How To Update Google Drive On Mac (Force Update)

Keeping Google Drive updated is very important to keep it working properly on your Mac. Doing this will keep your Drive free from compatibility issues and service interruptions on your Mac. We have included everything you need to know about keeping your Google Drive updated and related guidance that will help you with it. We will cover Drive’s auto-update feature, how to check its versions, and how to download the latest version manually.

Google Drive Auto-Update Facility

You may not know, but Google Drive for Desktop installation package comes with a built-in Google Software Update utility for Mac and Google Update utility for Windows. Google Software Update utility is a service from Google that keeps your Chrome Browser and other Google apps updated automatically on your Mac. 

Thus, it helps to keep the Google Drive version up to date, so you don’t need to update it manually. But you can turn off this auto-update feature if you want by following the steps mentioned on Google’s support website. 

If you find auto-update is turned off for some reason, you can download and install the latest version manually from the Drive for Desktop website.

Otherwise, when an update is available for Google Drive, the system notifies you that your current Google Drive version will expire in 7 days. So, you can download and install the latest version from the website. Or your current Google Drive version will be out of date.

Check Current and Latest Google Drive Versions

You can check the Google Drive version installed on your Mac using the Drive icon in the Menu Bar. (If not showing, then here’s 5 Ways to Check App Version on Mac) You can click on it to see more options.

Step 1: Then click on the Gear icon at the upper right corner, and a list of options will appear. Click on the About option there so that a new window will appear. 

Step 2: You can check the Google Drive version installed on your Mac in this new window. Also, inside the bracket, you can see the processor on which your Mac is running. 

Now, you can go to the Drive Release Notes website to see the latest Google Drive for Desktop version released by Google. You can see the changes and improvements made in the latest and previous versions of Google Drive. 

Presently, Google Drive supports macOS 10.14 or later versions. But in January 2023, Google Drive will end support for macOS versions below 10.15.7. So to continue getting support for your Google Drive app, you should keep your macOS updated to version 10.15.7 or higher. 

Everything is fine if you have the latest version (version 68 as of now) installed, but if you find your current version older than the latest released version, you can download and install it from Drive for Desktop website.

Manually Update Google Drive on Mac

If your Google Drive is not updating automatically, you can manually download and install the latest Google Drive version from the website. To download, go to the Drive for Desktop website and click on the Drive for Desktop download button. A .dmg file of the latest Google Drive version will start downloading on your Mac. After the download is complete, you can locate the GoogleDrive.dmg file in Finder and use it to install Drive.

Method 1. Update Google Drive without Uninstalling

Note: To install the latest Google Drive version, you don’t need to uninstall the previous version. So don’t try to uninstall your current version because it will stop syncing your Google Drive and remove files you’ve made available offline. 

You can install the latest version in the same way as a fresh install.

Step 1: Download Google Drive Software from the web.

Step 2: Double-click on the GoogleDrive.dmg file in the Finder.

Step 3: And then again, double-click on the GoogleDrive.pkg icon in the Install Google Drive window.

Step 4: An installer window will appear; follow the steps to install the Drive on your Mac.

Complicate the on-screen setup, and that’s it. 

After installing, the new version will override the previous version without affecting any of your files and settings on your Google Drive. If you find any problems installing the Drive for Desktop app, you can restart your Mac and try again. 

Method 2. Update Google Drive with Uninstalling

If you can’t install Google Drive by overriding (without uninstalling), you may try to uninstall your current Drive and install the latest version. But uninstalling the current version will stop syncing your files and delete the files you’ve made available offline.

To uninstall your current Google Drive version, first, you need to disconnect your Google account from the Drive app. For that, click on the Drive icon in the Menu Bar, then on the Gear icon, and then click on preferences. So a window will open, click on the Gear icon in this window, and a Settings page will open. Here, click on the Disconnect account option beside all of the accounts one by one. 

Step 1: Thus, Google Drive is signed out of all accounts. Now, click on the Drive icon in the Menu Bar again, click on the Gear icon, and click on Quit. The Google Drive app is shut down.

Step 2: Quit Google Drive? “Ok“

Step 3: To Uninstall Google Drive on Mac,

Now, go to the Finder window, and search for the Drive app in Applications. Then, click and drag the Drive app icon from the Finder to the Trash in the Dock or right-click on it and select the Move to bin option. (Error: The item “Google Drive” can’t be moved to the Trash because it’s open.)

You may need to enter your login password. Then, the Drive app will be in Trash, you can empty your bin to clean it. In this way, you can uninstall the Drive app on your Mac.

Now, you can make a fresh install of the latest Drive version the same way.

Known issue on Google Drive Search function

Google Drive version, later than version 47, doesn’t let you search for files using Spotlight search on Apple Silicon devices with Mac Monterey and later versions. But you can use the integrated Google Drive search to find files on version 55 and later. This search option is located in the Drive icon menu, as shown in the image below.

When you click on that icon, a new window with search functionality for Drive files opens, as shown in the image below.

Read more: Search Folder in Google Drive on Mac.

FAQs

1. Why is Google Drive not updating on Mac?

Google Drive comes with an auto-update feature to stay updated. However, due to some reasons, if this auto-update is disabled, it doesn’t update automatically, and you may need to update it manually.

2. Does Mac Have a Google Drive app? 

Mac does not come with a Google Drive app preinstalled. But, its Desktop app is available for Mac and Windows devices that you can download from the Drive for Desktop website.