How to Upload Video to Google Drive and Share Link (Step-by-Step Guide)
Google Drive lets you upload a video and share it with a link, so others can open it without receiving the file directly.
Video files are often too large to send by email or messaging apps. Messaging apps can also compress them and lower the quality. Google Drive lets you upload the full video and share it with a link. The link works only if you set the file access before sharing.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to upload a video to Google Drive and share a working link using three different approaches, along with guidance on when to use each one.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have the following ready.
- A Google account with access to Google Drive
- The video file saved on your device.
- For the mobile method: the Google Drive app installed on your phone.
Uploading Videos to Google Drive and Sharing the Link on the Web
This method works best when you are on a desktop or laptop and need to upload and share one video at a time.
Uploading the Video
- Go to Google Drive and sign in.
- Click the + New button in the top-left corner.
- Select File Upload.
- Choose your video file and click Open.
You can also drag and drop the video file directly into the Drive window. Google Drive starts uploading it automatically.
Large video files can take time to upload. Wait until the upload bar shows the upload is complete before sharing.
For more details, see the official Google Drive documentation: Store & play videos in Google Drive.
Sharing the Video
After the upload finishes, share the video:
- Right-click the video file and select Share > Share.
- Under General access, click the dropdown next to Restricted and select Anyone with the link.
Note: If the file access stays on Restricted, only people you add by email can open it. Select Anyone with the link if you want others to open the file from the shared link.
- Set the permission level using the dropdown next to the role:
| Permission | What It Allows | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer | Watch only, no editing or commenting | Sharing with clients, family, or anyone who just needs to watch |
| Commenter | Watch and leave comments | When you want feedback without giving edit access |
| Editor | Watch, comment, and make changes | Only when a collaborator needs to edit the file |
For most video sharing - client deliverables, family clips, assignment submissions, Viewer is the right choice.
- Click Copy link, then click Done.
Paste the link into an email, chat message, or document. Anyone who receives it can open and watch the video right away.
Tip: You can revoke access at any time by going back to the sharing settings and switching General access back to Restricted. The link stops working immediately.
Now that you know how to share from a desktop, let's look at how to do the same from your phone.
Uploading Videos to Google Drive and Sharing the Link on Mobile
You can upload a video from your phone using the Google Drive app. This works best when the video is already on your device and you need to share it without switching to a desktop.
Uploading the Video
- Open the Google Drive app on your phone.
- Start the upload:
- On Android: tap + New > Upload
- On iPhone or iPad: tap + Add > File upload
- Select your video from your gallery or files app, Google Drive accepts all standard phone video formats.
- Wait for the upload to finish before sharing.
Tip: If you filmed the video in your phone's camera app and can't find the file, check your Recents or Camera Roll inside the file picker.
Sharing the Link
Once the upload is complete, here's how to get the shareable link.
- Tap the three-dot menu next to the uploaded file.
- Tap Manage access.
- Under General access, tap Change.
- Select Anyone with the link.
- Set the permission to Viewer.
- Tap Copy link.
You can now paste the link into any message or email app on your phone. The recipient can open the video in a browser without downloading anything first.
If you only share videos occasionally, the web or mobile app is enough. But if you upload multiple videos regularly and need to track each link, the next method can save you a lot of time.
Uploading Multiple Videos to Google Drive and Sharing Links with Drive Explorer Pro
Drive Explorer Pro lets you upload multiple videos to Google Drive and automatically log their shareable links into a Google Sheets spreadsheet, without opening each file individually.
Use this method when you upload training videos, client deliverables, assignments, event recordings, or course materials regularly and need every link organized in one place.
Why use Drive Explorer Pro
- Keep each video link connected to the correct row in your sheet.
- Save time when you need to upload and share multiple videos at once.
Install Drive Explorer Pro from the Google Workspace Marketplace:
Launching Drive Explorer Pro
You open Drive Explorer from inside Google Sheets after installing it.
- Open Google Sheets.
- Go to Extensions > Drive Explorer Pro > Open Drive Explorer Pro.
