Send a video with Google Drive

Sometimes we find ourselves needing to send a large file, just like this reader:

“I have been having some problems with configuring my Wacom tablet pen. I was in touch with Wacom support and they asked me to send a video of what I was doing and where the problem was. Because it was 59 Mb’s it was too big to send in an email so I sent it to them with a link to my DropBox but they said they couldn’t watch the video and would I send it to them with a Google Drive. Can you tell me how to send a video with Google Drive?”

To use Google Drive, you’ll first need a Gmail account. (If you have an Android device, you already have one.)  If you don’t have one, click here to learn how to create one.

Once you have a Gmail account, you could just attach the video to a message sent from your Gmail inbox. Click Compose to create a new message.

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At the bottom of the message, select the Drive logo to attach a file using Google Drive.

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Select the Upload option.

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Click on Select files from your computer or you can drag and drop the file.

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Choose the video file and click Open.

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Now click Upload.

 

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The file will now be inserted as a link to Google Drive. Select a sender and a subject.

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When you hit send, you’ll see a notification that you haven’t shared this file. You’ll need to click on share and send.

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You could also select the little square of squares at the top-right of the inbox and choose Drive from the drop-down menu.

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Google Drive will open.

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Click New and select File upload from the drop-down menu.

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Then select the file to upload and choose Open.

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Once the file uploads, right-click and choose Share from the menu that opens.

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Type in the email address you wish to share with. You can also add a note explaining the file.

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If you aren’t sending to a Gmail account, you’ll get the suggestion to send an invitation for the recipient to get one. It’s not necessary unless you want the recipient to be able to edit the file.

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The recipient will receive a message like this:

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