Google Drive "download quota exceeded": why it happens and how to fix it

Google limits how often a shared file can be viewed or downloaded in a short period. The full error reads "Too many users have viewed or downloaded this file recently". Google's help center explains that it "occurs when a file receives high view or download volume over a short period. The restriction is temporary and typically resets within 24 hours."

A few things worth knowing:

• The limit is on the file, not on you. Your other downloads work fine, and switching browsers or devices won't unlock it.
• Google doesn't publish the exact numbers, so there's no way to know how close a file is to being locked.
• It mostly hits files shared with "Anyone with the link" that spread widely, like game mods, course materials, datasets and software downloads.

1. Make a copy in your own Drive

This is the fix Google itself suggests, and it usually works straight away:

1. Sign in to your Google account and open the file link.
2. Add the file to your Drive with Add shortcut to Drive. If it was shared with you directly, you'll also find it under Shared with me.
3. In your Drive, right-click the file and choose Make a copy.
4. Right-click the copy, which starts with "Copy of", and choose Download.

The copy is a new file with its own quota, so it downloads normally. It counts toward your Google storage, so delete it afterwards if you're short on space. If the owner has stopped viewers from downloading, printing or copying the file, the option won't be there.

2. Wait and try again

The lock is temporary. Google says it typically resets within 24 hours.

3. Ask the owner for a fresh link

If you know who shared the file, ask them to share a new copy. A copy is a new file with its own quota, so a new link works straight away, at least until it gets popular too.

Search for this error and you'll find websites, scripts and browser extensions promising to bypass it. Many ask you to sign in with Google or give them access to your Drive, which hands a stranger your files and email. Making a copy yourself, as above, does the same job safely.

If people keep telling you your Drive link is broken, your file is more popular than Google Drive's sharing limits allow. Sharing a new copy buys you time, but a popular file will get locked again. There's also a privacy catch: Google notes that when you share a link to a file, "your name and email will be visible as the owner of that file" to everyone who opens it.

Share it with VeilShare instead

VeilShare doesn't put a download quota on your files. Each person downloading uses their own daily allowance, so as many people as you like can download a file without it getting locked, and they don't see your name or email.

1. Drop the file or folder onto the upload box on our homepage.
2. Without an account, links last up to 72 hours. With a free account, they can stay up permanently.
3. Click on the upload button, copy the link and share it wherever you shared the Drive link.

Files are encrypted in your browser before they're uploaded, so unlike Google Drive, we can't see what you share. Uploads up to 3 GB are free without an account. See our VeilShare vs Google Drive comparison for the full picture.