Environment
U-M Google, Drive, shared drives
Issue
How do I view file and folder sizes in a Google shared drive?
Resolution
On the web (drive.google.com)
- For folders, you cannot view its size on the web. (This is a known Google limitation.)
- For files, you can either:
- Click the List layout icon in the top right corner and view the sizes under the "File size" column.
- Click on a specific file and then click the information "i" icon in the top right corner (next to the layout icons). You will find the file's size under File details > Size or Storage used.
Via the Google Drive for desktop app
Before using the desktop app to view folder sizes, keep in mind that the listed size may not be 100% accurate to its actual storage usage in Google Drive. It is also still recommended to use the web to view file sizes.
The instructions below are for those who have already installed the desktop app. If you haven't installed and signed into the app yet, refer to the Google Help Center for details.
Mac
Note: Macs require you to download the folder from the cloud to your computer before you can view its storage size.
- Open the Drive folder in Finder and navigate to a folder within a shared drive.
- Click the cloud icon next to the folder's name to download it to your computer or right-click the folder and select Download Now.
- Right-click the folder again after it's downloaded and select Get Info.
- View its size at the top of the dialog box or under "Size."
- You can right-click the folder again and select Remove Download if you don't want the folder to take up space on your disk.
Windows
- Open the Drive folder in File Explorer and navigate to a folder within a shared drive.
- Right-click the folder and select Properties.
- View its size under "Size" or "Size on disk." (If it's a large folder, wait a few seconds to allow Windows to calculate its size.)
Notes
- There isn't a way to sort folders by size via Drive on the web or via File Explorer (Windows)/Finder (Mac) using the desktop app.
- There is a slight difference in the reported storage size for a folder between Mac and Windows machines.
- E.g., Windows says 11.6MB and Mac says 12.3MB for the same folder on the same account.
- Based on observations during testing, these numbers seem to fluctuate slightly by day, even with no one touching the folder during that period.
- For these reasons, please don't rely solely on these storage sizes when managing your U-M Google storage.
Additional Information
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.