How to share files between Macs with File Sharing

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

File Sharing turns a folder on one Mac into a network drive that other computers at home or in the office can open. It suits large files and folders you use again and again. For a quick one-off transfer, AirDrop is simpler.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings.

Step by step

1. Turn on File Sharing

   Choose Apple menu, System Settings, click General and then Sharing. Under Content & Media, click the info button next to File Sharing and switch File Sharing on.

   Done

2. Add folders

   Click the add button under Shared Folders, select the folder and click Open. The Public folder of every user account is shared automatically.

   Done

3. Decide who gets access

   Select the folder, click the add button under Users and choose a user of this Mac or a contact. Next to each name, choose Read & Write, Read Only, Write Only (Drop Box) or No Access.

   Done

4. Limit Everyone

   Set Everyone to No Access unless you want any person on the network to see the folder. Guest access for a single folder is under Advanced Options, which you reach with a right-click on the folder name.

   Done

5. Connect from another Mac

   On the other Mac, open a Finder window and click Network in the sidebar. Double-click the name of the first Mac, click Connect As, and sign in with the name and password of an account on that Mac.

   Done

6. Connect by address

   If the Mac does not appear, choose Go, Connect to Server in the Finder and type smb:// followed by the address shown in the File Sharing settings of the first Mac.

   Done

7. Connect from Windows

   A Windows PC connects to the same address in File Explorer, written as two backslashes and the name or IP address of the Mac. Use the Mac account name and password.

   Done

Good to know

Both computers must be on the same network. The sharing Mac must be awake: how to stop a Mac from going to sleep.

Switch File Sharing off again on a laptop you take to cafes and hotels, or keep the firewall on: how to turn on the firewall on a Mac.

A shared folder can also serve as a Time Machine destination for other Macs. That option is under Advanced Options as well.

For single files: how to use AirDrop on a Mac. To see and control the other Mac: how to share your Mac screen with another Mac.

In short: System Settings, General, Sharing, File Sharing on, add folders, set users to Read & Write or Read Only. Other Mac: Finder, Network, select the Mac, Connect As.