Permission & Access Issues

How to Give Microsoft Forms Co-Owners Automatic Access to Attachments

Muhammad Talha Oct 9, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to allow Microsoft Forms co-owners to view and download respondent file attachments automatically, without requiring co-owners to send separate access requests.

How to Give Microsoft Forms Co-Owners Automatic Access to Attachments

Product: Microsoft Forms
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating with a team on a Microsoft Form that collects uploaded files, where multiple users need ongoing access to review those submissions.
Observed behavior: When sharing a standard form with co-owners, they can view and edit the form itself, but they receive an access denial or prompt to request approval when trying to open or download attached files.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to create groups in Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Teams, as this solution requires setting up a dedicated team group environment.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a New Group Form for Automatic File Access

The most reliable way to grant co-owners automatic access to uploaded files is by creating the form directly within a Microsoft 365 Group instead of a personal workspace.

When you share a standard personal form, any uploaded files are stored in your personal OneDrive. Sharing the form does not automatically grant permissions to that OneDrive folder, which causes the 'Access Denied' errors for co-owners.

By creating a Group Form, attachments are stored centrally in the group's dedicated SharePoint site. This automatically grants all group members full access to view and download the attachments.

Create a Microsoft 365 or Teams Group

Log in to Microsoft Teams or Microsoft 365 and create a new group. Add all the users who need access to the form and its attachments as members of this group.

Navigate to Group Forms

Open Microsoft Forms. Scroll down to the 'My groups' section on your dashboard and select the group you just created.

Start a New Group Form

Click on the 'New Group Form' or 'New Group Quiz' button to begin building your form directly within the shared workspace.

Add File Upload Capabilities

Add the 'File Upload' question type to your form. Because the form belongs to the group, all group members will automatically possess owner access to view and download any uploaded attachments.

Create a New Group Form for Automatic File Access

Permissions Resolved: All members of the selected Microsoft 365 group now have owner access and can view or download form attachments without generating separate approval requests.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't co-owners view attachments on a standard Microsoft Form?

In standard forms, file upload attachments are saved to a folder in the creator's personal OneDrive. Adding a co-owner to the form grants access to edit the form interface, but it does not automatically give them permission to access that specific OneDrive folder, resulting in access requests.

Can I move an existing personal form to a group to fix attachment access?

Yes, you can move a personal form to a Microsoft 365 group. Go to 'All My Forms', click the three dots on the form you want to move, select 'Move to a group', and choose the desired group. This transfers the form and its data to the group's SharePoint, fixing the attachment issue.

Where exactly are Group Form attachments stored?

Attachments uploaded to a Group Form are stored in the default SharePoint document library associated with that Microsoft 365 group. You can typically find them by navigating to the SharePoint site documents, under Apps > Microsoft Forms > [Your Form Name].

Do users need a Microsoft account to upload files to my form?

Yes. The 'File Upload' question type in Microsoft Forms is only available when the form is restricted to 'Only people in my organization can respond' or 'Specific people in my organization can respond'. Anonymous users cannot upload files.

Document & File Issues