Google Drive is Taking too Long to Upload – What Should you Do

If you’re a regular user of cloud services, you’re likely familiar with Google Drive. This online storage platform provides 15 GB of free space, allowing users to upload and access files from anywhere with an internet connection. While Google Drive is highly regarded for its performance, security, and cost-effectiveness, many users have experienced slow upload speeds. The upload speed tends to be fine for smaller files, but it can become significantly slower when dealing with larger files. If you’re facing this issue, don’t worry; we have compiled some effective solutions to help you resolve the problem.

Why is Google Drive Upload so Slow

While Google Drive is generally considered secure, many users face issues with slow upload speeds. Here are some potential reasons:

1. Large File Size: If the file you’re uploading is too large, it can significantly slow down the upload process.
2. Unstable Network Connection: The speed of your upload is heavily influenced by the quality of your internet connection, whether you’re using Wi-Fi or cellular data. A weak or unstable connection can slow down uploads.
3. Incompatible File Names: Files with special characters in their names may not be recognized by Google Drive, preventing them from being uploaded.
4. Insufficient Storage Space: If your Google Drive is nearing its storage limit, it may stop uploading files, giving the impression that the upload is stuck.

How To Fix Google Drive’s Slow Uploading Speed

To increase Google Drive uploading speed, we will begin basic steps like checking the internet and restarting devices. Then, we will move on to Google Drive-related troubleshooting methods. And finally, we will change the browser settings and carry out Windows-related troubleshooting, if necessary.

Method 1 – Check The Network Connection

The first step is to check your internet connection on other devices like another PC or smartphone. If it is working fine, then move to the next step. Otherwise, you can wait for your network outage to clear off.

Method 2 – Reboot Your Router/Modem/PC

If this error is only on your PC, then we recommend restarting your PC. You have to shut down the PC and wait for a minute before you turn your PC on. While you are at it, experts recommend rebooting the router/modem once a week. So, if you haven’t restarted it in a long time, power off your router/modem and wait for 60 seconds before you power it on.

Method 3 – Check Google Drive Status

You can check the Google status dashboard to determine if Google Drive is functioning properly. You can click on the link next to Google Drive to see Google’s solutions if you see that the light next to it turns red.

Method 4 – Check Google Drive Storage

Before uploading files to Google Drive, make sure you have enough available storage space. If your storage is full, the files won’t upload.

You can check the storage directly within the desktop app for Drive for Desktop users.

For Google Drive web app users, visit the storage page to view your available space.

Method 5 – Check For Google Drive Updates

Experts suggest that you should always keep your apps updated. Follow these steps –

1. Press the Windows key and type Store.
2. Click on the Microsoft Store app in the search results.
3. Next, click on the Library icon in the left bottom corner.
4. Locate Google Drive in the list of apps and click the Update button next to it.

Method 6 – Modify Google Drive App Settings

If you’re still facing the uploading issue after troubleshooting, you can check the settings in the Google Drive app to ensure no speed limits are set for uploads or downloads. If you’re using Drive for Desktop to upload files, follow these steps to check the bandwidth settings:

1. Click on the Google Drive icon (the cloud) on your computer.
2. Select the gear icon to open Settings, then go to Preferences.
3. Click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
4. Ensure the boxes next to “Download rate” and “Upload rate” are unchecked.

Method 7 – Run Google Drive as Administrator

You can attempt to run Google Drive as an administrator to resolve the “google drive slow uploading” issue. Here’s how:

1. Search for Google Drive on your computer.
2. Right-click on Google Drive and select Run as administrator.

3. The Google Drive folder will open. You can now upload your files by dragging and dropping them into the folder. Check to see if the upload speed issue persists.

Method 8 – Restart Your Google Drive

If you’re still experiencing slow upload speeds on Google Drive, try closing and restarting the Google Drive app. Here’s how to do it:

For Drive for Desktop:

1. Click the Google Drive icon on your computer.
2. Click the gear icon and select Quit.
3. Restart Drive for Desktop and try uploading files again.

For Google Drive Web App:

1. Go to your Google Drive in a web browser.
2. Click your profile avatar in the top right and select Sign out.
3. Sign back into your Google Drive and try uploading again.

