Import files from Google Drive to Proton Drive

If you’re looking for a Google Drive alternative you can trust, Proton Drive keeps your data safe using end-to-end encryption. This means only you and the people you choose to share files with can access your content — not third parties, not advertisers, not even Proton. This article walks you through how to bring your files over from Google Drive.

• Export your Google Drive files
• Download your export
• Import into Proton Drive
  • Desktop (Windows, macOS)
  • Web app
• What next?

Export your Google Drive files

1. Go to https://takeout.google.com(nuova finestra) and sign in to the Google Account you want to download files from.
2. Scroll to Create a new export and click Deselect all.

3. Keep scrolling down, find Drive, and check the box next to it.

4. Scroll all the way to the bottom and select Next step.

5. Select your transfer destination, export frequency, and file type and size. Click Create export.

Preparing the export may take some time. When it’s ready, you’ll receive a download link in your Gmail. While waiting, you can start another export, such as for Google Photos.

Download your export

1. Open the “Your Google data is ready to download” email and click Manage Google Takeout request.

2. Download all parts of the export.

3. Unzip the files on your computer. Find out how to unzip files on Mac(nuova finestra) and Windows(nuova finestra).

Note: Proton Drive keeps the folder structure of any files you upload. However, if your Google Drive export is split into multiple parts, you may want to reorganize or merge folders before uploading them to Proton Drive. You can rearrange files after uploading, but doing this locally is usually faster.

Import your files into Proton Drive

You can move Google Drive files to Proton Drive using the desktop or web apps. The desktop app generally provides a more stable experience and automatically retries uploads if something goes wrong, which makes it a better choice for uploading large or many files at once. The web app lets you upload files without installing anything, which can be helpful on shared or work computers.

Desktop (Windows, macOS)

When you install the Proton Drive app for Windows or macOS, it creates a dedicated folder on your computer. Any files or folders you place in this folder are automatically uploaded to your encrypted cloud storage.

Here’s how to copy the unzipped files into the Proton Drive folder on your computer:

On macOS: Open Finder, then drag and drop your files into Proton Drive.

On Windows: Open File Explorer, then drag and drop your files into Proton Drive → My files.

The upload may take a while, depending on the size of your files. You can check the sync status in the Proton Drive app on Windows or macOS to confirm that the upload is complete.

Web app

1. Go to https://drive.proton.me/(nuova finestra) and sign in to your Proton Account.
2. You can create a new folder for your Google Drive files to keep them organized.
3. Upload your files by dropping your Google Drive files into Proton Drive or by selecting the Upload (⬆️) button to choose files or folders from your computer.

Uploading may take some time, especially for large files or large numbers of files. You can monitor the upload status directly in the web app.

What next?

Once your files are stored in Proton Drive, you can safely remove them from Google Drive.

If you’re moving away from Google, consider migrating your Google Photos to Proton Drive next.