How to share Google Drive folders with non-Gmail users

If you’ve been using Google Drive regularly, you’ve probably been thinking to yourself about how to share a Google Drive folder with non-Gmail users.

Here we have a solution for you. This article shows a step-by-step guide on how you can share any Google Drive file or document with other users without a Gmail account.

Google Drive app has entirely changed the way we share files, documents, and data via Dropbox, OneDrive, or any other service.

It lets us access and share large files and folders instantly, increasing our productivity at work.

Although it may allow effortless sharing with other Google users, the issue occurs when you have to share files with a non-Gmail address.

As many people still use other email services, like Outlook, Yahoo for communication, etc. exchanging drive folders with them requires some additional work.

How to share Google Drive folders with non-Gmail users
1. Creating a shareable link to a Google Drive document or folder
2. Directly sharing a folder with non-Gmail users
Wrap Up

Many Gmail users suppose that they cannot share Drive files with people who use other email services than Gmail.

However, in reality, they just need to generate a shareable file link and send it.

Later, the users can access the shared Google file using that shared link without the need to create a Google account.

Creating a shareable link to a Google Drive document or folder

Follow the steps below to create a shareable link to your Google Drive document on your phone or computer:

Start by accessing Google Drive;
Go to the folder or document you want to share and right-click it to open a menu. If you do not have a folder, you can create one by tapping on “New” and then “Folder” on the left side of the page;
Click on the Share icon on the menu. A box will appear on the screen. Here you can add people or groups of people with whom you want to share this Drive;

How to share Google Drive folder with non-Gmail users

Next, click on “Restricted” and tap on “Anyone with the link”;

Now, access the “Viewer” option and select any of the folder permissions according to your choice.

Here’s what different sharing permissions mean in Google Drive:

Viewer: A viewer can view and download the shared folder or document.

Commenter: This sharing setting means anyone with this link can access and comment on the file.

Editor: Anyone with the link can view, edit and delete the shared Drive and its content.

Finally, click on the “Copy link” button and send the link to any non-Gmail user via email, WhatsApp, or any other communication media you’re using.

If you have the email of the one with whom you want to share any document or file, you can directly email them the Google document via your Google Drive account.

First off, open your Google Drive by right-clicking on the file or document you want to share and then select the “Share” button;

Now, click on “Add people and groups” and type or select the email to which you wish to send this document;

Next to the email, you will see a “Viewer” or “Editor” option. Tap it and change the viewing permission according to your choice;

Click on the “Send” button at the bottom of the page;

A pop-up will appear confirming you are sharing the document with a non-Google account. Click the “Share anyway” button, and the person will receive the shared folder, Google doc, or file on his/her email.

Once you share an item with any user, they will be notified of your action via email, as shown in the picture below:

Here, we have shared a pdf file link with a Yahoo email id. The email comes with a warning sign and says it grants access to the shared item without logging in.

Therefore, the user who receives this email can access the shared document without signing in to a Gmail account.

Wrap Up

With an enormous sharing limit of 10 GB, Google Drive is one of the widely used cloud storage services for uploading and sharing items.

It provides a reliable sharing platform to Gmail, as well as non-Gmail users.

You can use the link-sharing method to share one or multiple files with one or many non-Gmail users.

Moreover, you can also email the files directly via Google Drive, and they will be able to access them via their email account.

Many people and organizations don’t use Google services or apps for formal communication.

Therefore, it is essential to know how you can share Drive folders or Google Sheets with non-Gmail users.

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