External Sharing to Non-Microsoft accounts

[Michael Butterfield]

Is it possible to share files to people without having them create a Microsoft account yet?

I'm sure I read a blog post saying there was to be an update to external sharing where people would receive a token number to enter, rather than having to create a MS account.

Thanks

[#2]

@Stephen Rice 

Hi 

I can't seem to share a OneDrive folder with external recipients which will not require them to create a Microsoft account.  I have tried everything and when I send a test to my gmail it directs me to a Microsoft sign-in page???

Please help!

Many thanks

Heinrich

[#3]

Note: I would also like to share with external users that may have an old Microsoft Account but I still do not want them to sign in anywhere. Just want to share a folder to be opened by recipients by just clicking (not requiring them to sign in anywhere). Is this possible? If so, please help with exact steps!

Many thanks
Hein

[#4]

Hi @HLKmentions , you would need to use "anonymous links" if your tenant allows. This would allow direct access to files/folders without a login.

[#5]

Hi @HLKmentions,

+1 to @David Gorman's recommendation. You can use Anyone links (also called anonymous links) to share files to recipients who don't have Microsoft accounts. When they click on that link, it will redirect them to the item immediately without requiring sign-in. Hope that helps!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#6]

@Stephen Rice 

Could you confirm how to share a sharepoint with external email addresses without them having to create a microsoft account? I'm trying to set up a transition sharepoint for our new students and parents to access - as we can't do a physical transition in Covid-19 times!

I've tested this to my personal email and the link says I need to create a Microsoft account?

Appreciate the help!

[#7]

@Stephen Rice 

I shared a family album to 30 or so family members, and they get prompted to install OneDrive, to get MS IDs, and so on.

Is there a way to give the a link to click on, and when they click it says "Open or Download".  That's all we need!

[#8]

Hi @Simon_Goodall,

If you are sharing the entire site, today, the recipients will need to have Microsoft accounts to be able to access. If you enable the new Azure B2B Integration though, it will change the recipient experience to use the new Azure One-Time Passcode flow where a Microsoft is not required. The feature is in preview right now but is expected to go to general release later this year. Hope that helps!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#9]

Hi @Con_Sordino,

Are you sharing from OneDrive for consumers or OneDrive for business? Both products support sharing via a link that works for "Anyone" that should allow them to open the file & download without MS ID's. hope that helps!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#10]

Many thanks  @Stephen Rice - would this passcode come through to a mobile phone or email address?

is there no way to share the SharePoint so that parents can access this page - read only - like a webpage?

[#11]

thanks @Stephen Rice 

we are sharing from OneDrive for Business - a school.

I'm not sharing documents, as much as pages on a sharepoint - so nothing for them to download. I want them to be able to view the sharepoint like a webpage... I know Sharepoint quite well and would prefer to use this instead of learning how to create a webpage!

[#12]

Hi @Simon_Goodall,

Happy to share what I know in this space but I'll forewarn that I'm not an expert and so may miss some things :)

If you enable the preview & share the site itself with parents, they will receive a one time passcode to the e-mail address that was shared with. The flow looks like:

1) Simon shares to stephenrice@contoso.com

2) Stephen clicks on the link. It tells me I need to verify my identity by entering a code.

3) SharePoint sends the code to stephenrice@contoso.com.

4) Stephen enters the code & now can access the site. 

You can also share individual pages with anyone links (one they are configured) which will allow users to access the individual pages without authenticating but it's worth noting that if the pages link out to other site resources, that probably won't work very well. 

Generally though, I know we don't really support building SharePoint sites as public web pages anymore (something I'm sure other folks in this forum will know much more about!). 

Hope that helps!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#13]

Hi Salvatore Biscari,

May I ask why that is? Just needing to collect some information. I'm trying to share a file within my organization but I want them to download the file without them having to sign in to their onedrive or sharepoint account?

Kind regards,
Andrew Maybir

[#14]

Hi @Stephen Rice 

Is there any option other than using Anyone links? In my company that is not possible (grayed out).

And I want to share a link with an external user who does not have a MS account. He keeps getting a pop up asking to login to MS account and not the screen "Send verification code"

Could you please adivse?

Thanks,

Szilvia

[#15]

Hi @SzilviaParaczky,

If you share using the "link that works for specific people", it should direct them through the verification flow instead of asking them to log in. Hope that helps!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#16]

Hi @Stephen Rice,

Thanks for your answer, just one last question: do we need to select Yes for the below in Azure AD for this to work for our company?

• Under Enable Email One-Time Passcode for guests (Preview)

Thanks,

Szilvia

[#17]

Hi @SzilviaParaczky,

You do not. That setting is related to this feature set: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/sharepoint-azureb2b-integration-preview

The TL;DR is that even when set to no, users who are shared to from SharePoint or OneDrive will go through the one time passcode experience but no guest user is created in your directory.

Hope that helps!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#18]

Hi@Stephen Rice 

External sharing of files without MS ID works for me however folder sharing does not. How do I share a Onedrive folder without the recipient having to sign in to a MS account?

[#19]

Hi @Markham30,

You should be able to either get a link that works for Anyone (if enabled) or share the folder via  "Specific People" links. If the recipient doesn't have an MSA in the latter case, they should go through the One Time Passcode experience which lets them authenticate without creating an account. If that's not what you are seeing, do let me know! Thanks!

Stephen Rice

Senior Program Manager, OneDrive

[#20]

@Stephen Rice 

i still facing the issue if i shared the MS team recorded video with external mails like Gmail or other domain it wont open with MS accounts 

will be appreciate your advice on this 

[#21]

@Stephen Rice regarding can share document in sharepoint to other external without account 365. can you show me how the work flow.