The Google Drive App
The Google Drive app copies a video or image from Google Drive into your media library. It's a one-time import: the file is downloaded once and becomes an ordinary Video or Image playable — just as if you had uploaded it yourself, minus the step of downloading it to your computer first. The copy doesn't stay in sync with Drive: later changes to the file in Drive don't reach your screens.
This page covers the Google Drive specifics. For what all apps share — connecting accounts, public links — see Apps & Integrations.
Connect your Google account
A connected account is only needed for private files. Google Drive uses the same Google connection as Google Slides — if your department already has a Google account connected, it works for both. To connect one, use Connect Google on the Integrations page (Settings → Integrations) — see Connecting an account.
The connection can't browse your Google Drive. It can open only files that have been allowed for the app — once per file, through the Allow access via Google Drive step — and files shared publicly. Bohemica Signage only reads them to make its copy; it never changes anything in your Drive.
Allowing files is up to administrators
Only department Admins and Organization admins can allow files. Other members can import public files, or files an administrator has already allowed for the same connected account.
Import a file from Google Drive
- In the Playables section, open the folder you want the file to land in (optional).
- Click Add new playable, choose the App type, and pick Google Drive.
- Paste a link to the file — the link from Share, the address-bar link while the file is open in Drive, or just the file's ID. Administrators can instead click Choose from Google Drive (once a Google account is selected) and pick a video or image directly.
- For a private file, choose the connected Google account below the link. If your department has only one active Google account, it's already selected. A public file needs no account.
- If the dashboard says the file isn't shared with the app yet, click Allow access via Google Drive and then Select in the Google window that opens. This is needed only once per file and account — see Google accounts and file access.
- The dashboard shows the file's name, whether it's a video or an image, and its size. The Name is pre-filled with the file name — keep it or change it.
- Click Import.
The new playable's page opens with an import card showing the import's status and progress — how much of the file has been downloaded so far — plus a link to open the file in Google Drive. The import runs in the background, so you can leave the page. In the library, a badge marks the playable as importing. You can add it to a playlist once the import has finished successfully — until then, and if the import fails, it's greyed out when you pick playables for a playlist.
When the download finishes, the card disappears and the playable is a normal image or video:
- Images are ready right away.
- Videos are converted first, just like uploaded videos — see Video conversion.
The playable lands in the folder you had open when you started the import.
Public and private files
- Public files — shared in Drive as Anyone with the link — are imported without any connected account. Even if an account is selected, the import doesn't use it.
- Private files need a connected Google account that can open the file, plus the one-time allow step.
- Files in shared drives work too.
- Files shared only within your organization aren't public to Bohemica Signage — treat them as private and import them through a connected account.
Supported files and limits
| Kind | File types |
|---|---|
| Images | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG, AVIF, TIFF, BMP, JPEG 2000 |
| Videos | MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI, MKV, OGG, FLV, WMV, M4V |
- The file's actual type must match its extension — a file that was simply renamed is refused.
- Only files stored in Drive can be imported. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as folders, can't — for presentations, use the Google Slides app.
- Audio files aren't supported — download them from Drive and upload them instead.
- Choose from Google Drive lists the most common formats; the other supported types can still be imported by pasting their link.
- A single file can be up to about 10 GB.
- Imported files count toward your media storage exactly like uploads, including files that are still being imported — see Storage and the free tier. If there isn't enough space left, the dashboard tells you before anything is imported.
Problems the dashboard can spot right away — an unsupported file, a file that's too large, not enough storage, a link it doesn't recognize — are shown in the form, and nothing is created.
If the import fails
If something goes wrong during the download, the import card shows that the import failed, explains why, and offers a Retry button.
| What happened | What to do |
|---|---|
| The connected account can no longer open the file — for example, it was deleted or is no longer shared with that account. | Make sure the file exists and the connected account can open it, then import it again; an administrator may need to allow access to it once more. |
| A public file wasn't found, or isn't shared as Anyone with the link anymore. | Check that the file still exists and is shared as Anyone with the link, then click Retry — or import it through a connected account. |
| The connected Google account needs reconnection. | Reconnect the account, then click Retry. |
| The download failed. | Click Retry a little later. |
| Google refused to hand over the file because its scan flagged it. | If the file was imported through its owner's connected account, click Retry to confirm you want it anyway. Otherwise, download the file yourself and upload it. |
| Google is temporarily limiting downloads of the file. | Click Retry later. |
| The downloaded file was incomplete. | Click Retry. |
| The download took too long and was stopped. | Click Retry. |
| Importing public files isn't set up for your account. | Contact our support team. |
A few things to know:
- Retry is available only after an import has failed. It starts the download again from the beginning.
- Any member of the department can retry an import.
- Deleting the playable while it's still importing simply cancels the import.
FAQ
Does the imported file update when I change it in Drive?
A: No. The import is a one-time copy. To show a newer version, import the file again and swap the new playable into your playlists.
Does the screen need internet access to play an imported file?
A: No. The imported video or image is ordinary media — it reaches your screens and plays offline like any uploaded file, so the live-content rules for apps don't apply.
Can members import files, or only administrators?
A: Any member of the department can import, just as they can upload. For private files, they can use only files an administrator has already allowed for the connected account; public files (Anyone with the link) work for everyone.
Why does my imported video say it's still being converted?
A: After the download, videos go through the same conversion as uploaded videos. Give it a little while — see Video conversion.
Where's the link to the file in Drive after the import?
A: The Open in Google Drive link is part of the import card, which is shown only while the import is running (or has failed). Once the import is done, the playable is ordinary media and the card goes away.
What happens if the Google connection is deleted?
A: Finished imports aren't affected — they're ordinary files. An import that's still downloading through that account fails.
Need help?
Stuck importing a file from Google Drive? Contact our support team and we'll be glad to help.