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10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

This is one of those moments where I want you to jump to the bottom of the page. Google Drive was working with three authors from three corners of the United States. The three authors had one hour to write and collaborate on a story. They made it. That's real-time collaboration at its finest.

Sharing with collaborative cloud platforms like Google Drive is no longer new. The giants of the tech world are fighting the wars for businesses and consumers. The dust isn't going to settle anytime soon. This is good news for us consumers as we enhance our workday with shared files, folders and computers.

So, I have to ask you:is it still very easy to share files with Google Drive? Or are you still learning? Either way, these ten tips should help you manage shared files a little better starting today.

Note: If you're sharing sensitive files, make sure you enable Google Drive client-side encryption. 3 useful tools to improve the security and privacy of Google Drive. 3 useful tools to improve the security and privacy of Google Drive. Google Drive's built-in encryption is enough to keep your private files safe. Of the robbery and intrusion? Let's find out. Read more !

The basics of sharing

It's about creating the right kind of sharing permissions and level of sharing. You can share any file or folder on Google Drive. The two-minute video summarizes the process.

As the owner, you can give others full ownership of a file, or some level of edit and editing access.

  • Can edit: The collaborative spreadsheet you're working on with your team.
  • I can comment: The draft of the book you are writing. Others can view and add comments to the file, but cannot edit it. Folders do not have comments.
  • I can see: The invitation to the weekend party you just did with the presentation..

Here's a chart comparing access for a viewer, commenter, editor, or owner:

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Source:Google Support

1. How to disable copy, download and print shared files?

You can refuse downloading, printing and copying of shared files. The advanced information rights management feature removes these options from the viewer menu. This is another layer of control over your documents.

Open Google Drive. Select the shared file and click the Share icon at the top right.

About Sharing with others dialog box, add the collaborator's name and click the Advanced Option located at the bottom right..

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Select the Disable download, print and copy options for commenters and viewers cash register. Click Save changes.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Viewers will see an “Export Options Disabled” notification at the top of the File and Edit menus for specific documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Please note that those with "edit" permissions will still be able to download, print, and copy your file, even if this setting is turned on.

2. Share a folder with non-Google users

Your friends and colleagues don't need a Google account to view a Google Drive folder or document. This is one of Google Drive's little-known abilities. You can send an invitation to your email address. Or use a share link.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Choose between I can see or Can edit orYou can comment . Click the Save button.

You can enter the Advanced share settings and choose other sharing options. The person receiving the invitation does not have to sign up and sign in with a Google account to view the file. But, they will need a Google account to edit a file or comment.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Sharing via a link is a security risk. How safe are your documents in Google Drive? How secure are your documents in Google Drive? Read more for sensitive documents Because anyone with the link can access the file.

3. Download an entire shared folder

Google Drive allows you to download the entire contents of a shared folder as a ZIP file. This is useful for saving local copies of shared documents. The folder structure with any subfolders is preserved in the file.

Go Share with me In your Google Drive. Right click on the folder and choose Download .

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

You can also use the triple dots icon on the toolbar to download the folder.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

If you download a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide, it will download as an Office document. All other files will be downloaded in their native format.

4. Transfer ownership of files to someone else

There are many reasons to transfer ownership of documents to someone else. Maybe someone else is taking over a project. Maybe someone fired you. On a better note, you're going on vacation and just want to relinquish responsibility for shared documents. The process for digitally. “delivering” Google Drive documents and folders is easy.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Open Google Drive. Select the shared file or folder in Docs, Sheets, or Slides and click the Share button. Icon in the upper right. When the presumed owner does not have shared access… invite by typing the email address in the “Invite People” field. Then Save .

Click Advanced in the bottom right corner of the share box. Click the dropdown menu next to the name of the person you want to own the file or folder. Select You own . Click Done .

Your role is changed from an owner to an editor after transferring ownership.

Note: You can't transfer ownership of a synced or uploaded file (such as a PDF or image file).

5. How to request access to shared files?

When you try to access a file through a shared link, you may see a message that says “you need permission.”

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Sometimes owners share a link before they've set permissions. Also, you may want to open the file with an alternate Google ID. It's easy to request access with a single click.

On desktop:

  • Opens a link to the file..
  • Click Request Access.

On Android:

With the Drive app for Android you can request access with a single tap when the “Document cannot be accessed” message appears. The request permission will email the owner from within the app. File owners are immediately notified on Android and iOS. The mobile app has been updated with this feature recently.