Method 9 – Reduce the Files Size

If the files you’re trying to upload are too large, consider uploading them in smaller batches. Alternatively, compress the files before uploading, which helps speed up the process and makes it easier to use your Google Drive storage. Several reliable file compression tools are available, and using top-rated ones can help ensure your data remains intact and secure.

Method 10 – Delete/Rename Incompatible File Names

Google Drive does not support files with certain characters, such as , ?, [, ], !, and others. To avoid upload issues, check the file name for any special characters before uploading. If you find any, remove them and rename the file, allowing you to successfully upload it to Google Drive.

Method 11 – Delete Cache and Data on Browser

Clearing your browser cache can help to speed up Google Drive uploads. Here’s how to clear the cache in Google Chrome (the process is similar for other browsers):

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on your keyboard (Windows users).
3. Select the date range in the dropdown menu to clear the cache.
4. Check the boxes for the data you want to delete. It’s recommended to clear Browsing history and Cached images and files.
5. Click Clear Data.

Editor’s Tip – Use Advanced System Optimizer To Clear Cache Advanced System Optimizer is an all-in-one optimization tool that helps users maintain their PC and ensure it runs optimally. Many modules built into the software will help optimize your PC. However, the most important one is Smart PC Care, which will help clear all the cache, temp, and junk files from your PC with a few mouse clicks. Here is what you need to do – 1. Download & Install Advanced System Optimizer Using The Download Button. 2. Open the software and click on the Smart PC Care button. 3. It will scan your PC for issues and detect all the unwanted temp files on your PC. 4. Click on the Optimize button after the scan has been completed. 5. Sit back and relax while the Advanced System Optimizer maintains your PC.

Method 12 – Activate Hardware Acceleration on Chrome

The hardware acceleration feature can help resolve the issue, especially for users who frequently access Google Drive through Chrome. Here’s how to enable it:

1. Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner.
2. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. Scroll down to Advanced in the left sidebar and click on System.
4. Toggle on Use hardware acceleration when available.

Method 13 – Pause or limit other network activities

Another step you could take is to pause all other apps and services consuming your bandwidth on your PC. This will help Google Drive consume maximum bandwidth and upload files faster. Here are the steps to identify and close the apps that consume your internet.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
2. Click on the Processes tab on the left panel.
3. Next, look under Network in the right section to identify which apps consume the bandwidth.
4. Right-click on that app and choose End task.
5. This way, you can close all the bandwidth-hogging resources and divert all your internet juice to Google Drive.

Method 14 – Check LAN settings Configuration

You can also modify LAN settings via the Windows Control Panel to help resolve this issue, mainly when uploading files over a router connection.

1. Type “Control Panel” in the search box > go to Network and Internet > select Internet Options.

2. In the Internet Properties window, click on the Connections tab > click LAN settings > check the box for “Automatically detect settings” > click OK to apply the changes.

Method 15 – Disable Firewall

Antivirus software and firewalls can sometimes slow down Google Drive uploads. If you’re experiencing slow uploads, try temporarily disabling these protections. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Windows + I on your keyboard to open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security, then select Windows Security.
3. Click on Firewall & Network Protection and disable it temporarily.

Method 16 – Turn to Google Drive Help and Support

The next option is to contact the Google Drive Help Center for assistance. Simply scroll down and click on Contact Us to request support from Google, which may provide a more effective solution.

Method 17 -Try A different Browser

If the problem continues after reinstalling the browser, consider switching to a different one. Since Chrome, Edge, and Opera all use the same Chromium engine, trying Firefox, which is built on a different platform, could be a more effective solution.

With the help of these methods, you can fix the slow upload issues you face when using Google Drive. If you have any other methods, please share them with me in the comments section. 

FAQs

How do you upload files to Google Drive faster?

The above methods will help you fix the slow Google Drive upload and enable you to upload files usually. However, specific third-party software claims to upload files to Google Drive faster than normal.

What Is The Google Drive upload limit per day?

Users can upload and transfer up to 750 GB of data to Google Drive within 24 hours. Additionally, files up to 5 TB can be uploaded and synced. The upload limit resets every 24 hours.

What Is The Google Drive upload speed limit?

The maximum upload speed is approximately 45 MB per second, with a limit of 3 files that can be uploaded per second.