Skip to main content

How to share files with other people on a Mac

Apple has implemented an easy-to-use file-sharing system for its Mac systems, providing a straightforward way for Mac owners to share files, data, and folders with other individuals. Choosing what specific files and folders that can be accessed by users other than yourself is predominantly controlled by Mac’s Shared and Public folders.

Let’s take a look at how to share files with other people on a Mac.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Mac desktop or MacBook

Sharing files with the Shared folder

Putting files into the Shared folder on your Mac will allow any other user account on your system to view its contents.

Step 1: Open Finder. In the search bar, enter users and find and open the Users folder. Here, the Shared folder will show up. Open it.

The Shared folder on a Mac.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Open a new Finder window. Drag and drop or copy and paste the files and folders you want to be shared with other users into Shared.

When another user on your Mac logs in to their account, they'll be able to view the files you placed within the Shared folder.

Inputting files into the Shared folder on a Mac.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sharing files with the Public folder

Another way to share files and folders with other people on a Mac is through the system’s Public folder.

Step 1: Open Finder, search for public, and open that folder.

Step 2: Copy and paste or drag and drop whatever you wish to be shared into the Public folder.

The Public folder on a Mac.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Customizing permissions for Shared and Public folders

Now that we’ve explained how to share files and folders with other users on a Mac, let’s take a look at how to customize specific permissions for both the Shared and Public folders.

Step 1: Open System Preferences and then select Sharing.

An arrow points to the Sharing settings icon for Mac located within System Preferences.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Select the Public folder, which should already be displayed within the Shared folders section. The default settings assign read and write control (can edit and delete) to the admin account, while other users are set to Read Only.

However, by selecting a user’s Read Only field, the permission for that person can be changed to Read & Write as well.

The Sharing settings window for Mac.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: In the Shared folders section, select the + button and add the Shared folder. Follow step 2 and make any necessary adjustments you wish to apply in terms of who exactly has Read & Write permissions.

The Shared folder permissions settings for Mac.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: If you want to share files and folders with other users on your network who are using another system as opposed to your own Mac, select the Options button, select the Share files and folders using SMB box, and select Done. The SMB address can now be used to share files on your Mac to another system.

Similarly, within that same window, you can also enable Windows file sharing as well for Windows-based systems.

The file-sharing options for Mac.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another way to share files with a Mac is via AirDrop — head over to our guide explaining how to use this feature.

Editors' Recommendations

Zak Islam
Computing Writer
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
My last hope for Mac gaming is the iPhone 15 Pro
Craig Ferguson introducing Mac Gaming at WWDC.

I’ve been impatiently waiting for the Mac to finally become a great gaming computer for years, and every time I get my hopes up, they seem to be dashed with disappointment. Yet for the first time, it feels like we could be on the brink of genuinely meaningful change -- and it’s all thanks to the iPhone.

I watched Apple’s September event and saw the company claim its new A17 Pro chip would turn the iPhone 15 Pro into a miniature console, with big-name titles like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Death Stranding making the leap to the device. That’s all well and good, I thought, but what about the Mac?

Read more
How to change icons for files and folders on Mac

MacOS makes it easy to distinguish a file from a folder by the icon. The icon for a file represents the type of file. For instance, a text file is a piece of paper, and a zip file shows a zipper. The icon for a folder is even simpler: It’s a folder.

What isn’t always obvious is how to change the icons for files and folders on Mac. Maybe you want an image as a file icon or a different color for a folder icon. In just a few clicks, you can make those icons almost anything you want.

Read more
This dangerous new Mac malware steals your credit card info
A hacker typing on an Apple MacBook laptop while holding a phone. Both devices show code on their screens.

People like to think that Apple’s Macs are more or less invulnerable to the assorted viruses and trojans that afflict Windows PCs, but that’s far from the truth. That’s just been aptly demonstrated by the emergence of a new malware strain that attempts to steal all of your passwords, credit card data, and more.

The discovery was made by security firm SentinelOne, which named the malware MetaStealer. According to SentinelOne, MetaStealer has the potential to trick you into giving away vital information that could cause a huge amount of damage, and it has a nefarious way of getting what it wants.

Read more