Sync your Galaxy phone and Samsung Chromebook
Both Galaxy phones and Chromebooks use Google software and can connect to your Google account. This makes it easy to share content between both devices, whether you want to send photos to yourself or transfer important documents. With your phone and Chromebook, you have the option to upload files manually to Google Drive or sync them automatically using your Google account. Your Chromebook can also download many of the same Android apps that are on your Galaxy phone, for even more flexibility.
Download Android apps on your Chromebook
To make your life a little easier, you can download and use some of your phone's Android apps on your Chromebook! That's right, newer Chromebook models (2017 or later) can use apps from the Play Store.
However, even if you connect your phone to your Chromebook, all of your apps won't download automatically, so you'll need to redownload them onto the Chromebook.
Note: Not all Android apps are compatible with Chromebooks.
Automatically sync files and photos
Files on your phone can be automatically synced with your Chromebook, and vice versa. All you need to do is set up your devices to sync your preferred files. Before you can start syncing, your Chromebook needs to be connected to your phone.
First, make sure your phone and Chromebook are signed in to the same Google account. On your Chromebook, navigate to Settings, and select Connected devices.
If your phone isn’t already connected, select Set up next to Android phone. Read the information, and then select Accept & continue.
Enter your Google account’s password, and then select Done. Select Done again.
While still in your Chromebook’s settings menu, select People on the left-side menu.
Under Google account, select Sync and Google services, and then select Manage what you sync. From there, you can select Sync everything to automatically sync all file types. Or, you can select Customize sync, and then select the switches next to your desired options, such as Bookmarks.
Now, using your phone, navigate to and open Settings.
Tap Accounts and backup, and then tap Back up data under Google account. Tap the switch next to Back up to Google Drive.
Note: If you want to back up your data immediately, tap Back up now.
Next, tap Google Photos, and tap the switch at top next to Back up & sync. From here, you can access other settings, such as purchasing additional storage.
Upload files to Drive
Note: Depending on the size of the file, it may take a few minutes for it to upload.
Google Drive comes preinstalled on Galaxy phones and Chromebooks. This cloud drive can store all kinds of files, comes with free storage, and allows you to create digital documents, like Google Docs. You can easily upload files from one device and then access them on another device. However, uploading is a little different depending if you use your Galaxy phone or Chromebook.
Upload files to Drive from your phone
On your phone, navigate to and open the Google Drive app; it may be located in the Google folder. Navigate to the folder or location in Drive where you’d like to upload the file. When you get there, tap the plus sign icon, and then tap Upload. Choose your desired file(s), and then tap Select. If needed, allow the necessary permissions.
Alternatively, you can use your phone to navigate to the file you want to share, such as a photo, and then tap the Share icon. Select Google Drive in the sharing panel. Adjust the file’s name, and choose a folder to upload the file to. Tap Save when you’re finished. Another option you can use is moving files to Google Drive through the My Files app.
If you’d like to upload notes from the Samsung Notes app, you can export them. Once you’ve exported a note and saved it as a different file type (PDF, Word document, etc.), you can upload it to Google Drive just like any other compatible file.
Upload files to Drive from your Chromebook
There is more than one way to upload files on a Chromebook as well. You can go through the Google Drive app or the My Files app.
On your Chromebook, navigate to and open Google Drive. Find the folder or location in your Drive where you’d like to upload the file. When you are there, select New in the upper left-hand corner, and then select File upload. Choose the file(s) you want to upload, and then tap Open.
Alternatively, you can navigate to and open the Files app. Go to your desired category, such as Images or Audio. Select your desired file(s), and then drag and drop them to the Google Drive option in the left-side menu. Once they are in Drive, you can rearrange the files and move them to different folders if needed.
Download files from Drive
Note: Some files may not be compatible with your Galaxy phone and may not download.
After files have been added to Drive, you can download them on any device that is compatible with Google Drive. For example, maybe you uploaded a document from your phone and want to continue working on it from your Chromebook. You’ll be able to download it from Drive within minutes.
Download files from Drive on your phone
On your phone, navigate to and open the Google Drive app; it may be located in the Google folder. Navigate to the folder or location that has the file you want to download. When you find the file, tap More options (the three vertical dots) next to it, and then tap Download. Depending on the size of the file, it may take a few minutes to download. Alternatively, you can move files from Google Drive and onto your phone using the My Files app.
Do you have a PDF document you’d like to work more on and wish it was accessible through Samsung Notes? You’ll be happy to know that you can import PDF files from Google Drive using the Samsung Notes app. Once it’s imported, you can write on it like any other note in Samsung Notes.
Download files from Drive on your Chromebook
On your Chromebook, navigate to and open Google Drive. Find the folder or location in your Drive with the file you want to download. Select your desired file, and then select the Download icon. Depending on the size of the file, it may take a few minutes to download.
You can also download an entire folder from Drive on a Chromebook. In Drive, select your desired folder, and then select the folder’s name at the top of the page. Tap Download; the folder will download as a zip file. Folders tend to take longer to download since they have many files.
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