Google Drive users are getting pretty annoyed with a persistent promotional banner that keeps appearing across their workspace accounts. The banner, which encourages users to “Copy your organization’s files from Microsoft OneDrive to Google Drive,” has been showing up on every screen within the Google Drive interface, and there’s apparently no way to turn it off.
We recently noticed this banner as well, which made us wonder if we are the only ones.
Well, we aren’t. The complaints started trickling in about a month ago. On Reddit, one user initially thought Google had somehow figured out they were using OneDrive at work, wondering if the tech giant was snooping around their local files. Turns out, it’s just Google casting a wide net with this new promotional push.
But what’s really getting under people’s skin isn’t just the banner itself — it’s that workspace administrators can’t disable it. One frustrated admin posted on Google’s help forums, calling it “predatory marketing at best” and pointing out how “utterly unacceptable” it is to roll out such an invasive popup without giving organizations any control over it.
For organizations that have specifically chosen OneDrive as their preferred solution, having Google constantly suggest they switch feels like digital harassment.
Google’s own product experts have confirmed there’s no admin setting to disable the banner, and they haven’t indicated whether one might be coming. This leaves IT administrators in an uncomfortable position because they can’t protect their users from what many see as unwanted advertising within a paid workspace product.
Some tech-savvy users have found workarounds, like blocking the banner with browser extensions such as uBlock Origin. But that’s hardly a solution for entire organizations dealing with confused employees who keep seeing migration prompts they’re not supposed to act on. Nevertheless, here’s what you can add to uBlock Origin to filter out the banner:
drive.google.com##div[aria-label="Copy your organization's files from Microsoft OneDrive to Google Drive"]
For now, users stuck with the banner will either need to live with it or rely on technical workarounds while hoping Google eventually provides a proper administrative control to disable these promotional messages.
TechIssuesToday primarily focuses on publishing 'breaking' or 'exclusive' tech news. This means, we are usually the first news website on the whole Internet to highlight the topics we cover daily. So far, our stories have been picked up by many mainstream technology publications like The Verge, Macrumors, Forbes, etc. To know more, head here.
Dwayne Cubbins
1315 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
Follow Us
