How to Share a Folder on iCloud (2026): iPhone and iCloud.com

Sharing an iCloud Drive folder from the iPhone Files app

1. Open the Files app and find the folder.
2. Touch and hold the folder.
3. Tap the Share icon.
4. Tap the menu under the folder's title.
5. Tap Share a Link.
6. Choose People you choose or Anyone with the link.
7. Under New Participants Can, pick editing, or view and download only.
8. Send the invitation.

The two access options do very different jobs. People you choose restricts the folder to those you invite or approve, with an optional Access Requests switch. Anyone with the link lets in whoever ends up holding it, which gives you less say over the audience.

The participant setting matters just as much. Edit rights let people change what's in the folder, while view and download only lets them look at the contents and save them without making changes.

Apple's iPhone guide to iCloud Drive sharing flags one more point. Once a folder is shared for collaboration, everything added to it later, by you or anyone else in it, is shared automatically. You don't have to share each new file separately, but nothing dropped into that folder stays private either.

Share a Link isn't the only choice in that menu: Send a Copy is a separate option sitting alongside it.

Sharing a folder from iCloud.com in a browser

1. Go to icloud.com/iclouddrive and sign in.
2. Select the folder, then choose Share.
3. Decide who can reach it.
4. Set the New Participant option to Edit, or View and Download Only.
5. Select Create Link, then Copy Link.
6. Send the copied link to the people you want in.

The web treats a shared folder as one unit. The iCloud user guide says every item inside has the same access and edit options as the parent folder, and you can't add participants to an individual item within it. If one document needs a smaller audience, keep it outside the shared folder and share it separately.

Inviting more people once the folder is shared

1. In Files, tap Shared.
2. Touch and hold the shared folder.
3. Tap Manage Shared Folder.
4. Tap Add Participant.
5. Choose how to send the link.

Also using Google Drive or OneDrive? See how to share a Google Drive folder or a OneDrive folder.

Moves and switches that break an iCloud shared link

Two changes lock people out. Move a shared file to a different folder or location and its link stops working, so everyone you shared it with loses access. Switch a folder or file from Anyone with the link to People you choose and the original link dies for everybody; only people who get a fresh invitation can open it again.

Names are the other risk. A shared file's link includes its name, so if either the name or the contents are confidential, ask the people you send it to not to pass the link on.

Frequently asked questions

Can people I invite add their own files to the folder?

Yes. In a collaborative folder participants can add items, and each addition is shared automatically.

What happens when Access Requests is on?

Someone without an invitation can ask to get in, and it's up to you whether to let them.

Where can I see what I've shared from my iPhone?

Tap Shared in Files. That's also where you manage participants later.

Why did my shared link stop working?

Two things break a link: moving the item, or switching access to People you choose. If you switched to People you choose, send a new invitation.

Is it safe to post an iCloud link publicly?

Only for material you're happy for strangers to reach. Under the open setting, whoever sees the post gets in, and the address reveals the item's name. Keep private material on People you choose.

Does Manage Shared File work the same way?

Yes. It's the single-file version of Manage Shared Folder, with Add Participant in the same place.