Google Drive Sharing and Collaborating

Google Drive

Sharing and Collaborating

Introduction

Sharing and Collaborating on Files

Watch the video (4:14). Need help?

Sharing Files

• Files she keeps private, like her spreadsheet with classroom expenses
• Files she lets others edit, like the lesson planning documents she creates with her co-teacher 
• Files she shares publicly and doesn't let others edit, like the newsletters and announcements she shares with her students and their parents
• Files that others share with her, including ones she can edit, like her co-teacher's supply inventory, and ones she can't, like a schedule sent to her by the principal

Choosing Sharing Settings for a File

To Share a File with a Limited Group of People:

1. Locate and select the file you wish to share.
2. The file action buttons will appear at the top of the page. Click the Share   button.
   Sharing a file from your Google Drive
3. The Sharing settings dialog box will open. In the Add people: box, type the email addresses of the people you'd like to share the file with.
4. Click the drop-down arrow next to each person's name to decide whether they can edit, comment on, or justview the file. Remember, only files in Google Docs format can be edited online by different people.
   Adding people to share the file with
5. If you'd like, you can add a message that will be emailed to the people you share the file with. You might use this message to explain the file, or let them know why you're sharing it with them.
   Adding a message about the shared file
6. Google Drive calls the people you share files with editors. By default, editors are allowed to invite new people to access the file. If you want, you can prevent this by clicking [Change]. A second Sharing settings dialog box will appear.
7. Select Only the owner can change the permissions. Then, click Save to return to the first dialog box.
   Changing the sharing settings to prevent other editors from re-sharing the file
8. Click Share & save. Your file will be shared.
   Clicking Share & save

Viewing the shared file on your Google Drive

Sharing With a Link

You can easily share a file with a larger group of people by providing a stable link to any file in your Google Drive. A stable link is like a private web address for any file you wish to share. This can be especially helpful for files that would be too large to send as an email attachment, like music or video files. You can also share a file by postingthe stable link to a public webpage. Anyone who clicks the link will be redirected to the file.

Use your best judgement when making any of your files public. Even if you only share the link to a file with a few people, that document could be found by anyone online. You should never make personal or sensitive information stored on your Google Drive publicly available.

To Share a Link:

In this example, we'll share a file by sending a stable link in an email.

1. Locate and select the file you wish to share.
2. The file action buttons will appear at the top of the page. Click the Share   button.
   Sharing a file from Google Drive
3. The Sharing settings dialog box will appear. Click Change... to make the file accessible to anyone with the link.
   Changing the privacy settings of a file
4. The Visibility options will appear. Select Anyone with the link and then click Save.
   Changing the visibility options
5. The Sharing settings dialog box will appear with the Link to share. Right-click the link and then select Copyfrom the drop-down menu.
   Copying the link
6. Paste the link into the body of your email.
   Pasting the link into an email

You can also publish a file to the web to share it with a larger audience. Publishing a file actually converts the file into a very simple web page. To publish a file, click File while editing a Google doc and then select Publish to the Web... from the drop-down menu. Only files in Google Docs format can be published.

Publishing a file

To Move Shared Files to Your Google Drive:

People can also choose to share files with you. These files will appear in the Shared with me folder on your Google Drive. However, someone can always unshare a file with you, leaving you unable to view or access the file. If someone shares a file that you want to keep permanently, you can move that file to your Google Drive.

1. Navigate to the Shared with me folder on your Google Drive. Any files shared with you will appear.
   Viewing files shared with you
2. Click, hold and drag the file to My Drive in the left-navigation menu.
   Moving a shared file to your Google Drive
3. The file is now stored permanently on your Google Drive.
   Viewing the moved file

You can easily share any photos stored on your Google Drive on Google+. Just click the Share Photo button and then select From Google Drive from the drop-down menu.

Sharing a photo from your Google Drive on Google

Collaboration Tools

Whenever you share a file in Google Docs format, you'll have the option to allow your co-editors to change andedit that file. Google Docs offer several tools that enhance collaboration by making it easier to communicate with your co-editors and to see which changes have been made and by whom.

Review the interactive to learn about the collaboration features in Google Docs.