Google Drive is great for storing files on the cloud instead of your computer, but another really popular use for it is sharing files with other people.
Of course, there are other ways of sharing files with people like email for example. But when you send files via email, you are often bound by quite small file size limits making Google Drive a better, easier option.
You can even share an entire Google Drive folder and the person you share it with will be able to access everything inside the folder!
So that’s great, and I show you how you can share files in Google Drive here. But there is a big problem with sharing files via Google Drive, and that is that you have to know the correct email address of the person you’re sending files to.
When you share files with Google Drive the normal way, you have to type in the email address of the person that you’re sending it to. You might have an email address you use to contact them, but if it’s not the address associated with their Google Account they won’t receive the files.
That’s where link sharing comes in, when you use link sharing in Google Drive, you don’t have to enter their email address. You just copy a link and send it to them any way you know how.
You can send it as a Facebook message, text message, an email to their non-Google email address, or really any other method you like! So if you’d like to use link sharing in Google Drive, keep reading to find out how.
First off, I’m going to show you how to use link sharing on the Google Drive website on a computer, but if you want to use link sharing in the Google Drive app on a phone or tablet, click here to skip down to where I show you how to do that.
Prefer to watch a video about Google Drive link sharing? Click here.
How To Use Link Sharing In Google Drive
To use link sharing in Google Drive, the first thing you’ll need to do is go to drive.google.com, sign in with your Google account if you haven’t already, and find the file or folder you want to share.
Note: If the file you want to share isn’t already on Google Drive, you’ll need to upload it first by following the steps here.
Once you’ve found the file or folder you want to share, you’ll need to single click on it to select it…
And then, once the file or folder is selected, click on the link icon near the top right hand corner of the screen.
Now, a link sharing box will appear on the screen, and a shareable link to your file or folder will be there ready to be shared. So all you need to do is click the “Copy link” button to copy the link, and then you’ll be able to paste it anywhere you want to send it to someone.
But! It’s very important to keep in mind that by default, your link will be set to “Restricted”, which means this link will only work for people who you have previously shared the file with.
So this is fine if you’ve already shared the file with the person you’re going to send the link to and you just want to send them a link to make it easier for them to find the file.
But, if you want to send the link to someone who you haven’t shared the file with, you’ll have to change the link to “Anyone with the link” or else the link will not work for them.
To do that, all you need to do is click on the drop down arrow next to “Restricted”.
And then, in the menu that appears, select “Anyone with the link”.
Now, anyone who clicks the link will be able to view and optionally download your file!
But, they still won’t be able to edit the file. This is probably for the best most of the time as it will prevent people from messing with it, but if you’re sharing a file like a Google Doc or a Google Sheet, you might actually want the person you’re sharing it with to be able to edit the file.
Or, if you’re sharing a folder, if you allow them to edit it, they will be able to edit, add, and remove files inside the folder which is great for colaboration.
So if you want to allow anyone who clicks on the link to edit your file, you’ll need to do one more step. Just click on the drop down menu that is currently set to “Viewer”…
And then, in the drop down that appears, select “Editor”.
You’ll want to be careful with this setting because now anyone who clicks on this link will be able to edit and even delete your file. But as long as the file isn’t super top secret and you only share the link with people you trust, this can be very handy.
So now that you’ve configured the sharing settings the way you want them, your link will be all ready to go, and all you’ll need to do is click “Copy link” to copy the link.
And then, once the link is copied, you can send it to anyone you want. Just paste it into an email, Facebook message, or send it any other way you want, and whoever clicks on it will be able to access your file.
How To Use Link Sharing In The Google Drive App
If you want to create a shareable link to a file using the Google Drive app on a phone or tablet, the process is actually fairly simmilar.
The first thing you’ll need to do is open the Google Drive app and find the file or folder you want to share. (If the file isn’t already uploaded to Google Drive, you’ll need to follow this tutorial to upload it first).
And then, once you’ve found the file or folder you want to share, you’ll need to tap the three dots below it (or next to it depending on how the app is laid out on your phone).
Now, a menu will appear from the bottom of the screen, and in that menu, you’ll just need to tap “Copy link” to copy the link to the file or folder.
Now, you will be able to go and paste the link into any app you like and send it to anyone you want! But, it’s very important to keep in mind that by default, the link will only work for people who you have previously shared the file with.
So if you’ve shared this file with the person you want to share it with using the normal method in the past, and you just want to send them a link to make it easy for them to find the file, this will be fine.
But, if you want to send the link to someone who you haven’t shared the file with, there are a few more steps you’ll need to complete before you go and send that link. What you’ll need to do is tap on the three dots below the file again.
And this time, in the menu that appears, you’ll need to tap “Manage people and links”.
Now, where it says “Restricted”, you’ll need to tap on “Change”.
And then, on the next screen, tap on “Restricted”.
And then, on the next screen, tap on “Anyone with the link”.
Now, it will say “Permission updated” in a bubble near the bottom of the screen, and the link will now work!
So now anyone who clicks on the link will be able to view your file and download it to their device if they want, but they still won’t be able to edit it.
This is probably for the best most of the time as it means no one will be able to mess with your file, but if you’re sharing something like a Google Doc or a Google Sheet, you might want the person you’re sharing it with to be able to edit it, or if you’re sharing a folder, you might want them to be able to add and remove files inside the folder.
So if that’s the case, there are just a few more steps you’ll need to do.
What you need to do is tap on “Viewer”…
And then, in the menu that appears, tap “Editor”.
Now, anyone who clicks on the link will be able to edit the file. Obviously, you’ll want to be a little bit careful with this setting, but as long as the file isn’t top secret, and you only share the link with people you trust, it can be really handy.
And now that you’ve chosen all your sharing preferences, you can go and paste that link you copied earlier into any messaging or email app you want and send the link to anyone you want to share the file or folder with.
So there you have it, now you know how to use link sharing in Google Drive. It can be a very useful way to share files with Google Drive, so hopefully you find it useful.
If you’d like to know how to change the ownership of a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide, click here.