Google Drive gets Access checker update for smarter sharing

Google is on a quest to make email and productivity even smarter, rolling out functions like Smart Reply, for one. But the Mountain View company is applying the same smarts to Google Drive, as evident by the latest update.

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The Google Drive Access checker tool has received an update (h/t: 9to5Google), bringing more intelligent sharing options to the table. The company used a blog post to give some background on the technology.

“When you send an email, calendar invite, or other communication that includes a Drive file, Access checker automatically looks to see if the people you’re sending the message to have permissions to view the file. If they don’t, Access checker asks if you want to change the permissions before you share the file,” the firm explains, before diving into the new update.

“You’ll now see the names or email addresses that don’t currently have access to the file in the Access checker interface,” reads an excerpt of the post.

One of the more interesting features in the update is the ability for the Access checker to anticipate specific contacts that need access — Google explains. “Access checker will anticipate who needs access to a file and intelligently default to sharing with those recipients only.”

Finally, the last change is that more file types are supported by the Access checker in a Team Drive.

Miss the previous way of handling Google Drive files? You can still choose to share links willy-nilly, letting anyone with the URL see your files. G Suite administrators also have more robust control over the Access checker, allowing you to choose exactly which options your users see.

In any event, the news comes a few weeks after Google’s first major take on more intelligent Drive features. Back then, the company revealed a new UI and an AI push to help users quickly find the right files.