Organize your files and folders in Google Drive - Use Insync

I have been using Google Drive ever since it came out as Google Docs many years ago. While I love just about everything about Google Drive, when thing that I have found lacking is the ability to easily organize the files and also having a local backup of the documents.

Insync remedies both of these problems. Insync is a service that downloads all of your files in Google drive to your local hard drive and keeps them in sync (get it?) with the online service. The main difference with Insync and the Google Drive program provided by Google is that Insync actually creates a usable file (.doc, .odt, .xls, etc) for documents and spreadsheets, whereas the Google Drive application merely provides a link that will open it up in a browser. Aside from that, if you are a Linux user like me, Insync has a native app, whereas Google Drive does not. Insync is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.

Why use Insync?

Not everyone needs or wants a local copy of their files, so why use Insync at all? For me there are two main reasons. The first reason would be that everyone experiences a time when the Internet is just not available; whether it is a power outage, or you are on a trip. Google provides a way you can access your files offline with Google Chrome, but I have found it to be unreliable at best. The second reason I think you should use Insync is simply to organize your files.

Insync shows up in your taskbar and File navigator to give you many simple options for Google Drive.

I like to be very organized with all the files I have and keep files in folders and subfolders. By giving you a local copy of your files, Insync makes this faster and easier to do.

Insync integrates well with whatever file browser your operating system uses. In the picture above you can see my Insync (Google Drive) folder in Dolphin. I can move, organize, and rename files in a breeze.

Notifications keep you up to date on what is going on with your Google Drive folder.

Unfortunately for cheap people like me, Insync is not free and charges a low and simple one time fee of 10 USD. They do however provide a free 15 day trial, or you can use this promotion for a 30 day trial. It is definitely worth checking out!