The 5 Best Ways to Use OneDrive Sharing

One reason that OneDrive has become a popular collaboration tool is the number of official apps on different devices, including Windows 10 PCs and iPhones. Another reason is its sharing features allow users to share files on OneDrive with anyone via email, or on a social network such as Twitter or Facebook.

Here are five different ways for how to share files on OneDrive quickly and effectively.

Man and woman sitting on a white couch sending computer files to each other via the OneDrive cloud service — Todor Tsvetkov / E+

Instructions in this article apply to OneDrive on Windows 10 and up, iOS 11.3 or later, Android 6.0 and newer, Mac OS X 10.12 or later, and Xbox One.

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The OneDrive service is integrated directly into Windows 10 and later, meaning you don't need to download any additional apps to use it on a computer or tablet running either operating system.

A OneDrive folder will have been created on your Windows device by default; all you need to do is save a file or move it into that folder for it to be synced to your OneDrive account. Once you have a file within the Windows OneDrive folder, you can share it with others by doing the following:

Open the Windows Start Menu and select Documents.
Locate the OneDrive folder in the menu on the left side of the screen and select it. It should be below Quick access and above This PC.
Find the file or folder in your OneDrive folder you want to share and right-click it to bring up an options menu.
From this menu, select Share a OneDrive link. This will create a unique link for your file or folder that will be immediately copied to your device's clipboard.
Copy this link into an email, social media post, or messaging app by pressing Ctrl+V on your keyboard or by right-clicking your post-draft and selecting Paste.

When using a OneDrive app, take care to log in with the same Microsoft account on all devices.

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The official OneDrive iOS app can be used to backup photos and access documents uploaded to the same OneDrive account from other devices.

The OneDrive app can also be used to share files and folders with others. Here's how to do it:

Open the OneDrive app on your iOS device.
Find the file or folder you want to share and long tap it for about two seconds.
The ability to select more files or folders will now appear on the left side of the screen while several new icons will now be visible along the top. Select the icon resembling a square with an arrow pointing up. This is the share icon.
You'll now be presented with a selection of social apps for sharing the file. Select the icon of the app you want to use. This will open that social app with the link to the file automatically embedded in a new post.

Alternatively, you can select Copy Link to copy the link to the file to your clipboard, then paste it into any app you wish.

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The official Android OneDrive app works in much the same way as the iOS version. It can be used to upload files and also to access a user's entire OneDrive cloud library to view, download, or share. Here's how to share a file or folder with someone else with the OneDrive Android app:

Open the OneDrive app on your Android device.
Locate the folder or file you want to share and press it for a couple of seconds.
The options to select more files or folders will appear, as will the option to share. Select the share icon.
From the drop-down menu, select whether you want the person you're sharing the file with to be able to edit the file or simply view it.
Select Copy link.
The unique link to your OneDrive file or folder will now be saved to your Android device's clipboard. You can now paste it into any app you like for sharing.

When sharing a link to a OneDrive file or folder, remember that anyone who selects the link will be able to access it. It's often best to restrict sharing to private messages instead of a public post.

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The official OneDrive website can be a very convenient way to access and manage all of your files and folders that have been uploaded to your account. The website can be accessed via any internet web browser on Mac, Windows, iOS, or Android and it's just as functional as most of the official apps.

Here's how to share a file or folder with the OneDrive website:

Go to OneDrive.com and log in.
Find the file or folder you want to share and right-click it. A menu should appear. If you're using a tablet, long-press the file or folder, then remove your finger.
From this menu, select Share.
Select Get a link.
A unique web link will be created for your file or folder. Select the blue Copy button to copy the address to your device's clipboard. You can now use this link to share your content with others via social media or email.

Before sharing or editing a file in your OneDrive account, make sure your device is connected to the internet and all of the files have finished syncing. This will prevent the creation of duplicate files or changes being overwritten.

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Boy and father playing Xbox One video games — JasonDoiy / E+

The Xbox One video game consoles feature built-in OneDrive integration that's used to back up all gameplay screencaps and recorded video clips. Once synced to the connected Microsoft account, these video and image files can be accessed and shared via the OneDrive website and apps on other devices.

From the Xbox One dashboard, press the RB trigger on your controller twice to navigate to the Community feed.
At the top of the feed will be a Manage captures link. Navigate to it and press A.
The next screen will show you all of your recorded videos and screencaps. Find the one you want and press A once again.
The selected media will fill the entire screen and an overlay with several icons will appear. In the middle of the overlay will be a cloud icon. If the icon is faded, this means the file has already synced to your OneDrive account. If it isn't faded, highlight it and press A.
You'll be asked to confirm the upload to your OneDrive account. Highlight Upload to OneDrive and press A. Your file will now be available to share on OneDrive via one of the official apps or the OneDrive website.

Once uploaded to OneDrive from your Xbox One, your videos will be available in the Videos folder, while your gaming screenshots will be accessible in the Pictures folder.

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