Google Drive updates itself in the background. Every so often, after one of those updates, it quietly vanishes from the Finder sidebar. Nothing has been deleted. One switch brings it back.
In short
Your files are safe in Google Drive. Only the Finder connection has been switched off.
Turn it back on in System Settings, under Login Items & Extensions.
No reinstall and no restart needed.
1. Check Drive is actually running
Look for the Drive icon in the menu bar at the top right of your screen. If it is there and says everything is up to date, your files are safe and this guide is for you. If it is not there, open Google Drive from your Applications folder first.
2. Switch the Finder extension back on
Open System Settings, choose General, then Login Items & Extensions. Scroll down to Extensions, open File Providers, and switch Google Drive on.
Finder can take up to a minute to show Drive again. Give it a moment before you try anything else.
Already switched on? Use the Terminal line below, or get in touch.
3. Prefer Terminal? One line does it
If you are comfortable in Terminal, this does the same thing:
pluginkit -e use -i com.google.drivefs.fpext
4. Still not there?
Quit Google Drive from its menu bar icon and open it again.
Check you are signed in to the right Google account.
Restart the Mac. Dull, but it clears a stuck Finder.
Questions people ask
Will I lose any files? No. Your files stay in Google Drive. This only switches the Finder connection back on.
Why does it keep happening? Drive updates itself, and macOS sometimes leaves the new version's Finder extension switched off until someone approves it again.
Happening on more than one Mac?
If this keeps catching your team out, it can be fixed centrally so nobody has to go hunting through settings. That is the sort of thing our managed IT service takes off your plate. Talk to us.