Pages for iPad: Collaborate with others on a document

Collaborate with others on a document
Collaborate with others on a Pages document

If your document is saved to iCloud Drive, you can collaborate on it with others by sending them a link that opens the document in a supported web browser on a Mac or Windows computer (on supported mobile devices it can be viewed but not edited). As you and your collaborators edit the document on the web, everyone sees the changes in real time. Changes to the document are saved in iCloud, so everyone with access to the document sees the latest version whenever they open it.

As the owner of the document, you can change who has permission to view and edit it, send the document link to additional people, or add or remove a password at any time.

Invite others to collaborate

To share a document with collaborators, you first need to upgrade your iCloud account to use iCloud Drive and set up Pages to use iCloud Drive.

Important:   The document name is visible in the document link. If the title or content of the document are confidential, be sure to ask recipients not to forward the shared link to anyone else. If you don’t protect the document with a password, anyone who knows the link can open it.
  1. Do one of the following:

    • If the document is open: Tap Share menu button, then tap Share Link via iCloud.

    • If the document is closed: In the document manager, tap Share menu button, tap Share Link via iCloud, then tap the document you want to share.

  2. Tap a Permissions option to set what recipients can do:

    • Allow Editing: Recipients can make changes to the document on the web, and print and download the document.

    • View Only: Recipients can view the document on the web, and print and download the document, but they can’t make changes to it.

  3. To require a password to open the document, tap Add Password, type the requested information, then tap Done.

    If the document already has a password, you don’t need to add a new one now. Just give the existing password to your recipients. To change the password, tap Change Password.

    For greater security, don’t send the password with the shared link. For example, send a separate email that includes only the password.

  4. Tap Share.

    Important:   The document is now shared, and anyone who knows its URL (link)—regardless of whether you’re the one who sent it—can access the document. When others open it, your iCloud account name is visible in the collaborator list.
  5. Tap the method you want to use to send the link, then enter the requested information and send or post the link.

    To send the link using a service like Twitter, you must first set up that account in Settings on your device. If you want to use a service that’s not listed, you can copy and paste the link into that service.

    The full link appears in the body of the email, tweet, or post—be sure not to delete or modify the link.

  6. Tap Done to return to the document.

When recipients click the link, the document opens in Pages for iCloud in a web browser. They don’t need an iCloud account to view or edit the document. However, if the recipient taps the link on an iOS or Android device, they can view the document in a browser, but they can’t edit it.

When the document is shared, the Share button in the toolbar is green Share menu button.

In the document manager, a green shared symbol appears in the corner of the shared document; you can tap the corner to view or change the document’s share settings.

A document thumbnail in the document manager with a colored marker in the top-right corner that indicates it's being shared

View or edit settings for a document you shared with others

You can change the permissions for a document you shared, send the document link again, copy and paste the link, invite more collaborators, and add or remove a password at any time.

  1. In the open document, tap Share menu button, then tap View Share Settings.

    If the document is closed, in the document manager, tap the green shared symbol in the corner of the document thumbnail.

    Two documents in the document manager with colored markers in their top-right corners that indicate they're shared
  2. Do any of the following:

    • Change permissions: Tap Permissions, then tap View Only or Allow Editing. If others have the document open when you change this setting, they see an alert. When they dismiss the alert, the new setting takes effect.

    • Add or change the password: Tap Add Password or Change Password, then type a password or change the existing password. If you add or change a password, collaborators lose access to the document until you notify them of the new password.

      Important:   If you add a password after sharing a document, versions of the document before the password was added can be viewed or restored by collaborators. To prevent this, stop sharing the document, set a password, then share the document again. See View, copy, and restore an earlier version of a document for more information.
    • Remove the password: Tap Change Password, type the password in the Old Password field, then turn off Require Password.

    • Send the link again: Tap Share Link, then choose how you want to send it. (For additional options, tap More, then turn on a service to make it an available option.) Enter the requested information, then tap Send.

    • Copy and paste the document link: Tap the link, tap Copy Link, then tap Done. Tap where you want to paste the link—like a social networking site or in a chat—then tap Paste.

    • Stop sharing: Tap Stop Sharing. If others have the document open when you turn off sharing, they see an alert. When they dismiss the alert, the document closes. The document retains its link, so if you turn sharing back on, the link becomes active again.

      If you’re the owner of the shared document and you move the document to another location, the link is broken and collaborators lose access to the document.

Last Modified: Jun 7, 2016
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