If you are wondering about sharing a file among your teammates located across different geographical locations, then google drive takes your file to the receiver’s desk on time. Sharing files and folders in google drive is easy and convenient than other cloud storage platforms.
Google Drive features such as, easy access by the receiver, file security, accessibility control also allows the user to share files and folders of any size with a another Gmail or even users of other email service providers.
Whenever we upload a new file to our google drive it will get updated in the Google Drive sync folder (Google Backup and Sync has to be installed in PC) and vice versa. This allows us to share the files and folders from any device logged in with google account. There are two such ways to share in file and folders in google drive.
1) Using the Google drive sync folder on your PC
2) Using the web interface of Google Drive.
How to share files and folders using Google Drive sync folder on desktop?
Once you have installed and started using back and sync application, then by default a google drive sync folder will be created on your PC desktop.
Step 1: Open Google sync folder -> locate the file to be shared -> Right Click & hover on Google Drive
Step 2: Now you get three following options to choose
i) Share: Once you click on this, a dialogue box opens up with an option to enter email id of people with whom you want to share the file. You can also choose what they can do with the file by choosing Can Edit or Can Comment or Can View. By selecting advance option, you will get a new window with the following options
1) Link to share with people: You can share a link with people but whoever is having this link can view or edit or comment on the file based on control settings. This link is also available in the start-up window
2) File accessibility can be changed by using Private – Only you can access option: Select any one of the following options 1) On – Public on the web 2) On – Anyone with the link 3) off – specific people. Note that each option can be restricted using Can View or Can Edit or Can Comment options
ii) View on the web: Once you select this option, it will open the file directly in Google Drive. Later in this article, we have discussed this in detail about how to share files and folders using google drive web interface.
iii) Copy link to clipboard: If you select this option, the respective link of the file gets copied in your clipboard. You can share that link with users and post it in internet platforms. But anyone can copy that link and share as per their wish. Your file is insecure and open.
By following above mentioned steps you can easily share files and folders using google sync folder. This allows you to locally access the drive files and share.
How to share files and folders using Google web interface?
Most of Google Drive users have the habit of using google web interface to work on Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. On the same interface, there is an option to share files and folders with an individual person or to a group of people.
Under My Drive all the files are listed and from there you can choose the file to be shared. Right click on the file and a share option is available. Other way is whenever you open a file, on the top right side corner three vertical dots are available. Once you click that, share option can be found listed in the menu.
From here the procedure is same for as it is explained under google sync folder.
Google Drive shared with me:
This option is listed on the left hand side of the Google web interface. Shared with me option is available for the users to check the list of files and folders shared with them. By using this option, you audit the documents and manage the shared files & folders for better google drive experience.
7 hacks to securely share Google Drive files and folders with users for easy accessibility:
1) To turn of automatic updates of the Docs or sheets you have shared with users. Go to file -> Publish on the web -> Published content & settings -> Uncheck Automatically republish when changes are made.
To stop publishing. Go to file-> Publish to the web -> Published content & settings -> stop publishing
2) If you don’t want to give access to people for adding more users. Go to file -> Share -> Advanced -> Check Prevent editors from changing access and adding new people
3) To make someone else the owner of a file. Go to file-> Share -> Advanced -> Click down arrow next to that person’s name -> Select Owner and Save changes.
4) If you want to stop sharing a file. Go to file -> Share -> Advanced -> Click down arrow next to that person’s name -> Select remove and Save changes.
5) To stop users to download, print or copy the file. Go to file -> Share -> Advanced -> Uncheck Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers
6) To give an expiry time to a particular file. Go to file -> Share -> Advanced -> hover cursor over the person name and Click Set expiration. To set number of days click on the number of days to change the expiration date next to Access expires. You must choose a date within a year.
7) A Google Drive file or folder can be shared with 200 people. You can create a Google group and share a file with more than 200 people. More than 100 people can view a file but only 100 people can comment at the same time.
Disadvantages of Google Drive:
1) While sharing a file you cannot protect Google Drive files and folders with a password
2) Since the files and folders are synced across multiple devices, there are chances of duplication of files in google drive. To make this task simple, there is a free duplicate file remover tool available online to find and delete duplicates in few simple clicks
3) We can see files and folders shared with us but we do not have an option to manage files and folders shared with others.
