Uploading file very slow on Google Drive

Despite Google Drive being a popular online cloud storage service that allows users to store files and access them from anywhere with an internet connection, user feedback indicates a notable concern with file upload speeds. Why is Google Drive so slow to upload? How can I speed up Google Drive uploads? Follow the content below to work these questions out.

Why is Google Drive upload so slow?

If you wonder what causes Google Drive upload slow, you can read the following major reasons:

• Network stability: Unstable networks can significantly reduce upload speeds. The speed is affected by the quality of your cellular data or Wi-Fi connection.
• File size: Large files can slow down the upload process. For example, when you upload video to Google Drive, you may find that it takes forever. By the way, you need to notice that you can upload files to Google Drive up to 5 TB in size.
• File name compatibility: Google Drive may not recognize file names with special symbols, like "#", "%", and "&", leading to Google Drive upload stuck or slow issue.
• Storage space: If Google Drive is running low on storage, file upload speed may be affected.

How to check Google Drive upload speed?

Google Drive itself doesn't provide a direct feature to check upload speed within its interface. But, there are still two ways to check Google Drive upload speed:

• You can compare your current upload speed with the previous one to identify potential reasons we listed before with Google Drive upload speed.
• You can use third-party tools to measure your upload speed, like the Google Fiber Speed Test tool.

Fix Google Drive upload slow issue in 10 ways easily

After identifying the reasons behind the Google Drive upload speed slow, you can try the following methods to make Google Drive upload faster.

Way 1. Check network connection

If you are encountering errors like "Google Drive upload too slow", or "Google Drive stopped working", first you need to check if you have a ensure a stable internet connection. If the network connection is not stable, file uploads to Google Drive may be affected.

You can follow the steps to troubleshoot your network problem: Go to Settings > select Network & Internet > hit Network troubleshooter under Advanced network settings.

Way 2. Clear browser cache

To optimize Google Drive upload speed when utilizing the Google Drive website, it's advisable to clear browsing cached data:

1. Open Google Chrome and click on the three dots in the top-right corner > More tools > Clear browsing data.

2. Choose All time for Time range, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files options, and then press Clear data to initiate the cache clearing process.

Way 3. Use Chrome hardware acceleration

It is advisable to enable hardware acceleration on your browser, which can make your Chrome run smoothly. This feature is for users to fix issues like Google Drive upload slow, or Dropbox slow download. So if you are such a user, you can follow these steps in Google Chrome: Open Google Chrome and click on the three dots in the top-right corner > Settings > System > turn on Use hardware acceleration when available.

Way 4. Check LAN settings configuration

You can also adjust LAN settings through the Windows system control panel to address the "Google Drive upload very slow" issue, especially when uploading files while using internet through a router.

1. Search Control Panel in the Search box > Network and Internet > Internet Options.

2. In the Internet Properties window click Connections > hit LAN settings > tick Automatically detect settings > click OK to apply the changes.

Way 5. Check Google Drive storage

You need to confirm the available storage capacity before uploading files to Google Drive. If it is not enough to accommodate your uploaded files, or if your Google Drive storage is full,  they cannot be uploaded successfully.

• If you use the Google Drive desktop app, you can effortlessly navigate to the app to check your current storage usage.

• If you use the Google Drive web, you can visit the storage page to review your available storage capacity.

Way 6. Run Google Drive as admin

You can try to resolve the "Google Drive upload slow" issue by running Google Drive as an administrator.

Now, please follow these steps: Locate Google Drive on your computer, right-click on Google Drive, and choose Run as administrator. Then you can check if the method solves your Google Drive taking forever to upload problem by accessing the Google Drive folder/disk that appears, then dragging and dropping files into it for uploading.

Way 7. Change Google Drive app settings

If the Google Drive upload slow issue still exists, you can check the configuration in the Google Drive app to see if there is a limit on the upload speed. Please follow the steps below:

1. Locate the Google Drive icon on your desktop > click on the gear icon > Preferences > click the gear icon on the right top.

