When you share a file or folder using Dropbox, the recipient receives an email with a link to the file or folder. The recipient must have a Dropbox account and be signed into that account to view or edit the file or folder. If the recipient doesn’t have a Dropbox account, or doesn’t want to sign in to view it, you can share it with a view-only link instead.
You can control whether people can edit or can only view your files and folders when you share them and even after you share them. Edits and comments made to a shared file or folder are updated live for everyone they’ve been shared with. Learn how to manage your default sharing settings.
Notes:
- If you're on a Dropbox team account and you share a folder with your teammates, the folder is automatically added to their Dropbox accounts.
- If you share a folder with an individual Dropbox user, the user needs to manually add the folder to their Dropbox account.
- Anyone who is invited to collaborate in a file or folder can create their own link to share with others.
- If you’re an admin on a Dropbox team, you can control the access settings for folders. Learn how to manage shared link settings for your team.
Share a Dropbox file or folder
On dropbox.com
- Sign in to dropbox.com.
- Hover over the file or folder you’d like to share and click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
- Type the Email, name, or group of the person (or people) you’d like to share with, and click to select them from the results.
- Note: You can add as many people as you’d like.
- Select Can edit or Can view.
- Add a note if you’d like, and check the checkbox if you’d like to Post this note as a comment.
- Click Share file or Share folder.
The person or group will receive an email with a link to the file or folder.
On the Dropbox desktop app
- Open the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
- Right-click or command-click the file or folder you’d like to share.
- Click Share….
- Type the Email, name, or group of the person (or people) you’d like to share with, and click to select them from the results.
- Note: You can add as many people as you’d like.
- Select Can edit or Can view.
- Add a message if you’d like.
- Click Share file.
The person or group will receive an email with a link to the file or folder.
On the Dropbox mobile app
- Open the Dropbox mobile app.
- Tap the “⁝” (vertical ellipsis on Android) or “…” (ellipsis on iPhone/iPad) next to the file or folder you’d like to share.
- Tap Share.
- Tap Invite to file.
- Tap under Send to and type the Email, name, or group of the person (or people) you’d like to share with.
- Tap to select them from the results.
- Note: You can add as many people as you’d like.
- Tap to select Can edit (view, comment, and edit), Can view (view and comment but not edit), or View-only (view only — they can’t see comments).
- Tap Message (optional) to add a message if you’d like.
- Tap Share.
Related Resources:
