When you log into the web version of Google Drive, the very first thing you see is no longer your organized hierarchy of folders. Instead, Google defaults to a “Priority” view (often labelled as Home or Suggested). This massive dashboard at the top of your screen uses machine learning to display the specific files and “Workspaces” that Google’s algorithm predicts you might want to open, based on your recent activity and calendar events.
While this algorithmic guessing game might be useful for users who constantly lose files, it is an absolute nightmare for meticulous users who have carefully constructed their own folder hierarchies. The suggested files often clutter the interface with irrelevant documents, pushing your actual folders down below the fold. If you want Google Drive to open directly to your static, reliable folder structure every single time, you must completely disable the suggested views.
Disabling Suggested Files and Workspaces
You can turn off these algorithmic suggestions and restore the classic, folder-first view directly from the main Settings menu.
- Open your web browser and navigate to Google Drive (drive.google.com).
- Look in the top-right corner of the screen and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
- The Settings window will open to the “General” tab. Scroll down the main panel until you find a section labelled Start page.
- You will see an option asking “Which page do you want to see when you first open Drive?”. Select the radio button for My Drive (instead of Home).
- Next, continue scrolling down to the section labelled Suggested files.
- You will see checkboxes like “Show suggested files in My Drive” and “Show suggested files in shared with me”. Uncheck all of these boxes.
- Click the Done or back button to save your changes.
The change is instantaneous. The massive “Suggested” banner at the top of your screen will vanish entirely. The next time you navigate to Google Drive, you will be greeted exclusively by your root folders, exactly where you left them, completely free of algorithmic clutter.