What is the one application you use on a daily basis? We’re guessing that most people will say Google or G Suite, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Meet, and, of course, Google Drive. These apps have become an essential part of our daily life. While a few Google products appear to be similar, they serve different purposes. G Suite users frequently become confused by the small distinction between Shared Drive and MyDrive. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of using a link to share a document or a folder on Google Drive with someone.
How Does Google Drive Sharing Work?
Google Drive, as an alternative to Microsoft Office, offers more than just a cloud storage and syncing service. It’s a bit of an overachiever, with a word processor, a presentation program, a form builder, a drawing application, and spreadsheets. Phew!
Furthermore, you can share your Google Drive files and folders with anyone—as long as you grant them access and know their email addresses.
There are two ways to share files in Google Drive:
- Share with individuals and groups: You must allow access to specific individuals with whom you want to collaborate on the file.
- Create shareable links: You allow anyone who has the link to view, comment on, or edit the file.
You can also provide a person or group the opportunity to do a specific action. These are the following:
- Viewer: People with this right can view the file but cannot edit it or share it with others.
- Commentator: People with this right can make ideas and comments on files, but they cannot alter or share them with others.
- Editor: People with this role have the ability to make changes, accept and reject ideas, and share the file with email addresses. How to Share a Google Drive Folder
Google now provides an app for almost anything you need to accomplish online, including sharing documents, files, and folders. Most file formats, including photographs, audio, and video, can be uploaded to Google Drive, Google’s file hosting service.
Sharing a Google Drive folder makes it simple to work on projects with friends, colleagues, or classmates and transmit a collection of important materials all in one place. Here’s how to share a Google Drive folder with someone.
- Sign in to your Google account at https://drive.google.com.
- On the main screen, you’ll see a list of all the files and folders in your Google Drive account. Skip to step 7 if you already have a Google Drive folder ready to share.
- Click the New button in the upper-left corner of your screen, beneath the Google Drive logo, to create a new folder.
- At the top of the list in the New drop-down, select Folder. If you already have a folder on your computer that you want to upload completely, select the Folder Upload option from this menu.
- In the pop-up, give your folder a name and click Create. The newly created folder will then appear in My Drive; click to open it.
- You can now upload files to your folder by dragging and dropping them from your computer into the window, right-clicking on the screen and selecting Upload files, or clicking New and selecting File Upload.
- Navigate to the folder you want to share. Then, above the list of files in your folder, click on the folder title at the top of the screen. Click Share in the drop-down menu.
- In the pop-up, under Share with People and Groups, enter the email addresses of everyone to whom you want to share your folder.
Make sure to select editing permissions by clicking the Editor drop-down menu and selecting Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. If you wish to notify each person individually, check the box next to Notify people, type a message if desired, and hit Send.
One of the finest online collaboration options is to share files using cloud storage, such as Google Docs. Google Drive is still a popular cloud storage solution for both personal and professional use. However, how you share a document on the Google Drive website, desktop app, and mobile app differs.
You can share files from any web browser by going to the Google Drive website. Google Drive also has a desktop program that you can download from its website in addition to the web page. The app’s download link is compatible with both Windows and macOS. Remember to upload files (or a folder) first. Connect and log into your Google account, whether using the browser or the desktop client, to begin sharing your files.
Google Drive for Web provides a streamlined and user-friendly way to share a file. To share a Google Doc, a PDF, or a Google Drive file, first, navigate to “my drive” using any online browser and locate the file to share.
- Go to Google Drive.
Navigate to drive.google.com and, if necessary, sign in using your Google account. Navigate to “my drive” and find the file you wish to share.
- Select the File to Share
Once you’ve found the file you want to share, right-click it to open the dropdown menu and select the “share” option. When you pick a file, the “share” symbol shows above the file in the menu bar. By clicking this symbol, you may access the sharing menu.
- Share a File
Enter the email address(es) with which you want to share the file in the gray “add people and groups” box.
To share a document on a Mac, use the same method as Google Drive on the web. However, if you download the desktop program and connect it to your Google account, a second Google Drive folder will appear in the Finder.
- Navigate to the Google Drive Folder.
You can share files directly from your Mac’s Google Drive folder. Navigate to your Google Drive folder in Finder and find the file you wish to share.
- Select the File to Share
Locate the file and right-click on it. If no Google Drive options appear in the dropdown menu, select “show more options,” then “share with Google Drive.”
- Share your File
Enter the email address(es) with which you want to share your file in the gray “add people and groups” box.
The Google Drive desktop program for PC has the same features as the Mac version. After you install the software and link it to your Google account, a Google Drive folder appears in File Explorer.
- Navigate to the Google Drive Folder.
Sharing files from a PC works almost identically to sharing files from a Mac. Open the Google Drive folder in File Explorer. Open “my drive” and choose the file to share with others.
