Ever spent ages emailing documents back and forth, only to lose track of the latest version? Or maybe you’ve accidentally granted editing access when you just wanted someone to review a file. Sharing files on Google Drive can be a breeze, but it can also lead to frustration if you’re not familiar with the settings.
In this blog post, we’ll clear up the confusion and show you exactly how to share your Google Drive files and folders like a pro. But before we get into understanding the process, let’s take a look at a few benefits.
Benefits Of Sharing Google Drive With Others
Sharing Google Drive folders or files brings several benefits:
- Enhanced Collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same files at once. This is useful for teams on projects or families sharing documents, as everyone can edit and update in real time.
- Access Control: You can decide who can view, edit, or comment on your documents. This keeps your documents secure while allowing the right people to access them.
- Reduces Email Overload: Share a link to a file or folder instead of attaching large files to emails. This saves space in your inbox and ensures recipients always see the most current version.
- Streamlines Workflow: Keeping documents in a shared drive helps teams stay organized and improves workflow. It saves time spent searching for documents and keeps everyone informed.
- Saves Space: By sharing files, you avoid duplicating storage. Everyone accesses the same file, which helps manage storage limits effectively.
- Real-time Backup: Changes to documents are saved and backed up automatically. This prevents the loss of important data.
How To Share Entire Google Drive?
In the below sections, we’ve listed three different methods that you can take advantage of to share your entire Google Drive with ease, with Share being the popular option. Take a look at the below options for more understanding.
1. Share Google Drive With Share Option
Here’s a streamlined guide for transferring files between Google Drive accounts:
- Log in to your old Google Drive account.
- Select the files and folders you want to share.
- Right-click on the selected items and choose “Share.”
- Invite the other Google Drive account as the recipient.
- Change the permission to “Is owner” for the recipient account.
- Click “Send” to start sharing.
- Log in to the other Google Drive account to access the shared items.
Optionally, organize all files and folders into a folder named “My Entire Google Drive.”
- Right-click on the “My Entire Google Drive” folder and select “Share.”
- Repeat the previous steps to easily share the entire Google Drive.
2. Share Google Drive Through Link Sharing
- Sign in to Google Drive using your personal Google or Google Workspace account.
- Navigate to your “My Drive” folder and select the files and folders you wish to share.
- Right-click on the selected items and choose “Share” from the menu.
- Enter the Google accounts or email addresses of the individuals or groups you want to share the files with.
- Select the access permissions you want to grant to the recipients (such as view, comment, or edit).
- Right-click on your selected files or folders in Google Drive.
- Select “Get link” from the right-click menu.
- Choose the desired file access permissions for your recipients.
- Click on “Copy link” to copy the sharing link.
- Share the Google Drive folder with non-Gmail users by sending them the copied sharing link.
3. Share Google Drive Through Download and Upload
- Sign in to your old Google Drive.
- Make a new folder at the main level and move all your files into it.
- Right-click on this folder, choose “Download,” and let it finish.
- Log in to your other Google Drive where you want these files.
- Go to “My Drive” once logged in.
- Click “Upload” and pick the downloaded folder/files from your computer.
- Wait for everything to finish uploading.
How To Create a Shared Google Drive?
In this section, we’ll explain how to create a Shared Google Drive. To create Google Shared Drives, you need a Google Workspace or Google Workspace. Once you have these, follow the steps below to set up a shared Google Drive.
1. Set Up a New Shared Drive in Google Drive
- Sign in to Google Drive using your Google Workspace account.
- Go to the “Shared drives” section in the sidebar.
- Click on the “+ New” button at the top left of the page.
- Type a name for your new Shared Drive in the window that appears, then click “Create.”
- Open the newly created Shared Drive and either move files from your My Drive into it or upload new files directly there.
2. Join Members to Shared Drive
- Open the Shared Drive you made.
- Click on the title of the Shared Drive and choose “Manage members” from the menu.
- A window will appear; add people and groups as needed.
- Select access permissions for the new members from the menu options.
- Click “Done” to finish adding members.
My Drive Vs. Shared Drive – Quick Comparison
My Drive and Shared Drives are both storage options in Google Drive, but they cater to different needs.
- My Drive: This is your personal storage space within Google Drive. Here, you can create, upload, and manage your own files and folders. Only you have access to these files unless you choose to share them. It’s perfect for storing personal documents, photos, and any files you don’t need to collaborate on with others.
- Shared Drive: Unlike My Drive, a Shared Drive is designed for team collaboration. Files and folders in a Shared Drive are owned by the team rather than an individual. This means when team members leave, the files remain accessible to the team. Shared Drives are ideal for projects, departments, or any group work where multiple people need access to and ownership of the files.
My Drive vs Shared Drive Differences
| Feature | My Drive | Shared Drive |
| Ownership | Individual | Shared drive itself (team) |
| Access Control | Set by file/folder owner individually | Set for the entire drive with member roles |
| Visibility | Only you by default, share with others | All members with access can see all files |
| File/Folder Permissions | Viewer, Commenter, Editor | Viewer, Commenter, Contributor, Manager |
| Use Case | Personal files, drafts, not-ready-to-share | Team projects, collaboration, central location |
| Disruption if a member leaves | Files might be lost if access not transferred | Files remain even if a member leaves the team |
Also Check:
- How To Password Protect Your Google Drive Folder?
- How To Move Photos From Google Drive To Google Photos?
- How To Upload Or Add Photos To Google Drive?
- How To Download Video From Google Drive?
- How To Backup From Google Drive?
FAQs:
Ans: To share Google Drive links without granting access, choose “View Only” or “Anyone with the link” as sharing permissions. This way, others can see the content but can’t edit or download it, which keeps your data secure and under control.
Ans: Google Drive offers up to 15 GB of free storage per account, which includes all files and folders. Additional storage can be purchased if needed, with options ranging from 100 GB to 30 TB depending on your subscription plan.
Ans: To switch Google Drive to a shared drive, go to Drive settings. Choose “Manage shared drives,” and there, create a new shared drive or adjust existing ones. Shared drives are designed for teamwork, letting multiple users access and edit files together in one place.
Ans: To send files via Google Drive on your phone, just follow these steps:
* Open the Drive app.
* Select the file you want to send.
* Tap the “Share” icon.
* Choose the recipient or sharing method (like email or messaging apps).
* Send the file.
Ans: Yes, you can share a Google Drive folder with someone who doesn’t have a Google account by making a shareable link to the folder and sending it to them. They can then access everything in the folder using that link, even without a Google account.
Conclusion
Sharing files on Google Drive is an easy way to improve collaboration and productivity. Here’s how you can share folders or files with colleagues, friends, or family. Google Drive offers various sharing options that make communication and teamwork seamless.
