As regular Workspace users know, one of Google's greatest strengths is its emphasis on collaboration. For virtual teams and hybrid offices, the office suite is a godsend, providing digital connectivity that produces seamless workflows and instant communication.
That laser focus on productive collaboration has been the driving force behind many recent Workspace upgrades, such as the newest tweak to file sharing, which facilitates quicker response times among busy teams.
File sharing in Google Workspace
Sharing a file in Google Workspace is easy. Just hit the 'Share' button at the top of the screen in Google Docs and add the users you'd like to weigh in on your work.
Occasionally, however, you'll find that someone wants into the Doc but needs access. You may have forgotten to add them, or a colleague passed on your file to someone outside your organization. Whatever the reason, Google will let you know by sending an access request to your email.
This notification allows file owners to accept or decline the request directly from the email. So far, so good, but what if you don't have access to your inbox?
In this situation, users were forced to wait until the file owner logged in, checked their inbox, and clicked 'accept.' If you're working on an urgent project, under pressure with a looming deadline, or paused mid-task, this wasn't just annoying; it was frustrating, unproductive, and time-consuming.
Google's file-sharing update
Google has eliminated this small but pesky issue, allowing users to grant share requests from within their documents. Now, if someone wants into your file, you'll get the same email notification, but you'll also see a notification dot on your 'Share' button and, when you click on it, a new banner at the top of the sharing pop-up window.
You can grant the user access from that window and tick the box to notify them that their request has been accepted.
The update will automatically be rolled out to Workspace accounts, so admins don't have to worry about turning it on or off from the admin console. Users will notice notification dots appearing in their Share button.
You may even have seen them already - Google began rolling out the update at the end of June and will make it available for all Workspace users and those with personal Google accounts.
Sharing made simple
Google understands the strong link between collaboration and productivity. Sharing across the Google ecosystem is designed to be seamless, keeping remote workers connected and enabling quicker, more efficient workflows in the cloud.
Unlike other office suites, Google fosters connectivity both within organizations and externally - recognizing that staff aren't always sharing with colleagues; they need to stay connected with clients, partners, and customers, too.
You don't need a Google account to open a Google file. If you want to share a document with someone outside your company, just add their email address, and they'll be granted access. You can adjust user permissions if security is an issue, controlling what they can do with their access - allowing them to comment and edit or simply view.
As a Google Cloud Partner, UpCurve Cloud is highly experienced in integrating and adapting Google's full software suite to all business platforms and tools. Whether you're looking to upgrade your Workspace applications, integrate your existing IT systems with the Google Cloud Platform, or train your employees to work more efficiently using Google's tools, our experts can help. Book a consultation today to boost your team's productivity with Google.
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