Give AI Access to Google Drive on Mac — No Google API, No OAuth

The Problem: Google Drive Connectors Want a Google Cloud Project

Connecting an AI to Google Drive normally means OAuth consent screens, a Google Cloud project, API scopes, and tokens that expire. For a company Workspace account it can also mean asking your admin for approval. All of that just to read files that are already sitting on your Mac.

If you use Google Drive for Desktop, your My Drive and Shared drives are synced under ~/Library/CloudStorage/GoogleDrive-…. LMCP reads that folder directly — the same local-first approach it uses for OneDrive, Teams, and Slack.

What Your AI Can Do

gdrive_root — discover the synced Drive mounts (My Drive, Shared drives, per-account)
gdrive_list_files / gdrive_search_files — browse and find files by name
gdrive_read_file — read text, CSV, JSON, Markdown, code files
gdrive_write_file — write a file into Drive; the official client uploads it automatically (preview + confirm first)
gdrive_file_info — size, dates, type without listing the whole folder

Prompt — paste into your AI

Find the budget CSV in My Drive, compare it against the Q3 plan document, and write a summary back into the Projects folder.

One honest caveat: native Google Docs/Sheets/Slides sync as pointer files (.gdoc, .gsheet) — their content lives in Google's cloud. Export them (File → Download) or keep working copies as Office/PDF files, which LMCP reads and creates natively.

Setup (2 minutes)

Install LMCP: download the app or run
Make sure Google Drive for Desktop is installed and signed in (your files show in Finder)
Restart your AI client — the gdrive_* tools appear automatically when a Drive mount exists

Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed — and with ChatGPT, Claude.ai, Grok, and Perplexity through the encrypted Cloud Relay.

Why Local Beats the API

No Google Cloud project — zero developer console setup
No OAuth tokens to expire — the official Drive client handles sync and auth
No admin approval — you read your own already-synced files
LMCP executes local tools on your device. Cloud AI providers and connected services can receive requested data; their terms apply.
Works offline — synced files are readable without a connection

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work with Shared drives?

Yes — anything Google Drive for Desktop syncs (My Drive, Shared drives, multiple accounts) appears under the mounts that gdrive_root lists.

Can the AI modify my Drive?

Preview and confirmation behavior depends on the tool, platform and AI client. Check the tool requirements and review the intended action before authorizing a real call.

Do I need a Workspace admin's permission?

No. LMCP reads the local folder your own Drive client syncs — no API access to approve.

Give AI Access to Google Drive on Mac — No Google API