- Click the “Share” Icon.
Simply right-click the file and select “Share with Google Drive.” If you don’t see it in the menu, select “Show more options.”
- Share your File
Enter the appropriate email address(es) to share your file in the gray “add people and groups” box.
Google Drive for mobile devices lets you create, edit, and share files and folders while you’re on the go. The procedure is the same as with the desktop software and the Google Drive website. The first step is to get the software from the app store. After that, sign in using your Google account.
- Launch Google Drive Mobile.
Navigate to the file or folder you want to share in the Google Drive mobile app.
- Select the Three-Dot Menu option.
To expand the menu, click the three dots on the folder or file page. Choose the “share” icon.
- Share your Folder
In the “add people or groups” area of the “share” option, you can enter as many email addresses as you need.
Sharing numerous files functions almost identically to sharing individual files. When compared to sharing a single folder or file, this requires only a few extra steps.
- Go to the Files Folder.
When you’re in the folder with the files, hold down the “shift” key and pick all of the files you want to share. Take note of how both files are highlighted in blue in the image.
- Select the “Share” Option.
To open the share menu, click the “share” symbol in the upper right corner of the files. Within the “add people or groups” text box, enter the email(s) of the people with whom you want to share multiple files.
Sharing a file with the Google Drive link option is sometimes a better option than sharing a file or folder via an email notice. Instead of adding dozens of email addresses, a shareable link given to a large group could simplify the sharing procedure.
Send a Link to the Google Drive Web Interface
The Google Drive web interface’s link sharing differs somewhat from sharing a file with email addresses.
- Go to Google Drive.
Right-click the folder or file for which you wish to establish a link in the desktop app. Select the “get link” option. You can also select the “copy link” option.
- Copy Link
To create a link to a file or folder, select the “copy link” option.
Send a Link on Mac or PC
Locating the Google Drive folder on your computer is the first step in sharing links via the desktop software for Mac or PC.
- Choose a Folder or File
Right-click the folder or file you want to share and select Share. This works on both the Mac and the PC.
- Copy the Link
Select “copy link to clipboard” from the menu. You can now share the link by pasting it.
The same as in earlier sections, sharing huge files on Google Drive works in the same manner. Most consumers will be limited by the quantity of Google Drive storage rather than the file-size limits. Uploads to Google Drive are limited to 750 GB per day, with a maximum individual file size of 5TB.
Many things, such as lines of code, can be bundled into a zip file to make life easier. A zip file can be shared on Google Drive in the same way that other files may. After you’ve uploaded the zip file to Google Drive, choose to share it.
- Share on Google Drive
Select the zip file and then either the “share” or “copy link” icon. You may also right-click the zip file and select “share” or “get a link.”
- Share on Mac or PC
Right-click the zip file and select “show more options,” then “share with Google Drive” or “copy link to clipboard.”
- Share on Mobile
Select the three-dot menu after finding the zip file in the Google Drive mobile app. Select the “share” icon or “copy link.”
How Do I Add Someone to My Google Drive?
Follow these procedures to add someone to your Google Drive:
- Navigate to drive.google.com and sign in to your Google account if you haven’t already.
- Right-click on the file or folder you wish to share and select Share.
- Click the “Share” button from the drop-down menu.
- Enter the email address of the person with whom you wish to share the file or folder in the “Share with people and groups” box.
- Select the number of access you want to give the user by using the drop-down menu next to “Can edit” or “Can view.”
- If you want to include a message, type it into the “Add a note” box.
- To share the file or folder, click the “Send” option.
You cannot share someone else’s Google Drive in its entirety without their permission, but you can share certain files or folders within their Drive if they have authorized your access to them.
A Shared Drive and a Shared Folder are two alternative ways to collaborate and share files on Google Drive. A Shared Folder is ideal for sharing files with specific individuals or groups, but a Shared Drive is ideal for team collaboration and file management.
Yes, you can provide someone who does not have a Gmail account access to your Google Drive. Google Drive accounts can be created with non-Gmail email addresses, allowing you to share files with anyone who has a valid email address.
There is no particular limit to the number of files you can share on Google Drive, however, there are some constraints on file size and available storage space. The highest file size you may upload to Google Drive is 5 TB, but this is a very huge file size that most users will never achieve.
Conclusion
Sharing files with Google Drive is a quick and simple process, whether you use a web browser, a desktop app, or a mobile app. You can share folders or files with people, groups of friends or colleagues, or anybody who has access to the Google Drive link.
Google Drive allows you to configure the sharing options, allowing you to restrict who has access to your files. Except in the most severe cases, the folder or file size is solely limited by the amount of storage available in Google Drive.
Do you rely on Google Drive for cloud storage? Do you prefer delivering Google Docs to individuals or sharing links with a Google group? Please state your experiences, tips, and methods for using Google Drive to send files in the comments section. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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