Microsoft has announced that it is releasing a series of updates designed to improve the experience of its customers when it comes to the sharing of folders and files from SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business.
These are available at present to those signed up to the Office 365 service and on its First Release plan that – as the name suggests – provides its users with the earliest possible access to the latest updates released by the software giant. The changes see Microsoft scrapping the pop-up window for sharing that had become standard and opting for a new callout-based experience. This represents the third change that Microsoft has chosen to make when it comes to the sharing of folders and files across its Office 365 platform.
Those wishing to give this new experience for sharing a try can do so by browsing either a modern SharePoint Online document library or their OneDrive for Business, choosing a folder or a file and then clicking on the Share function that can be found on the actions toolbar. The changes that Microsoft has made to this sharing feature will enable those who are using it to decide in what way the folder or file will be shared, thus configuring how a user wishes to share it.
For a lot of users, the ‘Anyone with the link can view and edit’ option will be their default setting for sharing, meaning that a sharing link that is anonymous will be generated when that user clicks on Send. The user then has the choice of putting in the email address or name of the person that they will be sharing the folder or file with, as well as a message giving that individual further details about it.
The setting for Sharing is reliant on the worldwide configurations for this that the SharePoint Online Administrator has set up using the Admin Centre in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. However, the drop-down menu for Sharing enables a user to alter the method of sharing folders and files. Doing this also lets the user configure whether the generated link enables the recipient to make edits or just to view them. This drop-down menu also allows for the setting of expiration dates.
The button called Send enables the user to share the chosen folder or file via an email, while the one called Copy Link produces a link for sharing that can be pasted into customised emails and sent to the chosen recipients.
Last but not least, the button called Outlook sees a fresh window for browsing opened in which Outlook can be used for the creation of an email for the purposes of folder or file sharing. The email editor pre-populates both the body and subject boxes. We are sure that users of these programs will find the changes improve their experience of file sharing, once they adjust to them.
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