When I speak at conferences, I sometimes want to give attendees PDF handouts or other digital goodies. Or, I might want to give away something on Twitter or in an email promotion, for a short time only. In cases like these, I don’t want to Sync Folders with Others (as in the previous chapter) or Send Files to Others (as in the next). I want to make the files available to an indeterminate number of people without my having to contact or approve each one individually—and without requiring anyone to sign up for an account with a cloud provider or download special software.
While I want to make it simple for recipients, I also want to be able to limit access to the files (say, require a password or make them available only for a limited time) while remaining able to modify the original file (for example, to correct an error).
The easiest way to do all this is to store the file in the cloud and then publicize a link to that file. In years past, this may have involved uploading files to a Web or FTP server and then managing it manually. But with Dropbox (or, in some situations, iCloud Drive), nearly the whole process can be automated.
Broadcast a Dropbox Link
First, make sure the file(s) to which you want to broadcast links are located in your Dropbox folder (or one of its subfolders). Then…
Share from a Mac
Select a file.
Right-click (or Control-click) a file and choose Share Dropbox Link from the contextual menu ①.
① This menu command is the fastest way to share a Dropbox link from a Mac.
The URL for the shared item is copied to your Clipboard, and you can then paste it wherever it’s needed.
Share from an iOS Device
In the iOS Dropbox app, select a file.
Tap the Share icon followed by Copy Link.
The URL for the shared item is copied to your Clipboard.
Select a file by clicking in its row but not on the filename directly.
Click Share > Share Link. A link appears, which you can copy and paste—or fill in email address(es) and a comment to send it to someone.
Optionally click the Change Permissions / Add Expiration link to modify sharing options (discussed in more detail just ahead).
Modify Sharing Options
On the Dropbox Web site, you can make two important modifications to a shared item—either as you’re sharing it from the site, or after the fact. (Mac shortcut: in the Finder, right-click or Control-click a shared file and choose View on Dropbox.com.) Then click the file’s Share button followed by Change Permissions / Add Expiration. Your options are:
Password-protect: Select the Only People with the Password radio button ②, fill in a password, and click Save Settings. Then the password, and not just the URL, are required to view or download the file.
② Optionally add a password or expiration date to a link in this dialog.
Expire: Select the Yes radio button next to Add an Expiration Date to This Link, select a time period from the pop-up menu (30 days is the default), and click Save Settings. After this time has elapsed, the item will no longer be shared.
Click the X icon next to the link you want to stop sharing.
Click Remove Link to confirm.
Broadcast an iCloud Drive Link
Certain iOS and OS X apps, such as Apple’s iWork apps, contain a Share Link feature for any of their documents stored in iCloud Drive. (This does not apply to documents you’ve stored locally on your Mac’s disk.)
In supported Mac apps: Open a document stored in iCloud Drive. Then choose Share > Share Link via iCloud, followed by the name of an app or service (or Copy Link to put the URL on your Clipboard).
Choose View Only from the Permissions pop-up menu. (Otherwise, you won’t just be broadcasting, you’ll be sharing—the other person will be able to edit the document.) Then click Share Document Type.
In the OS X Finder: Navigate to a file in iCloud Drive and select it. Then click the Share icon on the toolbar and choose a destination.
In supported iOS apps: With a document open, tap the Share icon > Share Link via iCloud ③. Tap View Only and then Share.
③ After tapping the Share icon, tap here to share a link via iCloud.
In the Share sheet ④, tap the name of an app (such as Messages, Mail, or Twitter), or an AirDrop destination, to send the link there; alternatively, tap Copy to put the URL on your Clipboard.
④ The iOS Share sheet lets you send the URL for a shared document in various ways.
In the iCloud Drive app for iOS: Touch and hold the file’s icon. In the popover that appears, tap More. Tap Share Item and then tap the desired destination in the Share sheet.
icon followed by Copy Link.
icon on the toolbar and choose a destination.
icon > Share Link via iCloud ③. Tap View Only and then Share.
