Looking for a place where everyone in your team can share documents and information? You can create a shared google drive where everyone who is a member of the drive has access to all files and documents.
- Getting started: what do I need before creating a shared google drive?
- How do I create a shared google drive?
- How do I add people as members to the shared google drive?
- What if someone doesn't have a gmail/google account? Can they still be added?
Getting started: what do I need before creating a shared google drive?
Everyone who has a gmail account or an email address that ends in @afs.org has access to a google drive. If you'd like an AFS google account with an email address that ends in @afs.org, you can request one here. Once inside your google account, you can access your own google drive by clicking the grid of nine dots in the top right corner of your google account:
When you click on the grid, all of your google apps appear in a pop up. Select "Drive":
How do I create a shared google drive?
The ability to create a shared google drive does vary by type of google account, but all AFS google accounts are capable of creating a shared drive. Once inside your google drive, click on the "Shared drives" menu in the lefthand menu bar, then click the "+ New" button:
A pop up will ask you to name the shared drive. You'll then see the shared drive listed in your "Shared drives" drop down menu:
How do I add people as members to the shared google drive?
Adding members to the shared google drive is a one-time activity. Click into the shared drive name in the lefthand menu, then you'll see blue link to "Manage members." You'll add each person to the shared drive and select their level of access:
Full access as a manager of the shared drive will give someone access to all files, settings, and the ability to add/remove drive members. You're now all set to collaborate!
What if someone doesn't have a gmail/google account? Can they still be added?
Whether or not someone can create a shared drive does depend on the kind of google account they have, but anyone with a google account can be added to a shared drive. So if anyone in your team does have an AFS google account, they can create the shared drive and add people.
Someone who does not have a google account of any kind will not be able to be added as a member to the shared drive, but there are two sharing possibilities for them.
- Inside of the shared drive, you can share an entire folder with them up to the "contributor" level (pictured above) where they can add and edit files but not move or delete files. So it's a bit of a loophole if you create a folder and just always put everything in that folder if you want to make sure that non-google people can always access files.
- And as always, individual documents can still be shared with them.
Write to AskAFS@afsusa.org with questions.