options or outdated app versions, which can throw a wrench in things. So, here’s how to get those media files moved efficiently, with a few workarounds thrown in for good measure.
1. Download Photos & Videos from Google Drive
The first thing’s first: you gotta make sure your Google Drive app is up to date, or else the download options might be nowhere to be found. Once that’s sorted, follow these steps:
Update the Google Drive app
- Open the App Store on your iPhone
- Tap your profile icon in the top right corner
- Scroll down to see if an update is available for Google Drive
- If there’s an update, tap Update
This ensures you’re on the latest version, which is crucial because the new download feature was added relatively recently. On some setups, the option still might not appear immediately after updating — weird, but still worth trying a reboot or reinstall if needed.
Navigate to the media files and download
- Open Google Drive
- Browse to the folder containing your photos or videos you want to save
- Press and hold on the media files to select them. For multiple files, tap one, then tap other files to select more
- Tap the three dots icon in the top right corner — this is usually the menu for more options
- Choose Download
On some versions, you might see just a “Download” option, or it might appear after a while — depends on your app version and network. Expect your media to be saved into your Photos app shortly after. Not sure why, but sometimes it takes a second or two longer, or you might need to tap download again if it doesn’t pop up right away.
2. Download Google Drive Photos & Videos Using the Files App
This method is a lifesaver if the Google Drive app’s UI is being stubborn. The Files app can access Google Drive directly, letting you pick and save media manually. Here’s what to do:
Access Google Drive via Files app
- Open the Files app on your iPhone
- Tap the Browse button in the bottom tab, or top left corner if you see it
- In the sidebar, tap Drive — this is the integrated Google Drive storage
- Navigate to where your media files are stored
Select and save media files
- Tap the three dots at the top right and select Select
- Tap to pick the photos or videos you want to save
- Press the Share icon at the bottom left
- Scroll through the options and tap Save Images or Save Videos
Once you hit save, the media should show up in your Photos app. This tends to be more reliable for bulk saving sometimes, especially if the Google Drive app has quirks or missing options. Fair warning, though — on some versions of iOS or Drive, you might not see “Save Photos” immediately. If that happens, try closing the Files app completely and reopening. Sometimes, a quick iPhone restart helps too — because of course, Apple just has to make these things harder than they should be.
Save Photos Option Not Appearing?
This one’s annoying — the option to “Save Photos” or “Save Videos” just doesn’t pop up sometimes. Usually, it’s an outdated app version or a glitch. Because, naturally, the app might not have the latest features if you’re still on an old version. First, double-check that Google Drive is fully updated from the App Store. If that doesn’t solve it, try force-closing the Files app: swipe up on it from the app switcher and reopen. Still no luck? Restartting your iPhone sometimes triggers a refresh that finally makes the option show up.
Also verify your internet connection — because even if you have the latest app, no dice if the device isn’t online properly. Sometimes, it’s just a temporary hiccup, but normally these steps get it back to working order. The trick with that “Save Photos” option not appearing is just patience and making sure your software’s current.
Hopefully, these tricks help you wrangle your media files a bit more easily. Because, honestly, Apple and Google are like frenemies when it comes to this stuff — sort of needed but not always straightforward.