- The Drive Explorer Pro sidebar opens on the right side of your sheet.
Tip: If Drive Explorer Pro doesn't appear in the Extensions menu after installing, refresh the page. It usually appears within a few seconds of a reload.
With the sidebar open on the right side, you have three things to configure before uploading:
- Your destination folder
- The file details to log
- The sharing permissions
Setting Your Destination Folder
Choose the Google Drive folder where your uploaded videos will be saved.
- In the sidebar, click Change under the Default Google Drive folder section.
- Browse to your preferred folder and select it.
If you skip this step, Drive Explorer Pro saves files to the root of My Drive. That works, but your uploads quickly get mixed in with everything else.
Using a dedicated folder, like "Client Videos 2026" or "Training Recordings", keeps things easy to find and reshare later.
Configuring File Attributes to Log in Your Sheet
Choose which video details Drive Explorer Pro logs into your spreadsheet before you upload anything.
Before you upload, choose which video details Drive Explorer Pro should add to Google Sheets. This makes each uploaded video easier to identify and track later without switching between Google Drive and Google Sheets.
- In the sidebar, click the List files tab.
-
Under Start listing file from, choose one of the following:
- Currently selected cell - logs data starting from your cursor position
- Append below existing data - adds new rows below any content already in the sheet
-
Under Select File Attributes to list, check the details you want logged:
| Attribute | What It Logs | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| File Name Linked to URL | Clickable name that opens the video in Drive | Sharing with clients or teams |
| File URL | Standard link that opens the video in Drive | General tracking and sharing |
| Direct Download Link | Link that downloads the video immediately | When recipients need the file, not just a preview |
| File Size (MB) | File size in megabytes | Managing storage or tracking large uploads |
| Mime Type | File format (e.g. video/mp4, video/quicktime) | Automations or filtering by type |
| File ID | Unique identifier for the file | API integrations or advanced automations |
For most video sharing workflows, checking File Name Linked to URL, File URL, and File Size (MB) gives you everything you need in one row.
- Click Save Selected Settings as Default to keep these preferences for future uploads.
Setting Sharing Permissions Before You Upload
Set the sharing access before uploading so each video is ready to share the moment the upload finishes.
- Go to the Settings tab in the sidebar.
- Change access to Anyone with the link.
- Click Save Selected Settings as Default.
Drive Explorer Pro applies this setting during upload. You do not need to open each video in Google Drive afterward to change its permissions.
Each file is ready to share as soon as the upload finishes.
Note: This setting applies to newly uploaded files only. It does not change the permissions of files already in your Drive.
Uploading Videos and Generating Links
With your folder, attributes, and sharing settings configured, you're ready to upload.
- Click the Upload files tab in the sidebar.
- Drag and drop your video files into the upload box, or click the box to browse and select files manually.
You can drag files to reorder them before uploading. The order you set here is the order they appear in your sheet.
- Click Upload files to drive and list in sheets.
Note: Large video files take longer to upload. Keep the tab open and wait until Drive Explorer Pro finishes logging all rows before closing the sheet.
Drive Explorer Pro uploads each video to your chosen folder and immediately logs a new row in your spreadsheet, including the shareable link in the column you configured.
To share an individual video, copy the link from the File URL column and paste it wherever you need.
Sharing All Video Links at Once
If you need to share several video links together, share the spreadsheet instead of sending each link one by one.
- Click Share in the top-right corner of Google Sheets.
- Under General access, change Restricted to Anyone with the link.
- Set the permission to Viewer.
- Click Copy link, then Done.
Send this one link to your team, client, or class. They open the sheet, see every video listed, and click whichever link they need, without you sending anything separately.
Conclusion
You now have three ways to upload a video to Google Drive and share a working link.
- Use the web app for a quick upload from your browser. It works best for a few files.
- Use the mobile app when the video is on your phone and you need to share it right away.
- Use Drive Explorer Pro when you upload multiple videos regularly and want every link tracked automatically in Google Sheets.
Whichever method you use, always change General access from Restricted to Anyone with the link before you share. If you skip this step, the recipient sees an access request page instead of the video.