Google adds a simpler sharing option to its Workspace apps

Google Docs logo on a laptop screen
(Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Google is enhancing real-time collaboration in Docs, Sheets, and Slides by streamlining the document-sharing process.
  • Instead of a full-screen pop-up, the "Share" button now features a dropdown menu for quick actions like "pending access requests" and "Copy link."
  • Google Drive is introducing timestamped links for specific parts of a video, which comes in handy for internal use in companies and schools.

Sharing just got a makeover in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. Say goodbye to the pop-up page taking over your screen as Google introduces a new dropdown menu that lets you share documents with ease.

Google Docs and its siblings under the Workspace family are some of the go-to solutions for getting work done online for many people. They're super handy because they let you team up on projects and easily share them with your colleagues. Once a document is out there, everyone can jump in at the same time, making it a real-time party of adding, editing, and updating.

Currently, when you hit the "Share" button in those Workspace apps, a full-screen pop-up takes over to let you choose with whom to share a certain document and adjust access to it.

google docs dropdown option on the sharing button

(Image credit: Google)

Now, Google is giving it a makeover with a new dropdown menu that'll give you speedy options, like checking out "pending access requests" or just straight-up copying the link. And, of course, Google will inform you about who's got permission to open that link.

We're already seeing the latest minor change to the Workspace apps in our devices. That said, the full-screen pop-up remains an option when you click the Share button itself instead of the dropdown option.

The feature is gradually making its way to both the Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. In the next few weeks, it's set to arrive for all Google Workspace users and personal Google account owners.

Google also tossed in a new trick to the Google Drive sharing button. Now you can share a link that takes users straight to a specific time in a video. This coincides with a new feature for sharing docs and files in Google Drive with users invited to your Google Calendar meeting.

google drive timestamped links in videos

(Image credit: Google)

If you're the video creator, just hit pause at the right moment. Then, click the dropdown option on the Share button in the top-right corner and choose "Copy link to this time." This feature is rolling out on the web right now for all free and enterprise account holders.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.

Read more
Google Workspace drops
Google Workspace drop brings advanced Gemini integration across services
Google Photos library tab showing its logo above the favorites and utilities buttons
Partner Sharing support for third-party app images returns to Google Photos
Quick Share on an Android phone
Google Quick Share simplifies file sharing with secure QR code scanning
Find My Device home page log in to Google account against colorful background
Google updates Find My Device with a 'People' tab location-sharing option
Collaborate-with-Gemini
Gemini gets new features, including one that turns documents into fun podcasts
Google Meet logo on a phone screen
Google mixes things up with its Meet redesign bringing emoji reactions upfront
Latest in Apps & Software
The promotional image for Google Workspace feature drops.
The March Workspace feature drop upgrades Gemini's note-taking and translation tools
YouTube Music home screen
YouTube Music's personalized radio stations are getting even smarter
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Home Screen - 16x9
Heads up — Samsung's detailed One UI 7 rollout schedule for Galaxy appears
The old Android logo at Google's Pier 57 building in New York City
Report claims Google may move to 'privately' develop Android's future
Comparing the display size on the Samsung Galaxy S25 with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
What you need to know about One UI 7: Software is hard
The Google Maps logo at the Google Maps Street View Garage
Google Maps might predict more than just the traffic for you soon
Latest in News
The promotional image for Google Workspace feature drops.
The March Workspace feature drop upgrades Gemini's note-taking and translation tools
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display
New leak shows off Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in 'Titanium' variants
YouTube Music home screen
YouTube Music's personalized radio stations are getting even smarter
The back of the Obsidian Google Pixel 9 Pro
Some Pixel owners had a delayed start, thanks to alarm clock failures
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Home Screen - 16x9
Heads up — Samsung's detailed One UI 7 rollout schedule for Galaxy appears
The old Android logo at Google's Pier 57 building in New York City
Report claims Google may move to 'privately' develop Android's future