File Privacy and Sharing
Last updated
MangoApps User Guide
Last updated
When sharing files in MangoApps, it's important to review the permission settings using the Share Permissions menu for each file or folder. This ensures that only the intended users have access.
For documents linked from external repositories (like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), make sure the privacy setting in the third-party system is adjusted if the file is private—others will need the appropriate access permissions to view the content.
MangoApps has 4 configurable visibility permissions for files and folders:
Private: Setting the visibility of a file or folder as 'Private' removes everyone it’s been shared with and only the owner will have access to it.
Shared: Setting the visibility of a file or folder as 'Shared' means only the users explicitly granted the permissions will have access to it.
Team: Files/folders created in a project, group or department have visibility setting of 'Team'. This means that all members of the team by default have access to it.
Full Company: Setting the visibility of a file or folder as 'Full Company' will allow everyone in your company access to it with Editor privileges.
These permissions are set at initial file upload, but can be changed later.
Permissions can be fine-tuned on both folders and files from the 3-dot Folder or Folder Settings Menu.
From this menu, click Share Permissions to access the permissions menu. From here, users can choose who can access the content and what actions they can perform by assign roles like View Only or View with Download.
When managing permissions for individual files, such as documents, you can assign one of the following roles:
Owner: Has full control over the file. Can view, upload, download, share, rename, co-edit, comment, check out/in, publish, move, copy, delete, restore, manage workflows, sync, and view access history.
Editor: Can perform most actions similar to the owner, including uploading new versions, editing, sharing, and publishing. Editors cannot manage ownership settings.
Viewer: Can only view the file and add comments. Viewers cannot download, upload, or make changes to the file.
Viewer (No Download): Can view the file but cannot download or interact with it beyond basic viewing.
No Access: The user will not be able to see or interact with the file in any way.
For folders, permission settings are tailored to managing groups of files and organizing structure:
Owner / Co-owner: Has complete control over the folder, including downloading, sharing, viewing, renaming, unsharing, deleting, uploading files, creating sub-folders, moving or copying content, and viewing access history.
Editor: Can perform most functions within the folder such as viewing, renaming, uploading files, creating sub-folders, moving, and copying. Editors cannot unshare or manage ownership.
Viewer: Can only view and download files within the folder. They cannot make any changes or upload new content.
Viewer (No Download): Has view-only access without the ability to download any files.
No Access: The user has no visibility or access to the folder or its contents.
To revoke previously granted access, go to the file or folder’s Share Permissions menu and click Stop Sharing ‘x’ to remove access.
Only the owner or a network admin can perform this action.
Sharing and visibility permissions can be updated after sharing.
To do this, use the Share Permissions option to modify existing user roles.
Changes take effect immediately and can be reversed at any time.
The Copy Permission feature allows folder-level access settings to be transferred between users.
This action can only be performed by a folder owner.
Select the From user (who currently has permissions), the select the To user (who should receive the same permissions). Up to 5 users can be selected at once.
Copy applies to the selected folder and its entire hierarchy (sub-folders and files).
Only explicit permissions are copied. The recipient will be notified once the operation is complete.
Bulk sharing simplifies large-scale distribution of content. In order to complete this action, the user must be a network admin or team admin.
Bulk sharing is limited to team folders and files (not available for My Drive or Network Drive).
Share with: network users, teams, guest users, publicly, or copy multiple links.
Share up to 500 files in one operation.
Recipients are notified upon completion.
System folders/files cannot be shared via bulk sharing.
Add an expiration date to any share action to automatically revoke access after a set period.
This Ensures temporary access is controlled without manual follow-up. This feature works for users, teams, or public shares.
Q: When a file is shared between teams, does MangoApps create a duplicate of that file?
A: No, MangoApps does not create a duplicate. Instead, the system creates a shared reference to the original file. This means the file appears in the shared drive of the team it was shared with, but it's still the same file, not a copy. Similar to how shared files work in other systems, all shared instances point back to the original file.
Q: If I update or delete the original file, will that change be reflected in all the places it was shared?
A: Yes. Any updates made to the original file (such as edits or deletion) will be reflected everywhere that file has been shared. Shared files are not independent copies—they are linked references to the original.
Q: How can users or admins tell where the original file lives and manage it properly?
A: While end users may see the file in multiple team drives, admin users can view the file history or file details to identify its original location. However, since most users don’t check file metadata, it can be confusing to distinguish “the source” from the shared reference. To manage this effectively, we recommend centralizing file ownership within designated teams or folders and using clear naming conventions and documentation for shared content.
Q: Why do files appear in search results when filtering by a team, even if they weren’t uploaded there originally?
A: If a file has been shared to a team, it is considered part of that team’s shared content and will appear in search results when filtering by that team. This is working as intended to ensure users see all relevant content accessible within that team workspace. However, highlighting why a file appears in a specific team filter (e.g., indicating it was shared) is a known point of confusion and an area being reviewed for potential UX improvements.
