Google Drive Updated to Play Friendly With Apple's Files App - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Google Drive Updated to Play Friendly With Apple's Files App

by

Google Drive no longer hijacks file opening duties in Apple's Files and iCloud Drive apps on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

google drive apple files
The app was updated today with a fix for the issue. Microsoft Word documents and other file types can now be viewed directly in in Apple's Files and iCloud Drive apps on iOS 11 and iOS 10 respectively.

Since a previous update to Google Drive earlier this month, the app became the default opener for many file types due to an open-in-place issue.

google drive docx files
When users with the Google Drive app installed attempted to open a DOCX file in Files or iCloud Drive, for example, the Google Drive app would automatically open and prompt the user to save the file in that app.

Google Drive version 4.2017.37510 is available on the App Store [Direct Link].

Top Rated Comments

gobikerider Avatar
116 months ago
The new version still hijacks files
Lmao damn google drive nvr plays nice
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Howl's Castle Avatar
116 months ago
works for me...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
Still getting this on my end. I’m not sure what the issue is now.
Same here. I ran the Google Drive update, even rebooted, and text files (.txt) are still attempting to upload into Google Drive rather than previewing directly in Files. PDFs, on the other hand, work as they should (and did prior to the update). I tried deleting Google Drive, and text files in Files previewed as they should, but after I reinstalled it, Google Drive went right back to its hijacking ways.

I don't particularly like using Google Drive, but there are certain things I need it for, so I can't just delete it indefinitely. On the other hand, although I really like the Files app, it has not yet become a major part of my workflow, so I will just avoid it until the problem gets resolved.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GadgetBen Avatar
116 months ago
I love how that's not mentioned in release notes and just something we had to discover
Yeah it's no big deal I guess....!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GadgetBen Avatar
116 months ago
DRAG AND DROP SUPPORT ADDED IN THIS UPDATE FOR IPAD!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bwintx Avatar
116 months ago
I am curious, how does google drive integrate into Files if you use more then one google account in Drive? Does files give you a quick button somewhere to switch between the different accounts?
When you tap on Google Drive in Files, it gives you the choice among your accounts. Same with OneDrive, for that matter. I can't say for Dropbox or iCloud since I have only one account in each of those.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday August 20, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the iPhone event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Gurman: iPhone Ultra Wows Early Testers, Except for Its Camera

Sunday August 23, 2026 11:19 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra is winning over the few people who have had hands-on time with the device, though the camera setup may leave some users wanting, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says people who have used the device – which is reportedly referred to internally as the iPhone Ultra – like how it fits in your...
macOS 27 next to MacBook Pro Running macOS 27

macOS Golden Gate Marks the End of an Era

Thursday August 20, 2026 2:19 pm PDT by
macOS 27 Golden Gate is not compatible with any Macs with Intel processors, marking the end of an era. The update, which is currently in beta ahead of a release later this year, is limited to Apple silicon Macs with an M1 chip or newer. Last year, Apple said that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the final macOS release compatible with Intel-based Macs, so this was an expected development. Intel...