How to share a folder on a Mac.

Which kind of sharing?

• Another computer on the same network: File Sharing (below).
• Another user on this Mac: the Shared folder (below).
• Someone somewhere else: share an iCloud Drive folder, or zip it and email it.

Turn on File Sharing

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General, then Sharing.
2. Click the info button next to File Sharing, then turn on File Sharing.
3. Under Shared Folders, click the add button, pick the folder, and click Open.
4. Select the folder, then set access for each user:
   • Read & Write: see and copy files both ways.
   • Read Only: see files but not add any.
   • Write Only (Drop Box): add files but not see what’s there.
   • No Access.
5. Click Done.

Apple notes that every user’s Public folder is shared automatically, any user set up on the Mac can connect by default, and an administrator account can reach the whole Mac. To let someone in without a full account, choose them from Contacts in the Users list and Apple creates a sharing-only account with a password.

Open the folder from another Mac

In a Finder window, click Network in the sidebar, double-click the Mac, then click Connect As. Or choose Go > Connect to Server and type its address. If it can’t be found, Apple says it may be unavailable or you may not have permission, so check with whoever owns that Mac.

Share a folder with a Windows PC

1. In Sharing settings, click the info button next to File Sharing, then Options.
2. Turn on “Share files and folders using SMB.”
3. Under Windows File Sharing, tick each account that will be used from Windows, enter its password, and click OK.

The PC needs your Mac’s address (shown under “File Sharing: On,” like smb://computername.example.com) and a user name and password on your Mac. Apple also has you enter the Windows workgroup name (Network settings > your connection > Details > WINS). It warns these passwords may be stored less securely, so turn those accounts off when you’re done. More options in Send a file from your Mac to a Windows PC.

Share with other users on the same Mac

In the Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, type /Users/Shared, and drag the file or folder in. Everyone on the Mac can read it; only the owner can edit or delete it. For one person, use the Drop Box in their Public folder.

Sources: Apple Mac User Guide Set up file sharing on Mac, Share Mac files with Windows users, Connect your Mac to shared computers and servers and Share files with others who use your Mac, checked October 27, 2026.

For the people you send to every week: Sendoff

File Sharing is for computers on your network. For the file you send your accountant or your teammate every week, wherever they are, Sendoff is quicker. It’s a Mac app that lives in the notch and sends by Gmail or iMessage. Drop the file, pick the person, press Send off. It ranks your regulars first, remembers each person’s channel, and gives you 3 seconds to undo.

Join the waitlist below, and tick the beta box if you want to test it first.