Upcoming Change to Google Drive Sharing Permissions

What's changing:​

Earlier this year, we announced that we would be updating the access experience in Google Drive. With this update, we will stop allowing restricted access on specific files and folders within a shared folder, starting September 22, 2025. Limited access should instead be managed consistently via the limited access folder setting. Users with permission to restrict access on the parent folder will no longer see the “update item only” option:



Users without permission to restrict access on the parent folder will see certain options grayed out:



For alternate ways to restrict access for a file only, refer to this Learning Center tips page.

“Editors can change permissions and share” setting
Starting on September 22, 2025, the “Editors can change permissions and share” setting will also change. Turning the setting off will still prevent users with Editor access from sharing the item directly, but if the owner places the item into a shared folder, any changes to the containing folder’s access will be applied on the item. Previously, those changes were only applied if the item’s owner was the one making the folder access change.

Starting on October 8, 2025, we will apply limited access to items that have this setting turned off. Due to the limited access, the owner will still be the only person who can share those pre-existing items. Limited access will not be applied to items that have the setting turned off after October 8, 2025.

What You Need to Do​

No immediate action is required. This is a system-wide logic change that will automatically apply to all files and folders.

Rollout pace​

Changes when restricting access

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 22, 2025

“Editors can change permissions and share” setting

• Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 22, 2025

Availability​

• Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts