An editor can be enabled to have full read and write access for collaboration. A commenter cannot change the content of the document but can make suggestions through comments. In the default settings they will be able to download a copy for themselves and edit their own copy if they choose. (Please note that if you are sharing with a non-gmail email, they will default to being a viewer.) There are three collaboration options for Google Drive.Ī viewer can only access you file as view only and will not be able to make any changes to your document. Click the drop down to select viewer, commenter, or editor. This is the view your collaborators will see if they want to access your file later.Īfter entering the email address of the collaborator (or allowing it to auto-fill from the name if they are in your contacts list), the permission category for that user will appear. On the recipient’s end, they can click the link in the email, as well as locate the file or folder in their shared with me folder. This can be used to lock out anyone who is not on this list, or as just a convenient way to send the collaborator an email to invite them to collaborate. Share with people and groups allows you to set who specially access the document. Both options can share your file or folder but the permission settings are a bit different. One is to share directly with people and groups and the other is to copy a shareable link. Once the share dialogue pops up, you have two options. Adjusting permissions in a direct invitation If you already have the file open, there is a big share button at the top right. All three options will get you to the same share dialogue. Single clicking will highlight the document and create more options at the top toolbar.įrom within a document, there is a Share button in the upper right of the tool bar. You can also single click the document and then click the share icon at the top of the folder. This is the menu that pops up when you right click on a file. Share will be in the top section of this menu. You can do so from the folder in your browser or from within the file.įrom within Google Drive, you can right click on a document to bring up the options menu. Let’s start with a review on how to share you files. The basics of how to share files and folders from your drive By knowing how to change permissions when sharing, you can fully control the access to your files and your intellectual property. However, many people are concerned with the security of their data when sharing from the cloud. Google Drive’s cloud based file storage can be a really powerful tool for remote work and collaboration.

Google drive sign in keeps popping up