Choose what people can do
The access level applies to the shared file or folder, regardless of which OWL app opens it; the receiving app still needs to support that file type to edit it.
A folder share covers its contents, not the rest of your drive. An independently shared folder can have its own access boundary. Downloading a copy does not change the original, and editing a downloaded copy does not automatically save it back to OWL.
Some viewer-specific dialogs also offer Allow downloads, object-tree browsing or measurements. Those controls apply where shown; they do not change the difference between viewing, editing and managing. An older Full control option includes editing, sharing and deletion and should not be confused with ownership.
Choose who can open a link
Anyone with the link
People can open and download encrypted shared files without signing in. For a viewer with a separate download control, enable Allow downloads as well. If the link permits editing or managing, people must sign in before using those additional permissions.
People signed in to OWL
Opening the link requires an OWL account as well as the complete link. This is an account requirement, not a list of approved people: another signed-in person who receives the link can use it.
Share with people
Select specific recipients when only those people should receive access. Their access appears in their OWL drive and is protected using their account keys.
For an anonymous download link, leave the people picker empty, choose Anyone with the link, choose Read-only, and create the link. Choosing Allow edits or Manage adds account-based permissions; it does not remove anonymous reading from an “Anyone” link.
The complete link is a credential: anyone you forward it to can use the access it grants. Requiring sign-in does not make a forwarded link specific to its intended recipient. Use direct sharing when that distinction matters.
Live updates, fixed versions and storage
A live share follows saved updates, so recipients do not need a new link for every version. Share only this version creates a read-only snapshot that does not include future changes.
When you allow editing or managing, the storage allowance limits how much of your storage can be used for saved updates through that share. New saves count toward the allowance and stop when it is exhausted; granting access does not create unlimited storage.
How anonymous sharing stays encrypted
Sign-in and encryption serve different purposes. Sign-in identifies an account; a decryption key lets a device read encrypted content. An anonymous recipient can receive the key through a complete share link without receiving access to your account.
The private key material in an encrypted share link is carried after the # in its address. That part is not sent with the browser's request for the page; the OWL client uses it locally. Keep the complete link intact when copying it, because removing its final portion removes the information needed to open the content.
The server still checks the sharing permission, expiry and revocation state before serving encrypted content or accepting changes. Editing and managing require an authenticated account and signed authorization: changing a label in the dialog cannot grant those rights. Anonymous download access does not require the server to decrypt your file.
Local network delivery
Where offered, local network delivery lets nearby devices transfer encrypted files directly instead of downloading them again from the server. Other participating devices can see local network addresses; the transfer does not grant them a decryption key or additional access. You can turn this option off in the link settings.
Verify people before direct sharing
A security fingerprint identifies an account's encryption key. Ask the recipient to read their full fingerprint from Account settings → Security, verify it in person or over a trusted phone call, and paste it into the sharing dialog. A fingerprint supplied through the same unverified channel as the original request does not independently confirm the person's key.
Expiry and removing access
Set an expiry when access should end automatically, or remove a person or link from the sharing controls. Removing a grant also invalidates access delegated through that grant; a person who has a separate valid share may still have access through it.
For live encrypted shares, revocation changes the encryption keys used for future updates. It cannot erase files someone already downloaded, screenshots they took or content they already decrypted.