How to Name or Rename a File in Google Drive

TL;DR: To rename a file in Google Drive on a computer, right-click it, choose Rename, type the new name and press Enter. You can also select it and press F2. On Android or iPhone, tap the three dots next to the file and tap Rename. You need edit access to rename a file. For a new Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file, click "Untitled" at the top left and type a name.

How do you rename a file in Google Drive on a computer?

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Right-click the file, or click the three dots (⋮) at the end of its row.
3. Click Rename.
4. Type the new name and click OK, or press Enter.

Keyboard shortcut: click the file once to select it and press F2. It works on Windows, Mac and ChromeOS. (Google Drive keyboard shortcuts)

Keep the extension (.pdf, .docx) at the end of the name when you rename an uploaded file, so it still opens in the right app. A file's link doesn't change when you rename it, so anyone you've shared it with can still open it.

How do you rename a file in the Google Drive app on Android or iPhone?

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Find the file and tap the three dots (⋮) next to it.
3. Tap Rename.
4. Type the new name and tap Rename or OK.

The new name syncs everywhere within a few seconds.

How do you name a new Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file?

New files start as "Untitled document," "Untitled spreadsheet" or "Untitled presentation." To name one:

1. Open the file.
2. Click the title at the top left.
3. Type a name and press Enter.

If you leave a new Doc untitled, Google Docs names it after its first line of text, which is rarely the name you'd choose.

How do you rename files from Google Drive for desktop?

If you use the Google Drive desktop app, your Drive appears as a drive in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Rename files there the way you would any file: select and press F2 on Windows, or select and press Return on a Mac. The change syncs back to Google Drive.

Why can't I rename a file in Google Drive?

If Rename is greyed out or missing, it's almost always permissions. Only people with Editor access can rename a file. Viewers and commenters can't. Ask the owner for edit access, or make a copy (File, Make a copy) and name the copy whatever you like.

Two other causes:

• The file is in a shared drive where your role is Commenter or Viewer. Shared drive roles work the same way: you need Contributor or above to rename.
• You're offline in the app and the file isn't available offline. Reconnect and try again.

Can you rename multiple files at once in Google Drive?

Not natively. Google Drive renames one file at a time. To rename many at once, your options are:

• An Apps Script that loops through a folder and renames files to a pattern. Free, but you write and test the code.
• A Marketplace add-on that renames by pattern (prefix, suffix, find and replace).
• An AI tool that reads each file and names it by what it contains, such as Invoice Acme 2026-03-14.pdf instead of Scan_0042.pdf.

All three are compared in how to bulk rename files in Google Drive.

What's a good way to name files in Google Drive?

Google Drive search finds words in file names and inside most documents, but a clear name still makes files easier to find and to recognize in a list. A simple pattern that works for most teams:

What it is, who or what it's about, date

• Invoice - Acme Corp - 2026-03-14.pdf
• Contract - Smith Lease - Signed - 2026-01-02.pdf
• Board Deck - Q3 2026.pptx

A few habits help:

• Put dates as YYYY-MM-DD so files sort in date order.
• Lead with the type of document (Invoice, Contract, Report) so similar files group together.
• Leave out "final" and "v2." Google Drive keeps version history for you (File, Version history on Docs; Manage versions on uploaded files).
• Agree on one pattern and write it down where the team can see it.

For templates by profession, see how to create a file naming convention.

How do you get files named consistently without doing it by hand?

Renaming one file is quick. Keeping hundreds named consistently, as new scans, downloads and attachments arrive, is where it breaks down.

The Drive AI connects to Google Drive (on the Max plan or any Team plan) and renames files in place to a pattern you describe, reading each file to work out what it is. You see every new name in a preview before anything changes, and you can undo the whole batch. A workflow can do the same for every new file that lands in a folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I rename a file in Google Drive?

Right-click the file, choose Rename, type the new name and press Enter. You can also select the file and press F2. On the mobile app, tap the three dots next to the file and tap Rename.

What is the shortcut to rename in Google Drive?

Select the file and press F2. The shortcut works on Windows, Mac and ChromeOS in Google Drive on the web.

Why can't I rename a file in Google Drive?

You need Editor access to rename a file. If you're a Viewer or Commenter, Rename is unavailable. Ask the owner for edit access or make your own copy.

Does renaming a file in Google Drive change the link?

No. The link stays the same after a rename, so people you've shared the file with can still open it.

Can I rename multiple files at once in Google Drive?

Not with Google Drive's built-in tools. Use an Apps Script, a Marketplace add-on, or an AI tool that renames files in bulk.

Name it once, the right way

If you're only renaming one file, the right-click or F2 is all you need. If you find yourself renaming the same kinds of files every week, write the pattern down once and let a tool apply it, so the hundredth file is named like the first.