Create a pointer to any file or folder in Google Drive with shortcuts

Change what? 

Last year, Google announced beta for shortcuts in Google Drive. This feature is available now and is starting to roll out to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google accounts.

Shortcuts in Drive make it easier to organize content and navigate users to relevant information and files on different drives.

Who is affected?

Administrators, end users, and developers.

Why are you using it? 

Shortcuts are pointers to something that can be stored in a folder or another drive, a shared drive “Shared Drive” or a personal drive “My Drive.”

For example, Paul, a marketing manager, creates a “Marketing Strategy” document and shares it with the sales team. Greta, a sales manager, can now create a shortcut to the document in the “Sales” shared drive, giving everyone on the sales team quick and easy access into the file. 

Additional information

Shortcut – visibility and sharing. 

Shortcuts are visible to anyone who has access to the folder or drive that contains the shortcut (shortcut). However, even if someone can see the shortcut (shortcut), they can only open it if they have proper access to the root file or folder.

Simplify – how files and folders appear in multiple locations. 

To create a consistent experience for managing and viewing Drive reference files, we changed our “Add to My Drive” option to Add shortcut to Drive.”

Change to Drive sharing model and folder structure starting September 30

Starting September 30, 2020, it will no longer be possible to place files in multiple folders in My Drive, including through the Drive API. After this, every file will exist in a single location.

After September 30, 2020, all files that exist in multiple locations in My Drive will be gradually migrated to shortcuts (shortcuts)

No action is required from admin and end users. We recommend developers See more about this and other Drive API changes on the Cloud blog

Getting started

• Admins: No action required. 
• End users: This feature is available by default. Use our Help Center to learn more about how to use shortcuts (shortcuts) in Google Drive.
• Developers: Use the article in the Help Center to learn more about how to create and manage shortcuts (shortcuts) in Google Drive.  To learn more about upcoming changes to the Drive folder structure and sharing model, see This article is on Cloud blog.

Deployment speed

Drive Web

• Rapid Release Exemptions: Gradual rollout, starting March 26, 2020.
• Scheduled Releases: Gradual rollout, starting April 15, 2020.

Drive Android/iOS

• Gradual rollout starting March 26, 2020. Requires app version 2.20.10 or higher for Android and 4.2020.08 or later for iOS.

Drive File Stream

• This feature is already available and requires app version 37.0 or higher.

Backup and Sync

• This feature is already available and requires app version 3.46 or higher. 

Effect

• Có sẵn cho tất cả khách hàng G Suite (Google Workspace) và người dùng tài khoản Google cá nhân.

Source: Gimasys