4. Scroll down to find Bandwidth settings, and don't tick the boxes ahead of Download rate and Upload rate, and then click Save.

Way 8. Change file size and name

If you encounter the "Google Drive upload speed limit" issue, you can check if your file size or name is out of the Google Drive restrictions. In such cases, you can assign a new name to the file to bypass the issue.

• File size: Users who upload a file larger than 750 GB cannot upload additional files that day. But uploads that are in progress will be completed.
• File name: Besides some special characters like "#", you also need to keep your filenames to a reasonable length and be sure they are under 31 characters.

Way 9. Disable firewall

The "uploading files to Google Drive slow" issue may be potentially caused by antivirus services and firewall, you can temporarily disable your system firewall to fix it. Please follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + I on your keyboard to access Settings on your computer.

2. Click on Update & Security and navigate to Windows Security. Then disable Firewall & network protection by hitting Private network (active), and then switching to turn off Windows Defender Firewall.

Way 10. Restart Google Drive

Restarting Google Drive is the last solution for how to address slow upload speeds on Google Drive. Now let's try the last simple solution:

• For Google Drive desktop app: Click the Google Drive icon on your computer, click the gear icon at the right top, and then select Quit. Then restart the desktop app and proceed to upload files.

• For Google Drive web: Navigate to your Google Drive on the web, click your avatar on the top right side, choose Sign out, and then sign in to your Google Drive again.

You may need to ask for help from Google Drive help center, if you still can't fix the issue after trying all the solutions in this post.

Tip: Fastest way to upload files to Google Drive without limitations

Uploading a large number of files to Google Drive can be time-consuming, and waiting for these tasks to be completed may not be possible when your time is limited. So if the above methods cannot solve the Google Drive upload slow issue, you can upload files to Google Drive quickly by using CBackup.

It is a free yet professional cloud sync service that allows you to upload large files/folders or a bunch of items to Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive without any file size/type limitations. Furthermore, you can use this tool to create auto sync folders to Google Drive with simple steps:

★In addition, this tool provides other useful services for free:

Cloud to cloud sync: This special function can help you swiftly and directly transfer files between different cloud drives, like transferring photos from OneDrive to Google Drive without downloading and uploading.

Backup to public clouds: Besides syncing files, it also allows you to effortlessly backup PC files to Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, allowing you to restore file backup in the event of your original data loss.

Combined cloud storage: It can seamlessly combine multiple cloud accounts into a huge combined storage space, getting Google Drive 100GB of free storage or more easily.   

Here is the simple operation of uploading files to Google Drive quickly via CBackup.

1. Install and launch the CBackup desktop application onto your computer. Then establish a new account and initiate the application to log in.

2. Navigate to the Storage tab > opt for Google Drive > hit Authorize Now. Follow the step-by-step guidelines to authorize CBackup's access to your Google Drive account.

3. Access the Sync tab > Sync PC to Public Cloud.

4. Select files on your computer as the sync source. Subsequently, select a folder within your Google Drive account as the sync destination.

5. You can utilize the Settings button at the left bottom to activate the Scheduler feature, facilitating regular and automated sync tasks (optional). Then hit Start Sync to avoid uploading files to Google Drive slow.

♥ Tip: You can activate the File Filter feature under the Settings tab to select or exclude special file types to upload to cloud. Also, you can activate the Email Notification feature to enjoy full control of the sync tasks, which makes CBackup send you a message when your task is completed.

Final words

If you have the same Google Drive upload slow issue, after reading this article, you can learne 10 useful solutions. Also, you can use CBackup to help you upload files to Google Drive faster and get rid of uploading videos to Google Drive takes forever.

Beyond addressing upload concerns, CBackup has a wide range of useful features. For instance, it facilitates seamless file transfers between different clouds, enhancing work efficiency and time savings.