So my primary go-to tool every day for ministry is Google services: especially what we now call Google Drive (formerly Google Docs), which includes Docs, Sheets, Presentations, Forms, Drawings, and an “upload anything” storage feature which will take everything from photos to PDFs.
But while Google tools are cloud-based and killer at collaboration, there’s one thing that Google doesn’t do so well: HELP.
Support for a lot of Google services often seems limited. Having trouble figuring out that spreadsheet formula? Unsure what’s going on with your e-mail settings? Usually the choices are to browse a set of overly brief help pages, or head into the wild west of the Google product user forums, which are hit and miss (at best) and are punctuated by posts of people crying out for any official Google rep to stop by and even acknowledge the question. You’re not going to find a easy access “Contact Us” or support ticket submitter or phone number.
Yet we don’t complain because the product is so good, works well, and let’s be honest, it’s usually free.
Live Chat Support for Google Drive
That is until I discovered today that Google Drive offers free live chat support. In two clicks I was live chatting with a Google support rep who was fast and knowledgeable. Wait time? About 10 seconds.
Here’s what I found out:
Any Google Drive user can access live chat support. Though this article talks about phone support as only available for paid storage accounts, the chat support feature is for anyone who’s signed up for the free 15GB. I confirmed this with a rep—on chat (too bad the phone help page doesn’t even mention it).
You’re speaking to the Google Drive team. Which means they can’t help with Search or Gmail, but Drive includes a lot they can help with!
It’s easy to overlook. At least I sure did for a time! The Contact Us link is really just in the upper right-hand corner of the main Google Drive help screen, but you’ll notice the main help section more prominently features standard help pages (recently nicely re-designed) and the community forums. Screenshots and details below.
If you are using Google Apps for Non-Profits, they can’t help you (well, sorta). If your church uses a custom domain for their Google services, than this team isn’t for you: even though the end products are the same or similar, Google Apps has it’s own support team, and choosing Chat (as detailed below) will give you a message to contact your workplace.
But: if you have a generic gmail account (of course you do), I think this may be a faster way to get answers on how to use a product. The Google Apps service team provides e-mail and phone support for registered customers (even free non-profit customers), but last time I checked, no chat! Since I prefer chat, and the services are so similar, I just logged into gmail and got my answer that way. Note: there may be some differences between your church’s private Google Apps and publicly available versions of Google Docs or Sheets: this is due to your user features release cycle: ask your Google Apps administrator if you’re not seeing features you want in your private Google Apps and tell them you want “Rapid Release.”
Step-by-Step to Live Chat Help
- Head to your Google Drive if you aren’t already: drive.google.com.
- Choose Help under the Settings Gear
- At the Google Drive Help pages, choose Contact Us in the upper right
- Choose one of the two middle Google Drive options
- Choose Chat and have fun talking with real Google people.
Eric Dye says
I had no idea they offered this — awesome! 😀
Koos says
Please help Google Drive Crashed my sosial pages and Email . I can’t access my mail or google drive , Can someone please tell me how to get rid of it . Can I mail from Other computer ( not logged in google ) drive to sort this out and get rid of google drive forever . What happened is my Ethernet port died and now that I used a other card it tells me that it ( Google drive ) can’t connect to the internet .
Starry says
Do you know your password? If you do you can log in from another computer.
Joyce Isaacson says
I was trying to use Google Drive to save my work from my hard drive. I went through all the steps to download the program and it said it was complete and somehow as I tried to save things I left the file opened and it did say it was saving it but when I went back to open my files it said it was corrupt. I went back to Google drive and it said I never did install the program and I know I did. I’m at wits end. I want my files back. I tried what they said to do on the drive but they keep telling me I didn’t install the program..which I did. I need help in finding my stuff on Google drive. I tried your phone number but that didn’t work. What can I do? I want my files back.. Eleven of my books are gone. Are they floating some where on Google?
DON SCHUH says
I am trying to remove Google Drive from my Win 7 computer. Every time I receive an email with an attached file, Google Drive opens and says no preview available. I then have to download the files , find them and open them.
These files open flawlessly within the Email on my laptop (which doesn’t have Google Drive.)
The problem is, even though Google drive opens, I cannot find any files or programs titled Google Drive, not in the Task bar or in uninstall programs from the Control Panel. Since I can’t find the program or files I can’t delete them.
Any help will be appreciated.
J.D. says
I believe that Google Drive’s spreadsheets incorrectly describe the z-test function as two-tailed when it is actually one-tailed.
mohaizali says
i have one other account this account was hacked today i need to recover my e mail as fast i can my phone number has to change by hacker after hacking he all thing about my information matched he removed pleas help me i am in very big trouble.
JL says
Took my laptop to computer tech who cleaned it of viruses, etc. She upgraded my Picasa 3 to Picasa 3.9.138 — now I cannot get to my web albums. A “500 internal Server Error Unable to Process” message comes up. I do not know what to do and cannot find any chat help or email help for Picasa. Have spent hours trying to read blogs, etc.
Jessica says
How do you talk to a live person. I got logged out of my account and I can’t remember my log in info for the life of me. It has important info on it. Thank you
jane says
I guess prayers aren’t heard in Google heaven. I have an account that —for no apparent reason–no longer recognized my password. That was years ago. each time I had to change it and remember ever more foreign passwords the frequency would go up. All I want for Christmas, Google, is my old , original password because I am old and my memory space is getting shorter all the time.
Happy happy
Jane,
dato says
I want to restore my old google account. Can you help me
sanjay says
I have lost my data how to recover my photos
nathaniel mendoza says
i want to refund
Rahul borole says
Hello,
I need to store unlimited data through my website in the google cloud instaed of purchasing a server like hosgator or godaddy or anything,
In short, my site’s users or members upload data on my site and i will store it on google drive or cloud storage of google, data may be anything like(videos,.exe file,image,database file or any other data)
Please help me in that how is it possbile? and what cost i need to pay for space?
Thanks Regards,
Rahul Borole
Ray says
I need help with my profile name on my google + account.
Vasudev N Bhanaji says
I had registered 3 mobiles on google site now when i checked today 3rd mobile is missing please let me know
omar says
i deleted my gmail two months ago and saved all my documents on my computer. but when i try to open them it wouldn’t let me open it because the documents are saved under. gdoc extension. now i cant access all my files over 200 school files please help. I cant access my old email because it’s deleted and passed the 30 days reactivation period
Odile says
Dear,
I want to upload several pictures ( jpg ) in my free Google Drive box.
If I take 1 to 10 pictures than I see the Google drive icon but when I take more pictures than disappear the Drive icon. Is the upload limited at Mb?
Greetings,
Odile
dinesh says
Thanks for sharing helpful article
VIKAS says
I HAVE DOWNLOADED GOOGLE DRIVE & SYNCRONISED THE FOLDER.
NOW I WANT TO EDIT A DOC WHICH IS IN MY GOOGLE DRIVE FOLDER.
HOW CAN I OPEN MY FILE IN WORD OR EXCEL
stan says
google drive on pc windows 10 just opens a file directory with no menus for google drive program
lerato says
hello google, pls why you guys making so had to use your email? i fogot my password and trying to change it and your page keeking me to page hat has nothing to do with the problem im having with my account . you guys keep adding things that not important to your updates. pls how can i change my password with trying to make one life a hill?.
thank you
steven says
hi..i bought a Samsung galaxy s7 form somone outside the store an now I cant get up with em cansomene plz hep me