No affiliate links or sponsorship. Steps and limits come from Google’s official Drive Help Center, checked October 19, 2026. We didn’t take screenshots or run hands-on tests; Google may move buttons, so follow the labels described.
Quick answer
To share a Google Drive folder, right-click it at drive.google.com, click Share, enter each person’s email address, choose Viewer, Commenter, or Editor, and click Send. On a phone, tap More next to the folder, then Share. Everyone you add gets access to every file and subfolder inside, so check the role before you send (Google Drive Help, October 19, 2026).
Key takeaways
- Folders pass on access: every file and subfolder inherits the folder’s sharing, and you can’t give someone less access to one file than they have to its folder.
- Roles: Viewers open files, Commenters add comments, and Editors can add, edit, move, or delete files and, by default, share them.
- Links: “Anyone with the link” lets people open the folder without signing in to a Google Account; “Restricted” keeps it to people you added.
- Limits: you can share an item with up to 600 individual email addresses.
- Work or school accounts can add access expiry dates (Viewer role only for folders) and may be blocked from sharing outside the organization.
In this guide
- Before you start
- How to share a Google Drive folder on a computer
- How to share a folder from the Drive app (Android, iPhone, iPad)
- How to share a folder with a link
- Viewer, Commenter, or Editor: what can each role do?
- How to control who can edit
- Can you share with someone who doesn’t have a Google Account?
- How to transfer ownership of a folder
- Shared folder or shared drive?
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ
- Sources
Before you start
Good to know
Sharing a folder shares everything in it. All files and subfolders inherit the folder’s permissions, and Google won’t let you give someone less access to a single file than they have to the parent folder; it prompts you to change the folder instead. If one file needs tighter access, move it to a different folder or a limited-access subfolder (Google Drive Help).
You’ll need the folder in your My Drive (or edit rights on a folder someone shared with you, if the owner allows editors to share) and the email address of each person, or a Google Group. New to Drive? Our What is Google Drive? explainer covers the basics.
How to share a Google Drive folder on a computer
Right-click the folder, click Share, add people, pick a role, and send.
- Open Google Drive. Go to drive.google.com and sign in.
- Select the folder. Right-click it, then choose Share and Share again. To share several items at once, hold Shift and select them first.
- Add people. Enter an email address or a Google Group. Work and school accounts may see suggested recipients.
- Choose a role. Select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
- Decide on notifications. Leave “Notify people” checked to send an email (you can add a message), or uncheck it.
- Send. Click Send or Share.
Steps from Google Drive Help and Share files from Google Drive, checked October 19, 2026.
How to share a folder from the Drive app (Android, iPhone, iPad)
In the Google Drive app, tap More next to the folder’s name, then tap Share.
- Open the Google Drive app and find the folder.
- Tap More (the three dots) next to the folder’s name, then tap Share.
- Enter the email address or Google Group.
- Pick Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
- Choose whether to notify. On Android, uncheck “Notify people” to skip the email; on iPhone and iPad, tap More, then Skip sending notifications.
- Tap Send.
Steps from Google Drive Help for Android and iPhone and iPad, checked October 19, 2026. To share several files from a phone, Google suggests putting them in a folder and sharing the folder.
How to share a folder with a link
Open the Share dialog, change General access to “Anyone with the link”, pick a role, and copy the link.
- Open sharing. On a computer, select the folder and click Share. In the app, tap More, then Manage access.
- Change General access. Under “General access”, click the Down arrow (on Android tap Change; on iPhone tap the right arrow).
- Pick who can open it. Choose “Anyone with the link”, or on a work or school account, your organization.
- Pick the role link users get: Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
- Copy the link and click Done, then paste it into an email or chat.
Link sharing risk
“Anyone with the link” means anyone on the internet who gets the link can open the folder without signing in to a Google Account, and when you share a link your name and email are visible as the owner (Google Drive Help). Use “Restricted” plus named people for anything confidential, and avoid giving Editor access through a public link.
Viewer, Commenter, or Editor: what can each role do?
Give the lowest role that lets someone do their job. For folders, Google describes the roles like this:
| Role | In a shared folder | Can share? |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer | Open all files in the folder; can’t change, comment, or share | No |
| Commenter | View files and add comments and suggestions; can’t change the folder structure | No |
| Editor | Open, edit, delete, or move any files, and add new files | Yes, by default (the owner can turn this off) |
| Owner | Full control, including permissions and ownership transfer | Yes |
How to control who can edit
Use the Settings gear in the Share dialog to stop editors from re-sharing, and limit access on sensitive subfolders.
- Stop editors from sharing: in the Share dialog, click Settings and uncheck “Allow editors to change permissions and share”.
