Google Drive’s ‘Access checker’ will now directly suggest who to share files with

Abner Li | Apr 2 2018 - 3:41 pm PT

Google apps like Gmail and Calendar have long had a useful “Access checker” tool that determines whether the recipient of a shared Google Drive file has access permission. New updates today make the functionality smarter and more convenient.

With a slight redesign, Access checker now makes it easier to see who needs access by directly listing the name and email address of those users.

Meanwhile, rather than just the default “turn link sharing” option to make a file available to anybody who has the link, Access checker will directly suggest granting access to just those users. This convenient change should also help improve security and comes from user feedback.

Lastly, the feature now supports more file types, including those stored on a Team Drive. For G Suite enterprise users, sharing settings configured by your administrator will remain the same, while admins can also select what options appear to users in Access checker.

This launch respects the settings you’ve already chosen for Sharing outside your domain, Access Checker, and Link Sharing Defaults. If you’ve chosen to limit Access Checker to Recipients only, link sharing will not be suggested.