Venn has an integration available with Google Drive that allows you to access your Google Drive files through your Mac's built-in file system. Files saved in Google Drive are secure and backed up in the cloud.

Like any other web application, you can use Google Drive in your Chrome or Edge browser in Blue Border to collaborate on Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets and access files saved to Google Drive.

Additionally, if your company uses Venn's Google Drive integration, you can save offline files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, etc.) to Google Drive and access your offline files saved to Google Drive through your Mac's built-in file system in Blue Border. Files saved to Google Drive are secure and backed up in the cloud. 

Learn how to use Google Drive in Blue Border on your PC or learn more about saving and accessing work files in Blue Border.

Set Up Venn's Google Drive Integration in Blue Border

To use Venn's Google Drive integration, an administrator must assign the file system application to you in Venn. Once assigned, Google Drive will appear in your Apps list in Venn's Workplace app.

To set up Google Drive access:

1. From the Venn Launcher, go to the Apps page.
2. Locate and click Google Drive.
3. If the icon for Google Drive appears as a gray downward-facing arrow, it indicates that Google Drive is not installed on your device. You must install the Google Drive application on your computer.
   • If your Company Manager has configured automatic and/or manual downloads for the app, you will see an Install button. Click Install. Your options will vary based on the install options your company has made available.
     • Click Install for me if prompted if you would like the app to be automatically installed by Venn using the installer configured for your company.
     • Click Get installer if prompted to be brought to the page where your company would like you to download the app.
   • If your Company Manager hasn’t configured automatic and/or manual downloads for the app, you will not see the Install button. Instead, you will see a message telling you that you need to install the app. To install the app:
     1. Open an internet browser outside of Venn.
     2. Visit the app's website and go to the download page.
     3. Locate the Mac install file.
     4. Download and install the app.
   • After installation, it may take a few minutes for Venn to detect that the app was installed. If Venn does not detect the installation after several minutes, log out and back in to Venn.

4. Click Launch below Google Drive to open it from the Apps page.

   

5. When the application opens, follow the instructions to sign in with your work credentials.
   • When prompted to Choose folders to sync to Google Drive, choose Skip.

Switch from Venn Disk or Workplace Drive to Using Venn's Google Drive Integration

If your default save and download location in Blue Border has been Venn Disk or Workplace Drive, you can switch to using Venn's new Google Drive integration, so that all files you save and download in Blue Border are backed up to your company's cloud storage location.

1. Follow the steps above to set up Google Drive in Blue Border. If you don't see Google Drive on your apps list, you may not have received the Workplace container update that includes the new integration yet. Learn more here.

2. Move any files you have saved in Venn Disk or Workplace Drive into Google Drive. The easiest way to do so is to drag and drop the files from a Finder window open in Blue Border to Google Drive open in the browser or another Blue Border Finder window.

   

3. Going forward, choose Google Drive as your save location for all files in Blue Border.

   

Access Google Drive in Blue Border

Once you have launched and signed into Google Drive from Venn's Workplace app for the first time, you will be able to access Google Drive files and folders through the Mac Finder.

To access Google Drive on Mac:

1. Log in to Venn’s Workplace app.

2. Click the app called Files or Finder on the Home or Apps page.

   

3. Finder will open inside Blue Border.

4. Click Google Drive under Locations to open Google Drive.

   

Open, Edit, Save, and Delete Files in Google Drive

To open a file, navigate to the file location in Google Drive in File Explorer and double-click the file to open it. Venn will create a local copy of the file from the cloud and open it with the appropriate application on your computer.

As you edit the file and save your changes, the updates will auto-sync with the cloud.

If you create a new file that you would like to save to Google Drive, navigate to the appropriate Google Drive location in the Save As dialog box to save the file to the appropriate location. You can only save a file to Google Drive if you have it open in Blue Border. 

If you would like to delete a file from Google Drive, you can follow the standard process to do so in Mac Finder.

Move Files from a Personal Location into Google Drive

If you need to move a file from a personal location such as your Desktop or Documents folder into Google Drive, you can follow the standard process to do so in Mac Finder.

Create and Delete Folders in Google Drive

To create or delete folders in Google Drive, you can follow the standard process to create a new folder or delete a folder in Mac Finder.

Share Google Drive Files and Folders

When you use Google Drive, you have the ability to share files and folders with coworkers, collaborators, clients, and more.

In order to share files and folders and manage sharing in Google Drive, you will need to open the Google Drive web app. Follow these instructions to share a file or folder from the Google Drive web application.