Sign in with the same Google account that holds your files.
Choose Download from the context menu.
Download and install Google Drive for Desktop from the official Google website (google.com/drive/download). how to download multiple files from google drive
Hold down the Ctrl key (or Cmd on Mac) and click each file you wish to download. You can also select a range by clicking the first file, holding Shift , and clicking the last file.
The files will sync locally. For large amounts of data, this may take time, but it will not time out like a browser download. ✅ Best for: Large folders, nested subfolders, video projects, photo libraries. Method 3: Create a Folder Shortcut (A Clever Workaround) Google Drive has a known limitation: downloading multiple files from different locations is impossible. However, you can gather them first. Sign in with the same Google account that holds your files
Repeat for every file or folder you want. (This does not duplicate files—it only creates pointers.)
Once all shortcuts are inside the new folder, right-click that folder and select Download . Google Drive will ZIP the entire folder’s contents (the original files, not just shortcuts) and download them. Why this works: It tricks Google Drive into treating scattered files as a single, downloadable folder. Method 4: Using gdown (For Advanced Users / Command Line) If you work with large datasets, need automation, or frequently face download failures, the open-source Python tool gdown is excellent. It bypasses browser limitations and handles large files with resume capability. Hold down the Ctrl key (or Cmd on
Once installed, open your computer’s file explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). You will see a new drive labeled Google Drive in the sidebar.