How to share a folder to your network in MacOS
Sharing a folder with your network is an easy way to give other users access to the files they need. That way, you no longer have to email those files or come up with some other, less efficient method.
How to share a folder on your network in macOS
But how is it done? Being macOS, the process is actually quite simple and done entirely through the GUI (unlike Linux, which often requires a bit of command-line magic).
And that’s exactly what I’m going to show you – share your folders from the GUI.
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requirements
This can be done on any modern iteration of MacOS, so you don’t have to worry about installing third-party software. All you need is MacOS and a valid account on the computer. Let’s get this party started.
The first thing you need to do is enable file sharing. Open System Sharing in the System Preferences app. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the desktop and choose System Preferences. In the System Preferences window, click Sharing.
The Sharing option in the System Preferences window. Image: Jack Wallen
Click the File Sharing checkbox to enable the feature.
Enabling sharing within the MacOS System Preferences tool. Image: Jack Wallen
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This is where things can get a little tricky. You must grant access to the shared directory. You may want to create a special user account on your MacBook or iMac for this purpose. Otherwise you have to grant all users access to the shared folders, which can be a small security problem.
It is important to know that when creating a user for this purpose, you can grant one of the following permissions:
- Read/Write: The user can view and copy files to and from the folder.
- Read Only: The user can only view the contents of the folder.
- Write only (Dropbox): The user can only copy files to the folder, but cannot view its contents.
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Once you’ve enabled file sharing, you can add shared folders and user access. Suppose you added a special user account to access the shared folders (which is done under System Preferences > Users & Groups). If this user is available, click + under Users (in System Preferences > Sharing), select the user from the popup, and then grant the required access once the user has been added to the list.
Adding users to the macOS sharing feature. Image: Jack Wallen
You are not done yet. Click the Options button and in the pop-up window, click the checkbox for the user you want to enable for sharing. You will be prompted to enter your user password. After successful authentication, click Done and the share is ready. Anyone who has the username and password for the user can access this folder over your network (how they do so depends on their operating system).
Enabling users for our new share. Image: Jack Wallen
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Use this feature carefully and it can make your daily workflow a little easier by making it easier to share files with your colleagues and family.