Share files from Google Drive

You can share the files and folders that you store in Google Drive with anyone.

When you share from Google Drive, you can control whether people can edit, comment on, or only open the file. When you share content from Google Drive, the Google Drive program policies apply.

Step 1: Find the file you want to share

Share a single file

Choose how you want to share a file:

  1. On your Android device, open the app for Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
  2. Next to the file’s name, tap More More.
  3. Tap Share.
Share multiple files
Send and share Google Forms

Google Forms have different sharing options than other kinds of files.

Step 2: Choose who to share with & how they can use your file

Share with specific people
Important: If you use a Google Account through work or school, you might not be able to share files outside of your organization.
  1. On your Android device, open the Google Drive app.
  2. Select the file you want to share and then Share Add approver .
  3. Enter the email address or Google Group you want to share with.
  4. Decide how people can use your file. Select one:
    • Viewer
    • Commenter
    • Editor
  5. If you use an eligible work or school account, tap on the user's role to add an expiration date
  6. When you share your folder, each email address gets an email.
    • Optional: Add a message to your notification email.
    • If  you don’t want to notify people, tap More More and then Don't notify people.
  7. Tap Send.

Learn more about how others view, comment, or edit files.

Tip: When updating permissions for an item you're sharing from My Drive, if the person you're sharing with does not already have permissions for the folder that contains that item, you can choose to:

  • Update permissions for the folder that contains that item
  • Only update permissions for only the item itself

Most users choose to update the folder that contains that item because to make sharing and folder management easier.

Share with a specific group of people

Share with a Chat space

You can share a file or a link to a file with a chat message or a space in Google Chat. Learn more about sending and managing Drive files in Google Chat.

To share a file with a Chat space in Google Chat:

  1. On your Android device, open the Google Chat app.
  2. At the bottom, tap Spaces .
  3. Open the Chat space you want to share the file with.
  4. At the bottom left, tap Action menu and then Drive .
  5. Select the file you want to share with a Chat space.
  6. Tap Select.
  7. Tap Send .

To share a file from a link in the Drive app:

  1. On your mobile device, open the Drive app.
  2. Select the file you want to share with a Chat space.
  3. On the right, tap More options .
  4. Tap Copy link.
  5. Open the Google Chat app.
  6. At the bottom, tap Spaces .
  7. Select the Chat space you want to share the file with.
  8. In the message field, paste the link you copied.
  9. Tap Send .

Tips:

  • When you share a Drive file to a Chat space, a prompt to grant access displays.
    • When you grant access to that Chat space, people who join the space in the future also gain access to the shared files in that space.
  • When people leave a Chat space, they lose access to the Drive files in that space if they don’t have sharing access:
    • As an individual
    • As a member of another group
  • To grant a Drive file access, you must have edit permission on the file you want to share.
Allow general access to the file

You can decide if your file is available generally or restricted to only the people with access. When you allow access to anyone with the link, anyone can open your file.

  1. Open the file you want to edit.
  2. Tap Manage access.
  3. Under “General access," tap Change.
  4. Choose who can access the file.
    • Tip: If you use your Google account for work or school, you can choose to only share files and folders with a specific audience, like your department.
  5. To decide what role people will have with your file, select an option.
  6. Select whether or not people can find the file in search results.
  7. Tap Back.
Share a file or folder publicly
  1. Select the file you want to share.
  2. Tap Share or Share Share.
  3. Under “General access,” tap Change.
  4. Select Anyone with the link.
  5. To decide what role people will have with your file, select an option.
  6. Tap Copy link.
  7. Tap Back.
  8. Paste the link in an email or any place you want to share it.

People who aren't signed in to a Google Account show up as anonymous animals in your fileLearn more about anonymous animals.

Add an expiration date

The expiration date feature is only available for eligible work or school accounts.

You're currently not signed in.

Sign in to your work or school account

Share & collaborate on a file with many people

Important:

  • At any time, a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file can only be edited on up to 100 open tabs or devices. If there are more than 100 instances of the file open, only the owner and some users with editing permissions can edit the file.
  • A single file can only be shared up to 600 individual email addresses.

To share and collaborate on a file with a very wide audience:

Publish the file

  • If you need multiple people to open a file, publish the file then create a link to share to people with access. You can give edit access to people who need to edit or comment on the file. Learn how to publish a file
  • Depending on your account’s settings, publishing a file makes it visible to everyone on the web, everyone in your organization, or a group of people in your organization. Be careful when publishing private or sensitive info. 
  • To remove a file from the web, you must stop publishing it. Learn how to stop publishing a file.
  • To stop sharing a file with collaborators, learn how to change sharing permissions.

Create a Google Site 

Collect feedback with Google Forms

  • If you need to gather a lot of information, create a Google Form. Responses will be recorded in a Google Sheet. Give edit access only to people who need to work with the responses. To let more than 100 people open the responses, publish the spreadsheet to the web and create a link to share to people with access. Learn how to publish a file

Fix problems with documents shared with many people

If your document is shared with many people and it’s crashing or not updating quickly, try these troubleshooting tips: 

  • Instead of allowing people to comment on a document or spreadsheet, create a Google Form to collect feedback. Learn how to create a Google Form.
  • If you’re making a copy of a document, don’t include resolved comments and suggestions. Learn how to make a copy
  • Delete older information or move data into a new document. 
  • Ask people with access to close the document when they aren’t using it. 
  • Include only the most important information in a published document. Shorter documents load faster.
  • Reduce the amount of people with edit access to a document. 
  • If collecting information from multiple documents, create a new, access-only document to share with a large number of people. 

Limit how a file is shared

Choose if people can view, comment, or edit

When you share a file with someone, you can choose their access level:

  • Viewer: People can access, but can’t change or share the file with others.
  • Commenter: People can make comments and suggestions, but can’t change or share the file with others.
  • Editor: People can make changes, accept or reject suggestions, and share the file with others.
Change the general access for your file

You can allow broad access to your file. These options depend on if your Google Account is through work, school, or Gmail.

  • Public: Anyone can search on Google and get access to your file, without signing in to their Google Account.
  • Anyone with the link: Anyone who has the link can use your file, without signing in to their Google Account. 
  • Restricted: Only people with access can open the file.

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