Wire Blog - Europe's Secure Collaboration Platform

Introducing Viewer Mode: More Granular Access Permissions for Guests on Wire Drive

Written by Wire | 13.10.2026

Bringing an external partner into a conversation shouldn't mean an all-or-nothing choice between locking them out entirely or handing over full access. Wire Drive now offers a middle ground: temporary guests and outside team participants will get view-only access to shared files by default, so collaboration stays open without the risk.

What’s new

This release introduces a new view-only permission for teams using Wire Drive. Temporary guests and outside team participants now get view-only access to shared files by default — eliminating unauthorized edits and uncontrolled sharing, and adding another layer of security for your team's confidential work.

view-only banner for temporary guests

Why it matters

For teams running collaboration through Wire Drive, we want to advance one of the most important capabilities: working with people outside the team without compromising security.

Looping in partners and collaborating with externals doesn't mean letting our guard down or leaving security vulnerable. With this release, temporary guests and outside team participants are restricted to view-only access by default, letting them stay in the loop while edit, delete, and download rights stay with internal team members. Peace of mind, knowing who has access to your confidential work.

It's an upgrade and one more step in Wire Drive's push toward a better, more secure, more useful product for everyone.

Wire Drive as a platform capability

Wire Drive treats secure communication as the foundation, not something layered on top of file storage. That's why files and the people collaborating on them stay together, inside the conversation, instead of being split off into a separate system.

Viewer mode extends that same logic to temporary guests. Instead of building a separate sharing layer with its own rules, Wire Drive brings externals into the conversation they're already part of — with exactly the access they need, and nothing more.

Level up your team's productivity: fewer app silos, less time lost switching between tools, and no more trading off innovation for security. Wire Drive protects your confidential files with TLS in transit and encryption at rest, layered into Wire's broader security model. We deliver a product without compromise, no matter your industry.

Key takeaways

  • Temporary guests and outside team participants now get view-only access to shared Wire Drive files by default.
  • Edit, delete, and download rights stay with internal team members, which prevents unauthorized edits and uncontrolled sharing.
  • Viewer mode is available now on mobile, web, and desktop.