In February 2024, Microsoft began a complete overhaul of the sharing feature. You could also call it the third generation—or even the future of sharing. And after a few delays, it’s set to launch at the end of August.

Here are a few numbers for you:

As early as 1980, Microsoft had started with physical sharing, though it was very slow.

As early as the 1990s, there were attachments and copies—a lot of duplication—but it was fast.

In the 2000s, we had Direct Access, which ultimately required us to manage multiple people.

Since 2014, we’ve had what’s called link-based sharing. That, too, had to be managed.

Every month, 1.2 billion files and folders are shared.

For the transition, 64 apps were identified in which OneDrive had already been installed or was incidentally involved. And now we’ll take a closer look at what are known as “Hero links.”

The Hero Link

Each file is assigned a Hero Link. This Hero Link controls all access to the file. And with just one click on “Copy Link,” you can easily share it—for example, via email. This eliminates the need to create, delete, and manage multiple links. Test files with your team. Update the Hero Link. Done.

The Next Generation of Sharing

One problem we used to have was that we had to use separate tools (Sharing and Access) to see who had shared which file with whom. Now, all of that is handled in a single tool: Sharing.

Changes to permissions are now displayed in real time. Permissions are updated in bulk. Easily modify or remove permissions in a single session. The changes are displayed immediately.

Additional links can now be given names to help users keep track of them and assign specific tasks.

And if you work with Copilot, you’ll get things done even faster. When summarizing a document, Copilot can ensure that the recipient finally understands what the file they’re receiving is about. They no longer have to open and read it first.

When you add new people, there are some nice little features. With just one click, you can automatically send the user an email with the information.

Videos

Microsoft has spared no effort, however, and has already released five videos. These videos are short and simply show what we can expect in the near future. The link below will take you to a page where you can download the individual videos.

• 01 share dialog overview
• 02 add people in detail
• 03 hero link in detail
• 04 managing people in detail
• 05 advanced controls

When will Microsoft roll out the new sharing feature?

You can watch a great video here from Stephen Rice , the product manager in charge of the new sharing feature on the OneDrive team, and you can also watch the video from the July edition of OneDrive Office Hours. Microsoft has also written a blog post about it, complete with many images.

Microsoft invited me to the Private Preview and set up the tenant so that I can already use the new sharing feature.

The new sharing feature is scheduled to be rolled out starting in late August. However, you don’t need to do anything, as this may take some time. Microsoft has assured me it could take up to three months. Since this is a very, very large rollout, it will be done step by step, and that could take up to three months.

And that also means that, at some point, users will have access to the new sharing feature—overnight. So there’s still plenty of time to prepare for it—both yourself and the employees at your company.

Summary

The new sharing feature is so much faster because I no longer have duplicate links or links hidden away somewhere that force me to search through the depths of SharePoint to find out what was shared with whom and where. This means a boost in productivity when it comes to collaboration.