How to share files from Google Drive

Whether it’s meeting notes, a monthly expenses sheet, or a video of your pet, Google Drive allows you to easily save and share files through a cloud-based storage platform. If you are new to using Google Drive or just need a refresher on the best way to share a file – this article is for you!

Why share through Google Drive? 

Assuming you and the user(s) you are choosing to share with have a Google account, sharing a file from a Google Drive is relatively practical. Sharing files from your Google Drive not only allows you to manage who can view your file, but also who can comment on, share, or edit that file. This is an extremely useful feature for collaboration as it ensures your files are only accessed by those who have your permission to do so. In addition, the files you chose to share with others can be shared from any device such as an Android, Computer, iPhone, or iPad. 

How to share with Google Drive?

Depending on what device you are choosing to share from, the exact steps below may differ slightly: 

1. Find the file to share: If you are using an Android, iPhone, or iPad, this can be done by opening the respective Google app (Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.) where your file is located at. If you are working from a computer, you can visit these sites directly after logging into your Google account.  From there, you can scroll to find your file or use the search bar at the top of the page. Tip: Save time looking for a file by using the drop-down list to sort your files!

2. Selecting the file to share:  If using an Android, iPhone, or iPad, click on the three dots next to the name of the file you want to share. Then, click “Share” (Note: you will only have this option if you are the owner of the file or have permission to edit). If you are on a computer, first click on the file. Then, click on either the blue “Share” button or the three dots located at the top right.

3. Sharing the file: Once you click share, you will see several options that ask how you would like to share your file. Sharing with specific users requires you to enter a valid Google email address and specify what kind of permission you would like to grant to the user(s): 

• Viewer only lets others see your file
• Commenter only lets others view or comment, but not modify the file
• Editor allows a user to view, edit, comment, and share your file with others

Alternatively, the “Get a link” option allows you to copy, paste, and send a link to share your file with specific permissions. In most cases, you can choose to generate a private link where only the user(s) specified are able to access the file from that link or a public link that may be used to share the file with anyone. 

Limits with Document Sharing?

As convenient as sharing files through Google Drive can be, the number of people you can share with is limited to 100 users. To avoid the shared file from crashing, Google encourages its users to find other methods of sharing such as publishing the file online, creating a Google Site, or collecting feedback using a Google Form. In addition, it may be helpful to reduce the number of users that have edit access to the document.

Written by Ana Gonzalez