How to share files and collaborate on Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage services and is widely used by individuals and businesses. It’s an integral part of Google Workspace, offering 15GB of free cloud storage for storing various types of files, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as PDFs, pictures, videos, and more. It’s like your personal workspace, except it’s on the web, and you can access your files from any device with an internet connection.

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Make the most out of Google Drive

Google Drive lets you collaborate with people by inviting them to work on the same file or folder. Here’s how.

If the file is a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide and is open, select theSharebutton in the upper-right corner of the screen. For PDFs, videos, and images, tap the three-dot icon followed by theSharebutton.

Instead of one file, you could share several files at a time. Here’s how.

Like the web software, the Google Drive mobile app can share files. Here’s how it works.

Unlike the web app, you can’t select and share multiple files simultaneously on mobile.

If you want a more elaborate file-sharing method, Google Drive offers links that can be copied and sent to other platforms. Users can click the link to see, comment on, or modify the content based on the permission settings. Here’s how to use it.

Sharing files by links isn’t much different from adding collaborators via email. To do this:

Anyone on the internet can access the file or folder if they get their hands on your links. Make sure you don’t share any private information.

You can now share your copied link with other reviewers.

To make the process faster, go to theManage accessoption and change the permissions before copying the link using any of the link buttons besideGeneral access.

The Google Drive logo

By default, Google Drive only allows you to share a few files or folders simultaneously, whether you’re adding collaborators or copying file links. But what if you want to share your entire Google Drive with someone? You have two options: one is great, and the other is not so great. Let’s start with the not-as-great option.

Download and upload method

With this method, you download files from one drive and upload them to another. This has several limitations, which we’ll address shortly. But if you don’t mind them, use this method to share an entire drive. Here’s how it works:

The upload and download process only makes sense for moving items from an old drive or account you wish to deprecate to a new one.

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There are many downsides to this process. First, it consumes data (anywhere from a few megabytes to gigabytes) depending on the number of files. You’ll also have to wait for downloads and uploads. But those aren’t the main issues.

On the technical side, the files are added to the drive as new uploads. You’ll lose collaborators, document histories, comments, and other information stored in the file. Also, if you’ve been added as a collaborator to a file, you may’t access it until the owner adds your new email.

The Google Drive logo on a laptop screen

Shared drives

A shared drive is the better way to go and is perfect if your goal is to create a drive that belongs to a team instead of one individual. It’s a collaborative space where teams can store and access files from any place and at any time. Each shared drive can contain up to 600 people when added individually. However, the number can go up to 50,000 when 100 groups are added, each containing 500 people. When a group is added to a shared drive, all future members of the group automatically have access to it.

Shared drives are only accessible to Google Workspace accounts, so overall control is with the administrators. Admins can give members access levels that determine how much they can modify the shared drive files. For example, members with Viewer and Commentator access can view and comment on files, respectively, while contributors can add and edit them. Meanwhile, content managers can move files to the Trash without deleting them permanently, while members with Manager access can permanently delete files from the Trash. To learn more about shared drives, check outGoogle’s guide.

Take collaboration to a new level

Google Drive is a versatile and convenient tool for storing files in the cloud. However, the best part about the tool is its seamless cloud integration and web synchronization that allows people worldwide to work together without hiccups. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can improve collaboration with colleagues and take your productivity through the roof.

If you’re new to Google Drive and want to learn its ins and outs, check out ourGoogle Drive beginner’s guide.

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