How to share files and collaborate on Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage services and an integral part of Google Workspace. It offers users 15GB of free cloud storage that can be used to store Google docs, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as PDFs, images, videos, and more. It’s like your personal workspace on the web.

The best thing about the software is that you can turn this workspace into a collaborative hub by sharing files, folders and sometimes entire drives with others. The process varies by device. This article will show you the most common ways to share Google One files with friends and colleagues. Whether you’re sharing summer vacation photos taken with one of Samsung’s top smartphones or sending your colleague that quarterly earnings report from your laptop, we’ve got you covered.

Share Google Drive files by sending invites

Google Drive lets you collaborate with people by inviting them directly to the file or folder. Here’s how.

Share a file or folder using the web app

1. Go to Google Drive and sign in with the appropriate Google account.
2. Navigate to the file or folder you want to share with someone.
3. Right-click and select Split.

4. In the , type or paste the email address of the person you are giving access to the file to Add people and groups Crate. You can add multiple email addresses if there is more than one employee.
5. Select the appropriate file access permission from the drop-down menu on the right (Viewers, commentatoror editor).

6. press the Send button in the lower right corner of the dialog box. Your file or folder will be shared with the emails along with an email notification.

If the file is a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide and it’s open, select it Split button in the upper right corner of the screen. For PDFs, videos, and images, tap the three dots icon followed by Split Button.

How to share multiple files and folders at once using the Google Drive web app

1. Select the files or folders by holding down the change button while clicking the mouse.
2. Free that change key and right-click on any of the selected items to open the options Dialog.
3. click Split.
4. Add the employees’ emails in the Add people and groups Crate.

Share a file or folder with the Google Drive mobile app for Android and iOS

1. Launch the Google Drive app on your phone.
2. Locate the file or folder you want to share.
3. Tap the three-dot icon to open the options menu and tap Split. Once the file is open, use the Split button (an avatar with a plus sign) in the title bar.

4. Add as many email addresses to the Add people or groups Crate.
5. Configure their permissions.
6. Tap the Send button in the lower right corner of the screen.

Unlike the web app, there is no way to select and share multiple files at once on mobile devices.

Share Google Drive files using links

If you want a more sophisticated method of sharing files, Google Drive offers links that can be copied and sent to other platforms. Users can click the link to view or change the content based on permission settings. Here’s how to use it.

Share a file or folder using the web app

Sharing files via links isn’t much different than adding collaborators via email. In order to do this:

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to share.
2. click Split. Then go to General access Section. If the file is an open Google file (Docs, Sheets, or Slides), use the blue “Share” button in the top right.

3. press the Restricted Button to open a drop-down menu.

4. Choose Anyone with the link from the options and edit the permissions on the right.

5. click copy link in the lower-left corner of the dialog box. The file URL will be saved to your clipboard.

6. Share the link with anyone on any platform.

Share links to multiple files and folders using the web app

1. Select all items that you want to share.
2. Right-click to open the options Dialog.
3. click Split.
4. Configure the permission settings for the items using General access Option or specify permissions for individual files.

5. click Copy shortcuts in the lower left corner of the field. The links are copied to your clipboard and ready to be sent to anyone in bulk.

Anyone on the internet can access the file or folder if they can get their hands on your links. Make sure you don’t share private information.

Share a file or folder using the mobile app

1. Open the Google Drive app and find the file or folder you want to share.
2. Tap the three-dot icon to open the options menu.
3. Beat copy link. This will save the file URL to your clipboard. You still need to update the permissions.

4. Tap the three-dot icon again and select it manage access.
5. click Restricted.

6. Choose Anyone with the link.

7. Beat Viewers to adjust the permission level.

To speed up the process, go to manage access option and change permissions before copying the link using one of the link buttons next to it General access.

Share an entire Google Drive

You can only share a few files or folders at a time, whether adding collaborators or copying file links. If you want to share your entire Google Drive with someone else, you have two options. One is great and the other not so great. Let’s start with the not-so-great option.

Use the download and upload method

With this method, you download files from one drive and upload them to another. If you don’t mind the limitations, use this method to free up an entire drive. This is how it works:

1. Sign in to the old Google Drive account.
2. Create a new folder in “My Drive”.
3. Select all items with ctrl+A.
4. Copy the items with ctrl+C and paste them into the folder with ctrl+v.
5. Right-click the new folder.
6. Choose Download from the options and wait for the process to complete.

7. Open the new account and go to my ride.
8. click New and select upload folder.

9. Select the folder in your file manager. It will be uploaded to the new drive.

The upload and download process is only useful for moving items from an old drive or account that you want to disable to a new one.

This process has many disadvantages. First, it consumes data ranging from a few megabytes to gigabytes depending on the number of files. You could also waste time waiting for downloads and uploads. But these are not the main problems.

On the technical side, the files are added to the drive as new uploads. You lose collaborators, document histories, comments, and other information stored in the file. Also, once you’ve been added to a file as a collaborator, you won’t be able to access it until the owner adds your new email address.

Use shared drives

A shared drive is the way to go when you want to create a drive owned by a team rather than an individual. It’s a collaborative space where teams can store and access files from anywhere, anytime. Each shared drive can hold up to 600 people when added individually. However, the number can go up to 50,000 if 100 groups of 500 people each are added. Once a group is added to a shared drive, all future members of the group automatically get access to it.

Shared drives are only accessible by Google Workspace accounts, so admins have overall control. Admins can assign members access levels that determine their ability to modify shared drive files. For example, members with Viewer and Commentator access can view and comment on files, while contributors can add and edit them. Meanwhile, content managers can move files to the recycle bin without permanently deleting them, while members with manager access can permanently delete files from the recycle bin. For more information on shared drives, see Google’s guide.

Take collaboration to a new level

The best thing about Google Drive is its seamless cloud integration and web syncing, allowing people worldwide to collaborate without hiccups. Follow the steps above to improve collaboration with colleagues and skyrocket your productivity.

If you’re just getting started with Google Drive and want to learn more about the ins and outs, check out our Google Drive beginner’s guide