Manage files in Google Drive with a screen reader

Create a new file or folder

To create new items in Drive, use the shortcuts below. The new, untitled file opens in a new tab.

  • Shift + t: New text document.
  • Shift + p: New presentation.
  • Shift + s: New spreadsheet.
  • Shift + d: New drawing.
  • Shift + o: New form.

To create a new folder, press Shift + f. The New folder dialog opens, and your cursor is in the text box. Type a new name for your folder, then press Enter. Your focus returns to the Drive list view, with the new folder selected.

As an alternative to the keyboard shortcuts above, press c to open the New menu. Use the down arrow to navigate through the menu, then press Enter to select one of the options.

Share a file or folder

You can share files or folders so that other people can view, comment, or edit the item.

To open the sharing settings for a selected folder or file, press . (dot).

For more details, visit How to share.

To choose how visible to make your file or folder, visit Stop, limit, or change sharing. The options vary based on whether your item was created within a domain, and the sharing policies that your domain administrator has set.

Move a file or folder

To move files into folders, or to move folders into other folders, follow these steps:

  1. To focus on the list of items, press g then l.
  2. To select a file or folder, use the arrow keys. To select multiple items, hold Shift and use the arrow keys.
  3. To open the Move dialog, press z.
  4. To choose a folder, press the arrow keys.
  5. Navigate to the Move button, then press Enter.
  6. You might need to press Escape to exit the dialog.

To move a file or folder to trash, follow these steps:

  1. In a files and folders list, select one or more items to remove.
  2. Press # to remove.
If you remove an item that you own, it's moved to the trash. If you remove an item that you don't own, it's removed from your Drive but not from anyone else's Drive. Learn more about how to delete and restore files.

Upload and download files

To upload files or folders in Drive, follow these steps:

  1. Press c to open the New menu.
  2. Select File upload or Folder upload.
  3. Select the file or folder that you'd like to upload, then press Enter.
To download a file or folder from Google Drive, follow these steps:
  1. Select the file that you want to download.
  2. Press a to open the Actions menu.
  3. Select Download.

Make a copy of a file 

To make a copy of a file, follow these steps:

  1. In a file and folder list, select the file that you want to copy.
  2. Press a to open the Actions menu.
  3. Select Make a copy.
  4. A copy of the item is created in My Drive, called "Copy of" the original title.
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