How to retrieve all files from Google Drive using Android SDK

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1

I’m working on an Android app and need to get a complete list of files stored in Google Drive. In my previous desktop project, I used the Google Document List API which worked perfectly for fetching all available files. But now I discovered that this API doesn’t work on Android devices.

I’ve been looking into the Google Drive SDK for Android as an alternative solution. However, after checking the documentation, I can’t find a clear method that does the same thing as the Document List API did.

What’s the proper way to enumerate all files in a user’s Google Drive account using the Android SDK? Is there a specific API call or method I should be using? Any code examples would be really helpful.

2

Use Google Drive API v3 with the files().list() method to get all files from Google Drive on Android. Don’t use the old Document List API - it’s deprecated. The API won’t give you everything at once, so you’ll need pagination. Each response has a pageToken that lets you grab the next batch of files. I ran into this exact issue during a project last year. Make sure your OAuth2 setup is right - that part can be tricky. By default, you’ll only see files the user owns. Want shared files too? Add the right query parameters. Watch out for rate limits if someone has tons of files.

3

Google Drive REST API v3 is your best bet. I migrated from the Document List API two years ago for a file backup app and learned some things the hard way. Google’s rate limits on files.list() are brutal, especially with lots of users. You’ll need exponential backoff for retries when you hit those walls. Pro tip: bump the page size from the default 100 up to 1000 - saves you a ton of API calls. The annoying part is Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides use weird MIME types that are different from regular files. Always check the mimeType field when handling responses.

4

yea, drive api v3 is def the way to go. just make sure u handle nextPageToken or u’ll miss some files. also, don’t forget to add the drive scope in oauth setup - otherwise it won’t work at all. been there, done that lol

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