One of the biggest missing features of iCloud has always been the inability to share files with non-iCloud users. While cloud storage providers like Dropbox have always included an easy way to share files using public links, iCloud did not offer this feature in the past. Fortunately, it’s finally here and you can now share files up to 5GB with anyone with a simple link. In this post, I will show you how you can share files using iCloud File sharing on Mac.
Note: You must be on macOS Catalina 10.5.4 or later for this feature to work.
Share Files Using iCloud File Sharing on Mac
We covered in a previous article how users can share iCloud files and folders on iPhone with other Apple users. If you are interested in this topic, click the link to read it. Here we will show you the steps to share files using a public link. it’s going to happen Lets you share files with anyone, whether they use iCloud or not. With that, let’s get into our tutorial.
1. First, open iCloud Drive on your Mac and navigate to the file you want to share. The easiest way to do this is to use Spotlight.
2. Now, right-click on the file you want to share and go to Share -> Add People as shown in the image below.
3. Here you can choose to share the file via email, message or link. If you select the “Copy Link” option, you will be able to share the file using any messaging app or email client.
4. But before sharing the file, let’s make sure our permissions are correct. Click on the triangle to reveal the options for configuring the permission.
5. The first is the “Who can access” option. Click on the drop-down menu and two options will be displayed. First option — “Only people you invite” — ensures that only the people you share the link with can download the file.
But for this to work, you need to use Apple’s built-in sharing feature or enter the recipient’s email id or phone number. You can choose the second option if you want to allow anyone with the link to download the file.
6. The second “Permission” option allows you to grant read and view rights to users. If you don’t want users to make any changes to the shared file, keep the “View only” option selected.
7. After deciding the permission, click the Share button to share the file.
Share iCloud Files with Everyone
I’m glad that Apple has finally decided to improve its iCloud storage service. Cloud Storage providers like Google Drive and Dropbox have surpassed iCloud in terms of features. Apple’s failure to develop iCloud has forced users like me to pay for multiple cloud storage services.
Hopefully this isn’t a one-off feature and Apple will continue to improve iCloud for years to come. What do you think about this new feature? Let us know in the comments below.
