Google Drive is one of the only cloud-based storage services that gives 15 GB of storage space. Compared to Google Drive, OneDrive offers 5 GB, and Dropbox gives a measly 2 GB of free storage space. Even after the 15 GB runs out in Google Drive, buying more data is pretty affordable as well.
One of Drive’s best features is the shared files, where you can share your documents or files with other people for work or other reasons.
You can find the Shared with me section in Google Drive on the side menu, from where you can access all the files and documents that have been shared with you by other people.
However, this section can get cluttered and messy very quickly if you don’t organize the files within them. This article corroborates a few methods to help combat this cluttering issue. Furthermore, here is everything you need to know on how to organize shared with me files in Google Drive.
How to Organize Shared With Me Files in Google Drive?
The first method is to create a shortcut for the files you want to organize in My Drive. As you cannot create folders within the Shared with me section, creating a shortcut to these files in the My Drive section will allow you to control and handle them better.
Refer to the instructions provided below to see how to do it.
- Sign in to your laptop or PC and open your favorite browser.
- Go to this site, which will take you to the Google Drive website.
- Enter your details to login into your Drive if prompted.
- Once you’re logged in, click the Shared with me tab from the side menu.
- Select the files you want to organize by holding down the Ctrl button and selecting the files one by one.
- After selecting the files, right-click on them to display the contextual menu and select Add shortcut to Drive. A new pop-up window will show where you can navigate to a new location.
- Subsequently, you can also press the Shift+Z shortcut to display the same pop-up.
- Once you’ve selected the location, click on Add shortcut.
Now you can organize the shortcut in your My Drive folder much better, and even if you’re using the desktop app, you will see that the shared files are saved as a shortcut in My Drive.
Furthermore, make sure to follow the steps properly as mentioned to get the best results, or else you will have to start all over again.
Read How to Rename Multiple Files On Google Drive
Using the In-built Filters to Sort Shared With Me Files in Google Drive
You can also use the various filters available to sort and organize your files in Google Drive. It allows you to make things easier for you to access files or even search a particular file on your cloud storage platform. Refer to the instructions provided below.
- Sign in to your laptop or PC and open your favorite browser.
- Go to this site, which will take you to the Google Drive website.
- Enter your details to login into your Drive if prompted.
- Once you’re logged in, click on the Shared with me section from the side menu.
- You can click the arrow next to the Name option to organize the files in the ascending or descending order of the alphabet.
- Besides that, you will also see a Share date option; click on it and select any filter you want from the list. You can sort the files according to their share date, last modified, last modified by me, or last opened by me.
Read How to Share Large Video Files Using Google Drive
How to Access Shared With Me Files Quickly?
If you want to access or open a shared with me file frequently, you can add that file or folder to the starred section in your Drive. Refer to the instructions provided below to learn how to do that.
- Sign in to your laptop or PC and open your favorite browser.
- Go to this site, which will take you to the Google Drive website.
- Enter your details to login into your Drive if prompted.
- Once you’re logged in, click on the Shared with me section from the side menu.
- Select the file or files you want to access faster, right-click on them to show the contextual menu, and click Add to Starred.
- A shortcut to the file will be placed in the Starred section in your Drive, which you can access by clicking on it in the side menu.
After adding files to the starred section, you do not need to search for that file in the Shared with me section. Furthermore, you can simply click on the Starred tab from the side menu to access the files.
Read How to Search Large Files on Google Drive
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I manage shared folders in Google Drive?
Well, to manage the Shared folder on your cloud platform you can sort out the files or organize them manually. There are many ways to manage them, you can choose to make the changes to its access permission if you are the owner. To empty some space, you can even delete those shared files that are no more in use from Google Drive.
Conclusion
There are various ways you can organize your files within the Shared with me section in your Drive. Choose whichever methods suit your needs the best.
From doing it manually to simply sorting them out with a single click of a button you can do it all. To organize it you can choose to create folders and add them to it based on their functionality. Also, in the same way, you can even get rid of them that you might never need. All of these come under organizing the files.
However, make sure that you do not delete the files that are owned by you and shared with other people. If you delete it as an owner, it will not be accessed by other people as well. Furthermore, in such a case you can make someone else the owner and free up your space to add other files and organize them.
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Hello, my name is Shirley. I’m a Google Drive expert and have been working with the platform since it launched. I’ve written extensively about Google Drive tips and tricks, and have created numerous tutorials on how to get the most out of the platform. I also enjoy creating tutorials to help people learn how to use Drive like pros. Read more