- Block downloads and copies: in the same Settings, uncheck the option that lets viewers and commenters download, copy, and print.
- Limit a subfolder: right-click the subfolder, click Share, then Settings, and turn on Limit access. Only people you add can open it, even if they have access to the parent folder (Google Drive Help).
- Set an expiry date (work or school accounts): next to a person’s name, click the Down arrow, choose Add expiration, and pick a date within one year. For folders, this works for the Viewer role only.
- Remove someone: open Share, click the Down arrow next to their name, choose Remove access, and save.
Settings from Google Drive Help, checked October 19, 2026. If a file sits inside a shared folder, the folder’s permissions override settings you choose for the file.
Can you share with someone who doesn’t have a Google Account?
Yes, in two ways: a link set to “Anyone with the link”, or visitor sharing on a work or school account. With visitor sharing turned on by your organization, people without Google Accounts get an invitation and verify their email with a PIN, then can view, comment, or edit for 7 days; after that they re-verify using the original invitation link (Google Drive Help). If you see an error saying you can only share with a Google Account, the person can create a Google Account with their existing email address, which doesn’t have to be a Gmail address (Google Drive Help).
How to transfer ownership of a folder
Share the folder with the new owner first, then choose Transfer ownership next to their name. They get an email and become owner only after accepting; until then you stay the owner. Transferring a folder doesn’t transfer the files inside, which you still own. On work or school accounts you can transfer only to someone in your organization, and you can’t transfer from a personal account to a work or school account (Google Drive Help).
Shared folder or shared drive?
For a team on Google Workspace, a shared drive is usually better than a shared folder in someone’s My Drive. In a shared drive, members share ownership of the files, and files someone added stay when that person leaves. Shared drives are only for work or school accounts, and members get roles: Manager, Content manager, Contributor, Commenter, or Viewer (Google Drive Help). If you’re choosing a Workspace plan, see our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison.
Troubleshooting
Why can’t I share outside my organization?
Your administrator may restrict external sharing or link sharing on work and school accounts (Google Drive Help). Ask your admin, or use visitor sharing if it’s turned on.
Why can’t I give someone view-only access to one file in an editable folder?
Because files inherit folder permissions. Move the file to a folder with tighter sharing, or use a limited-access subfolder, and leave a shortcut in the original spot (Google Drive Help).
What happens if someone removes files from my shared folder?
If you own a file and delete it, it goes to your trash, and collaborators can still view or copy it until you delete it permanently. If someone who doesn’t own a file removes it from a shared folder, it moves to the owner’s My Drive (Google Drive Help). If your storage is filling up, see Google Drive storage full.
Before you give Editor access
Editors can delete or move any file in a shared folder by default. Give Editor access only to people you trust with the whole folder.
FAQ
How do I share a Google Drive folder with someone?
Right-click the folder at drive.google.com, click Share, enter their email address, choose Viewer, Commenter, or Editor, and click Send. On a phone, tap More next to the folder, then Share.
Does sharing a folder share all the files inside it?
Yes. Every file and subfolder inherits the folder’s permissions, and you can’t give someone less access to a single file than they have to its folder.
How many people can I share a Google Drive folder with?
Google says you can share a single item with up to 600 individual email addresses. For bigger audiences, share with a Google Group or use a link.
Can people open a shared link without a Google Account?
Yes, if you set General access to “Anyone with the link”. They can open it without signing in and appear as anonymous animals in Google files.
How do I stop sharing a Google Drive folder?
Open the Share dialog, click the Down arrow next to the person’s name, choose Remove access, and save. To stop link access, set General access back to Restricted.
Can I make a shared folder view-only?
Yes. Add people as Viewers, and in the Share dialog’s Settings you can stop viewers and commenters from downloading, copying, or printing files.
Sources
Google’s official Drive Help Center only. All checked October 19, 2026 (PKT).
Show all 9 sources
- Google Drive Help: Share and manage access to files and folders (computer)
- Google Drive Help: Share and manage access (Android)
- Google Drive Help: Share and manage access (iPhone and iPad)
- Google Drive Help: Share files from Google Drive
- Google Drive Help: Limited access to files and folders
- Google Drive Help: Make someone else the owner of your file
- Google Drive Help: Share documents with visitors
- Google Drive Help: Share files with non-Google Accounts
- Google Drive Help: Store and share files with shared drives
Changelog
- October 19, 2026: First published. Steps for computer, Android, and iPhone, roles, link sharing, limited access, expiry, visitor sharing, ownership transfer, and shared drives checked against Google Drive Help. No hands-on testing or screenshots.
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