How Can I Stop Google Drive From Syncing Continuously

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Table of Contents

• How to Stop Google Drive From Syncing
  • 1. Stop Syncing via Google Drive on Browser
  •  2. Turn Off Syncing via Google Drive Backup & Sync Preferences
  • 3. How to Stop Google Drive From Syncing Folders
• Final Thoughts: How to Stop Google Drive Sync
• Comments

Google Drive is one of the best cloud storage services available, and file syncing is just one of the many free features it comes with. However, not everyone will want to sync their data all the time. In this article, we'll explain how to stop Google Drive from syncing to your PC computer, both through your browser and the "backup and sync" application.

Key Takeaways:

• To save space on your computer or prevent constant uploads, you should turn off syncing in Google Drive.
• You can disable offline access to your files through your browser.
• The "backup and sync" app lets you pause syncing quickly.
• You can also disable syncing long term for some or all folders within the "preferences" window.

Being able to sync files easily between any device — even with a Mac or smartphone — is one of the many benefits of using Google Drive. Although this can be incredibly helpful for creating a backup, it does limit your ability to save space, and you can still share files without syncing to your account.

If you want to stop using Google Drive completely, you can just click the "disconnect account" button and sign back in when you next need to use it. However, this also makes it harder to share or upload files. Instead, we recommend that you change your settings, limiting it to set folders or turning some features off.

• Google Drive is a cloud storage provider, mainly known for its generous 15GB free plan and the full integration with Google Workspace. As a cloud storage service, its main purpose is to store your data on remote servers so that you can download, edit and share your data from any device.

• Google Drive will keep local copies of certain files so that you can work on them while offline. However, you'll have to download the "backup and sync" desktop app to keep your drive and your computer in sync automatically.

• When you set a file to sync with Google Drive, any changes you make while you're online will be applied to both copies. However, if you're offline, it will save your changes until your device can access the internet and move the edits to the cloud.

• The "backup and sync" app lets you pause syncing quickly. However, you can also disable syncing for folders within the "preferences" window. See our detailed steps below for instructions.

How to Stop Google Drive From Syncing

There are three main ways to stop syncing Google Drive to your PC computer. The first prevents offline edits from within your browser, while the other two limit Google's "backup and sync" app.

1. Stop Syncing via Google Drive on Browser

The first and simplest way to stop your files from syncing is to turn it off in your browser. This will prevent you from editing any Google Docs, Sheets or Slides while you're offline. However, you will still be able to download these files or access them through Google's "backup and sync" app.

 2. Turn Off Syncing via Google Drive Backup & Sync Preferences

If you want Google Drive to stop syncing to your computer, you should either pause it or turn it off in the "backup and sync" app preferences.

1. Open the "Backup and Sync" Panel

   In the Windows system tray, there will be an icon for "backup and sync." This will open a panel where you can access some helpful tools and options.

   

   Click on the "backup and sync" cloud icon in the system tray.

2. Open Up the "Preferences" Window

   Click on the three dots in the top-right corner of this panel to open a dropdown menu. You can "pause" and "resume" syncing here — a temporary solution that many other services provide, including OneDrive — but for more control, you should choose "preferences."

   

   Select either "pause" for a quick solution or "preferences" for more control.

3. Disable "Sync My Drive to This Computer"

   In the "preferences" window, click on the "Google Drive" tab, find a box labeled "sync my drive to this computer" and uncheck it. This will pause syncing until you turn it back on.

   

   Uncheck the first box in the "Google Drive" tab to disable syncing.

4. Confirm You Want to Stop Syncing

   When you click "OK" to confirm the changes, a warning box will appear to tell you that your files won't sync anymore. Click "continue" to finish this process.

   

   Click "continue" to confirm that you don't want the files to sync.

3. How to Stop Google Drive From Syncing Folders

You can also choose to remove any individual folder if you want Google's "backup and sync" to keep some of your files online but not anything else. Keep in mind that any file or new folder you put into your general "Google Drive" folder will begin to sync automatically.

1. Select "Sync Only These Folders" in the "Preferences" Window

   Use the previous method to find the "preferences" window and go into the "Google Drive" tab. Here you can choose to "sync only these folders."

   

   Check the "sync only these folders" box in the "Google Drive" tab.

2. Choose the Folders You Want to Sync

   Go through your folders and uncheck anything you don't want to backup. You should check this regularly if you don't want a new folder to sync.

   

   Choose what you want to sync between your computer and the cloud.

3. Confirm You Want to Stop These Folders From Syncing

   Clicking "OK" to confirm these changes will cause a warning box to appear and tell you that some of your files won't sync anymore. Click "continue" to accept this and finish the process.

   

   Confirm your changes by clicking "OK" and then "continue."

Final Thoughts: How to Stop Google Drive Sync

Online storage is useful, and keeping a backup of your files in the cloud can help prevent data loss or accidental deletion, but that doesn't mean you'll always want files to upload constantly. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to stop syncing Google Drive, regardless of whether you prefer to work through a browser or use the "backup and sync" desktop app.

However, if you're having problems with how files sync with Google Drive, you should try out a different provider. Dropbox is one of the best if you can make use of its "smart sync" and ability to share. However, cloud storage providers like pCloud and Sync.com are great choices for the extra security and better pricing plans.

Have you stopped Google Drive from syncing? Did you find this article helpful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks for reading.

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