{"id":120837,"date":"2023-01-17T10:24:04","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T10:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/?p=120837"},"modified":"2024-01-23T11:33:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T11:33:31","slug":"how-to-create-shared-folder-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/how-to-create-shared-folder-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Shared Folder on Mac [A Complete 2024 Guide]"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have multiple Macs at your disposal or your Mac is used by different users, it’s almost inevitable that at some point you will need to share files with other users at some point. Fortunately, macOS made the file-sharing process<\/a> quite easy. Let’s check how you can make a shared folder on Mac to allow other users not only access but work with files you store on your machine. <\/p>

Step 1: Turn on File Sharing on your Mac<\/h2>

Before proceeding with this point, make sure you are logged in to your Mac as Administrator. <\/p>

You first need to turn on File Sharing, which is typically disabled by default: <\/strong><\/p>

1. Go to System Preferences<\/strong> by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen. Alternatively, you can click on System Preferences<\/strong> in the Dock panel at the bottom of your desktop or access System Preferences through Launchpad from the Dock. <\/p>

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\"Apple
Apple Logo > System Preferences menu<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

2. In the System Preferences menu, find and open the Sharing tab<\/strong>. <\/p>

3. On the left side of the Sharing tab, you will see the list of different services. What you need to do is find File Sharing<\/strong> and check an empty checkbox opposite to it. You will see then that the File sharing status has been changed to On<\/strong> and a green dot indicating that the File Sharing feature has been successfully enabled. <\/p>

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\"System
System Preferences menu > Sharing  > Enable File Sharing<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

Step 2: Create a Shared Folder on your Mac<\/h2>

Now, as File Sharing has been enabled, you can move on and create a Shared Folder to allow other users to access it. If you have already created the folder containing the files you want to share, you can go ahead and skip this step.  <\/p>

1. Go to Finder and choose the location of your future shared folder from the list on the left. <\/p>

2. Right-click and select New Folder<\/strong> from the drop-down menu. Name the folder but avoid punctuation marks or spaces in the name. <\/p>

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\"Finder
Finder > Desktop > Create New Folder<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

Now, since you created the needed folder, you can move to the next step and make a shared folder. <\/p>

It can be done in two different ways: <\/strong><\/p>

1. Change the general characteristics of the folder. Go to Finder, right-click on the folder you have created and select Get Info<\/strong>. In the newly opened menu, you will see Shared Folder under General<\/strong>. Put a checkmark in the empty box next to it. <\/p>

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\"Get
Get Info > Shared Folder<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

Now, if you open Sharing via System Preferences, you will see the folder you created in the list of Shared Folders.<\/p>

2. Add your folder to the Shared Folders list. Go back to the Sharing tab<\/strong> in System Preferences<\/strong>. Find Shared Folders, go to the bottom where the plus sign icon is located, and click on it.<\/p>

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\"System
System Preferences > Sharing<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

3. Next, choose the folder you created previously, highlight it by clicking on the name and hit the Add<\/strong> button in the bottom right corner of the menu<\/p>

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\"Sharing
Sharing  > Shared Folder  > Add<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>

You will see that the folder has appeared under Shared Folders in Sharing. <\/p>

Step 3: Work with File Sharing Permission <\/h2>

Now, when you’ve enabled File Sharing on your Mac and created a shared folder, you can proceed with granting access to your files to other users. You can select four different file-sharing permissions<\/a> depending on the amount of access you want other users to have. They are Read & Write<\/strong>, Read Only<\/strong>, Write Only (Drop Box),<\/strong> and No Access<\/strong>. <\/p>

Below you can find out more about each type of permission: <\/strong><\/p>