Learn how to share iCloud files and folders with one or more people, change their access permissions, and stop sharing when done from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and web browser.
Most popular cloud storage services like OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox support file and folder sharing. Similarly, you can share files and folders on iCloud Drive with others using the Files app, Finder, or a web browser.
Sharing iCloud files and folders helps you collaborate on complex projects, share documents with clients, gather vacation photos from family, and more. People with access to your shared item will see it in iCloud Drive on their device and will have the ability to access the latest version of the file.
Who can you share with?
Sharing your iCloud Drive files and folders with a person using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is easy. But even if they do not own an Apple device, you can share the file or folder with them. They will have to sign in with their Apple ID (if they have one), or they can create a free Apple ID on the spot. After that, they can view your shared file or folder in a web browser on their non-Apple device, such as an Android phone.
Note that your friend may have to authenticate their phone number or email with Apple before they can see your shared item.
Share iCloud Drive files and folders from iPhone or iPad
The process of sharing an individual file or a folder is similar. We will use a folder for the steps below.
1) Open the Files app and go to a spot in iCloud Drive.
2) Touch and hold a file or folder and tap Share from the menu.
3) Make sure it says Collaborate under the file name.
4) After that, tap the current sharing status like ‘Only invited people can edit.’ Now, you can decide the following, as per your need, and tap Done.
Who Can Access:
- Only invited people: People who have received your share invite can access this file or folder. Folks who have the link but aren’t invited cannot access it.
- Anyone with the link: Any person with the link can access this iCloud Drive file or folder, whether they were originally invited or not. Use this option with caution, especially if you’re sharing an item with co-workers to collaborate on a sensitive project.
Permissions:
- Can make changes: People you’re sharing the folder with are allowed to upload new items to the shared folder, delete individual files, update existing files, and more.
- View only: The read-only permission limits others to viewing files. They can’t edit, upload, or do anything else.
Adding People:
- Allow others to invite: When this toggle is enabled, the recipient can also add people to this shared iCloud folder. If you turn it off, the privilege of adding people is limited only to you.
5) After setting the above options, select Messages or another way to invite your friend.
6) Once your friend receives your request, they will tap the shared file or folder and hit Open. If they are on an iPhone or iPad, the shared folder will open in the Files app on their device.
After you share a file or folder
Once the sharing for your iCloud Drive file or folder is complete, you and your friend can see it in the following spots:
- Shared tab of the Files app on iPhone or iPad
- Shared location in the iCloud section of the Finder sidebar on Mac
- iCloud Drive in File Explorer on PC that has iCloud for Windows
- iCloud.com in a web browser
Your friend can view the file or folder, download it to their device, add files to the shared folder, rename or delete items, and more. Of course, what the collaborator can do depends on the permissions you set while sharing the item (see step 4 above).
You will see the new changes to your shared files or folders when you access them in the Files app, Finder, or iCloud Web on your device.
Add more people to the shared file or folder
You can invite more people to collaborate on a shared file or folder. In addition to you, existing people with whom this item is shared can also share that file with others, provided you had enabled “Allow others to invite” when sharing the folder.
1) Go to the Files app on your iPhone or iPad and tap Shared.
2) Touch and hold the shared file or folder and select Manage Shared File/Folder.
3) You will see all the people who have access to this item. Tap Share With More People.
4) Set the sharing permission and send the invite using an option from the Share Sheet.
Manage your shared iCloud Drive item
After you have shared a file or folder, you have the ability to change the settings for an individual collaborator or the item in general.
Touch and hold a shared file or folder, tap Manage Shared File/Folder, and do the following.
Manage shared access for a person
1) Tap the person’s name.
2) Now, change their permission and allow them to make changes to the shared item or just view it.
3) Use the Can add people toggle to allow or stop them from inviting more people to your shared item.
4) Hit Remove Access if you no longer want to share this file or folder with that person.
Manage shared access for that item
Changing these access and permission settings will affect everyone with whom the file or folder is shared with. Tap Share Options and make the new changes. What these options do is already mentioned in step 4 of the first heading.
Stop Sharing
If you (the owner of the file) no longer want to share this file or folder, tap the red Stop Sharing button and confirm. Once you do this, the shared file or folder is removed from the iCloud Drive section of all those people who had access to it. If they have the shared file open, an alert will appear on their screen, and once they dismiss this alert, the shared item will disappear from their device.
Share iCloud Drive files and folder from Mac
The basics of sharing an iCloud Drive item from your Mac are similar to what we have explained above for iPhone and iPad. The only difference is you will be using Finder instead of the Files app.
1) Open Finder on your Mac and select iCloud Drive from the left sidebar.
2) Right-click or Control-click a file or folder and select Share.
3) Click Send Copy and set it to Collaborate.
4) Now, click “Only invited people can edit” and set the sharing permissions.
5) Choose a sharing method, like Messages, to send the invitation to your friend or colleague.
Share iCloud Drive files and folder from a web browser
If you use iCloud in a web browser, you can share files from there.
1) Visit iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID and password.
2) Now go to iCloud Drive and select Browse from the left sidebar to see all your files.
3) Select a file or folder, click the three dots icon for it, and choose Collaborate with Others. Alternatively, you can click the share button from the upper right corner.
4) Select Email or Copy Link. If you pick the latter, enter the email address or phone number of the person you are sharing it with.
5) Now, set the Share Options and hit Share.
On a related note: Sharing and collaborating on notes: a guide for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iCloud