6. Search for a collaborator

Sharing a document with 10 members is easy. Sharing it with 50 calls for more planning. Managing shared files also means keeping track of which collaborator is working on which document.

Go See details (Click on the “I” in the toolbar). Browse the Activity tab to quickly see what files you've recently shared.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Click Share with me In the left menu of Google Drive. You'll get a list of all the documents you share access to.

Use the The power of Google search filters . The productivity benefits will come as no surprise to those familiar with Gmail filters.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Use the search box at the top of Google Drive. Google Drive search also searches the body of the document. You can search the first 100 pages of any text or text-based PDF document you've uploaded. You can also search the text found in the first 10 pages of any image PDF file. Instead of searching through folders, use this powerful feature to quickly access a file.

While in Google Drive press the slash key to move the cursor to the right in the search box. Click the little dropdown arrow in the search box to reveal the basic search filters. Learning a few manual parameters can save you time.

Google help has the full list.

7. Simplify sharing by creating groups of contacts

With email contact groups, you don't have to set individual document permissions for your team members.

Sign in to Google Contacts. In the left sidebar, click New Group .

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Give it a descriptive name based on your team's project. Or anything else that makes them easy to remember. You can name groups by permissions to make them easy to remember.

Populate the New Group with the email addresses of the team members.

Use these specific contact groups in your file or folder sharing settings.

8. See the view count of a shared document

Google keeps a version history, but there is no way to see how many times a shared document has been viewed. I got the answer to this question from a Stack Exchange discussion.

This is useful in cases where you might want to share a document publicly and check the response. Please note that public documents and files are displayed in search results.

Some ideas to share publicly:

  • Upload and share an eBook.
  • Test the initial response to a creative product..
  • Launch a slideshow for public viewing (such as SlideShare).
  • Find open educational content.

Tipping: You can use a simple Google site search to find public documents. E.g. keyword site:drive.google.com

9. Share to Slack

Slack is the new workplace or office digital water cooler. If you're not already working with Slack, it's time to introduce it to your team. There are plenty of ways to get your favorite services working with Slack. The Google Drive integration is one of the most popular.

Slack allows you to import files from Google Drive and share them through Slack. Slack also indexes all files imported from Google Drive for easy search and reference. Files are not stored in Slack; they continue to stay in your Google Drive folders. Slack acts like a conduit.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

A small example:paste a link to a Google document in the Slack chat room. Slack displays a snippet of file content below the link once it's embedded. This is more useful than just sharing blind links.

The Slack Help Center shows how you can connect your Google Drive to Slack in two easy ways.

10. Share Google Docs from Microsoft Office

Google Drive vs. Microsoft Word Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word:The Research Death Match Writing Google Docs Vs. Microsoft Word:The Death Match for Writing Research Online solutions are becoming the norm. We decided to see how Microsoft Word compares to Google Docs. Which one will do the best investigative work? Read More You can now open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files stored on Drive, work on them in Microsoft Office, and share them through Google Drive. All thanks to a handy plug-in that is imaginatively named as - Google Drive Add-on for Microsoft Office .

The plugin works with Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016..

Install the plugin and give it permission to access your Google Drive folders. The plugin appears as an additional tab on the ribbon and as a new location on the Save screen.

10 tips for managing shared files on Google Drive

Office documents stored on Drive are also version controlled. You can keep track of previous versions of an Office file or go back to a previous version. When you want to work on a Google document, it opens in the appropriate Google Drive program in a separate browser window.

Aren't you sharing wonderful!

You can't go alone on 21. S t Century. There are a number of benefits when you collaborate in real-time teamwork:10 Tips for Effective Real-Time Online Collaboration Teamwork:10 Tips for Effective Real-Time Online Collaboration Read more. There are also challenges. But reduce the amount of hoops to just sharing a piece of information and good things will happen.

The video of the written project shows how more can be achieved with less when collaborative synergy occurs.

Spend a little time with Google Drive's collaboration features. The harmony of teamwork depends on it. Take Google Drive beyond a file storage system with the many tips and tricks it offers across all platforms. Tell us about the role of Google Drive in your connected world.

Do you actively use it to get together around a common project? What's one tip you'd like to share that makes managing Google Drive a little better for us? Or even a complaint that holds you back?