women using laptop computers sharing with phones
You can share OneDrive files and folders in a number of different ways.
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  • You can share files and folders on OneDrive from within Office apps by clicking the “Share” button, or by choosing “Share” in the dropdown menu on the desktop or OneDrive website.
  • Like most cloud storage services, OneDrive keeps your files and folders private unless you choose to share them with someone.
  • To share a file or folder, use the share feature to send it to specific recipients, or get a share link you can make available to anyone. 
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While all the files and folders you store on Microsoft OneDrive are private and secure by default, you can choose to share those items with other people, either with or without editing privileges. You can share files from within Office programs while you are creating or editing them, or from File Explorer on your desktop. 

How to open the share file or share folder window

There are three ways to share a file or folder from OneDrive:

  • You can share a file you are currently working on in a program like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. To do that, open the document in Office and then at the top right of the Office program with the document open, click “Share.” 
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You can share a file you're editing from within any Office program.
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  • You can share a file or folder from File Explorer on your desktop by right-clicking the item and choosing “Share” from the dropdown menu.
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Right-click and choose "Share" to share a file with someone via File Explorer or the OneDrive website.
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  • You can share a file or folder from the OneDrive website. Open OneDrive in a web browser, find the file or folder you want to share, then right-click the items and choose “Share” from the dropdown menu. 

No matter how you choose to share a file or folder, you will now see the Share link window. You can choose to share your item only with specific recipients or share a link that anyone can use. 

How to share files on OneDrive by giving access to specific recipients

After you open the “Send link” window, finish the sharing process by doing this:

1. In the “Send link” window, decide if you want to allow recipients to be able to edit the file (this is allowed by default).

  • If you want to disable editing, click "Anyone with the link can edit" and clear the checkbox beside "Allow editing," then click "Apply."
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To prevent recipients from editing your document, click "Anyone with the link can edit" and uncheck the checkbox.
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2. In the "Enter a name or email address" section, add each person you want to share the file with. 

3. If desired, you can add a custom message for the recipients, which they will receive via email. 

4. When you're done, click "Send."

How to share files on OneDrive by sharing a link

After you open the "Send link" window, finish the sharing process by doing this:

1. In the "Send link" window, click "Copy."

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After you click "Copy link," anyone who gets the link can access your file.
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2. If you want to disable editing, click "Anyone with the link can edit" and clear the checkbox beside "Allow editing," then click "Apply." Otherwise, anyone with the link can edit this file. 

3. Click "Copy." You can now paste the link into emails, text messages, or anywhere else you need to share the file with others. 

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