15 GB free, viewers need no account
How to share photos on Google Drive
Upload the photos to one folder, click Share, set General access to Anyone with the link, pick Viewer and send the link. Anyone who has it can open and download the photos without a Google account, unless you turn downloads off. Drive gives you 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Google Photos, and takes files up to 5 TB each.
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Google Drive photo sharing: the limits
| Question | Google Drive |
|---|---|
| Free storage | 15 GB per Google account, shared with Gmail and Google Photos |
| More storage (US) | Google One: 100 GB for $1.99 a month, 2 TB for $9.99 a month |
| When storage is full | No new Drive uploads or Google Photos backups, and Gmail can be affected |
| Largest file | 5 TB |
| Daily upload limit | 750 GB per user within 24 hours (Google Workspace help) |
| Who can open an Anyone with the link folder | Anyone who has the link, without signing in |
| Can viewers download? | Yes, by default. You can turn it off for viewers and commenters |
| Password on the link | Not available |
| Link expiry | Only on eligible work or school accounts: per person, up to one year ahead |
| Folder download | ZIP files, split into several 2 GB ZIPs when the download is big |
| Invite by email | Up to 600 email addresses per file |
| Busy file | Too many users have viewed or downloaded this file recently: typically lifts within 24 hours |
Share photos from a computer
Upload into one folder
On drive.google.com, click New, then Folder upload or File upload, or drag photos into an open folder.
Open Share
Right-click the folder or a photo and click Share. For several loose photos, hold Shift, select them and click Share at the top left.
Set Anyone with the link
Under General access, click the Down arrow, choose Anyone with the link and pick Viewer.
Decide on downloads
Downloads are on by default. To stop them, select the photos, click Share, then Settings at the top right, and uncheck viewers and commenters under People who can download, copy, and print.
Copy and send the link
Click Copy link, then Done, and paste it into an email or message. Or type email addresses, pick a role and click Send.
Share photos from an Android phone or iPhone
Upload in the Drive app
On Android, tap New, then Upload. On iPhone, tap Add, then File upload.
Use a folder for several photos
Google's advice on phones is to put several photos in a folder and share the folder. A single photo can be shared on its own.
Turn on the link
Select the folder or photo and tap Share. Under General access, tap Change, choose Anyone with the link and pick Viewer.
Copy and send the link
Tap Copy link and paste it into a message or email. To invite someone instead, tap More next to the item, then Share, enter their email address and tap Send.
Restricted or Anyone with the link, and which role
Restricted means only people you add can open the photos, after signing in to a Google account. Anyone with the link means anyone who has the link can open them without signing in. People who open the link see your name and email address as the owner.
Give people receiving photos the Viewer role; Commenter also lets them add comments. Avoid Editor on a folder: editors can add, edit, move or delete any file in it, and by default they can share it too. Everything in a shared folder inherits the folder's sharing.
What people without a Google account can do
With Anyone with the link, they can open and download the photos without signing in, unless you turned downloads off. With Restricted, they need a Google account you shared with. Work or school accounts can also invite them as visitors, if the organization allows it: a PIN check gives 7 days of access at a time, with single-file downloads only.
On a computer, they click a photo, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the others, right-click and choose Download. Google says folder and multi-file downloads come as ZIP files, split into several 2 GB ZIPs when big. In the Drive app it's More, then Download. On iPhone, Send a copy, then Save image, puts a photo in the camera roll. Viewing shared photos doesn't use their storage; making a copy does.
When Drive says too many users
Drive shows Too many users have viewed or downloaded this file recently when a file gets a lot of views or downloads in a short time. It typically lifts within 24 hours. Someone with a Google account can copy the file from Shared with me and download the copy. Google's advice to owners: share with specific Google Groups instead of a public link, or use dedicated hosting for large files.
How to stop sharing
On a computer, click Share, the Down arrow next to a person's name, then Remove access and Save. To switch off the link, set General access to Restricted and click Done. In the app, tap Manage access, then the person and Remove, or set General access to Restricted. If you delete a shared file you own, people with access can still copy it until you delete it forever from the trash.
Delivering a shoot to a client
Drive works well when the people you share with already use it. Handing a finished set to a client is where a gallery helps: shoots.page shows the photos as a browsable grid with 2000 px previews, and your client downloads the originals one by one or as a ZIP, with no account or app. You can add a password and an expiry date. More in the Google Drive comparison.
Common questions
Can people without a Google account see photos I share on Google Drive?
Does Google Drive reduce photo quality when you share?
Can I password-protect a Google Drive folder?
Do Google Drive links expire?
Why can't someone download my photos from Google Drive?
Deliver the next shoot as a gallery
One link, 2000 px previews and original downloads, with no client account. Free up to 2 GB.
Sources
Google Drive Help: Share files, Share folders, Stop or limit sharing, Download a file, Upload files, Files you can store, Access to Google files, Visitors. Google One Help: How your Google storage works. Google Workspace Admin Help: Storage and upload limits. Google Workspace Updates: Downloading files and folders (August 2016). Google One plans for US prices. Checked on 26 October 2026.