Sharing large files with Google Drive

You can send a large file with WeTransfer, but then you have little control: anyone with the link can download it. With Google Drive you decide who gets access, what they can do and when you take that access away again. Here's how to do it step by step.

What you need

Creating a Google account

Upload a file

  1. Go to drive.google.com and sign in.
  2. Select New at the top left and choose File upload or Folder upload. You can also drag files into the browser window.
  3. Wait until the upload finishes. You'll see the progress at the bottom right. For very large files, keep the browser window open.

Upload large files often? Install Google Drive for desktop. It syncs in the background and resumes the upload if your connection drops for a moment.

Uploading files to Google Drive

Share the file

  1. Right-click the file and choose Share.
  2. Type the email addresses of the people who may open the file.
  3. Pick their role: Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
  4. Under General access, choose who can use the link: Restricted (only the people you add) or Anyone with the link.
  5. Select Send or Copy link.
The Share dialog in Google Drive

Stay in control

Managing access to a shared file in Google Drive

Tip for organizations

For work files, use the storage your organization manages. In Microsoft 365 that's OneDrive or SharePoint, where your company's sharing rules and retention policies apply. Also see share large files securely with OneDrive and the Google Drive guide.

Read also

Share and send large files securely with OneDrive
Guide: everything you need to know about Google Drive
Share large files with Dropbox and request files

Nederlandstalige versie: Grote bestanden delen met Google Drive en zelf de controle houden

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