> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sumbios.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Friends and sharing

> Share parts of your network with people you trust, and search what they share with you.

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Friends are other people using O whom you trust. For each friend you choose what they can see of yours, and they choose what you can see of theirs.

## When you would use it

You and a co-founder, a partner or a close colleague each know different people. When you share your networks, each of you can search the other's before asking for an introduction, and a person's profile shows which of your friends also know them.

## Where to find it

Select **Network** in the sidebar, then the **Friends** tab. The address is `/network/friends`. You can also open **Friend requests** from **Open workspace tools** (**···**) in the top bar.

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| # | Element | What it does |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | **Friends** | The Friends page, beside **Network Map** in Network. |
| 2 | **Friends**, **Requests**, **Find Friends**, **Groups** | Your friends; friend requests waiting for you; people who already use O; and groups of friends you can give access to at once. |
| 3 | **View profile** | Opens your friend's profile. The arrow beside it opens or closes their access settings. |
| 4 | **Access for** your friend | What this friend can see of yours, one switch per area. |
| 5 | **Network** | Lets this friend search your network. **Circles** and **Notes** share those areas the same way. **Workspaces** and **Missions** do the same for those areas. |
| 6 | **Shared with you** | What this friend shares with you. It reads **Not shared** until they turn sharing on for you. |

## How to

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a friend">
    Open **Find Friends** to see people who already use O, and choose **Add Friend**. The request shows as **Pending** until they accept it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Answer a request">
    Requests sent to you appear under **Requests**. Accept the ones from people you trust.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose what a friend can see">
    On the **Friends** tab, open a friend's access settings with the arrow beside **View profile**. Turn on only the areas you want to share, for example **Network**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search a friend's network">
    Open **Open workspace tools** (**···**) in the top bar and choose which networks to include: yours, a friend's shared network, or both. Your searches then include the networks you selected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Give several friends the same access">
    On **Groups**, choose **New Group**, add friends, and set the group's access once.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stop sharing">
    Turn a switch off when you no longer want to share that area with that friend.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Open workspace tools: choose which networks to include">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/sumbios-o-ab/sW_lPWo_C8fkQAPI/images/getting-started/workspace-tools.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=sW_lPWo_C8fkQAPI&q=85&s=152a72e6bc0a8b4db5ba171258f31f93" alt="The Workspace tools menu with My network, Friend requests, Set reminder and Add note" width="512" height="386" data-path="images/getting-started/workspace-tools.png" />
</Frame>

## What O does behind it

* **Per friend, per area, one way.** Each switch covers what one friend can see of yours. What they share with you is their choice, shown under **Shared with you**.
* **Search, with permission.** When you share **Network** with a friend, they can search your network. Nothing is shared until you turn a switch on.
* **Mutual connections.** Once you are friends, a person's profile shows which of your friends also connect to that person, under **Mutual connections**. It helps you see who could give you an introduction.
* **Friends count as paths.** On [Network Health](/insights/network-health), **Connection Paths** counts your active **O friends** as one of the paths beyond your direct network.

<Note>
  **Shared data belongs to the person who shared it.** Use it to decide who to ask for an introduction, and do not pass it on without their permission.
</Note>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Search and review members" href="/network-and-circles/search-members">
    Search your network, and a friend's when they share it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Network Health" href="/insights/network-health">
    See how your paths beyond your direct network add up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Circles" href="/network-and-circles/circles">
    Keep groups of people together for one purpose.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search O and use the header" href="/getting-started/search-and-header">
    Universal search and the workspace tools in the top bar.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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