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Contacts

Learn how contacts work in Handrive and why they're important.

What are Contacts?​

Contacts are other Handrive users you've connected with. Adding someone as a contact enables:

  • Share Discovery - See shares they've given you access to
  • Easy Invitations - Quickly add them to your shares
  • Presence Awareness - Know when they're online

Adding Contacts​

To add a contact:

  1. Click + New in the sidebar
  2. Select New Contact
  3. Enter their email address
  4. Click Add

The person must have a Handrive account with that email address.

note

Adding someone as a contact doesn't automatically give them access to your shares. You need to explicitly invite them to each share you want them to see.

Contact Aliases​

You can set a custom display name (alias) for any contact:

  1. Find the contact in the sidebar
  2. Right-click or use the contact menu
  3. Select Edit Alias
  4. Enter your preferred name

The alias is only visible to you and doesn't change their actual name.

What Contacts Can See​

When someone is your contact:

  • They can see shares you've explicitly invited them to
  • They can see your display name and avatar
  • They can see when you're online

They CANNOT:

  • See shares you haven't invited them to
  • Access your files without permission
  • See your email address (unless you share it)

Asymmetric Security Model​

Handrive uses an asymmetric contact model for privacy and security:

Key principle: Just because someone shares with you doesn't mean you have to accept it.

How it works​

ActionWhat happens
Alice adds Bob as a member of her shareBob is granted access, but nothing appears in his app yet
Bob adds Alice as a contactBob now discovers shares Alice has given him access to

Why this matters​

  • No spam: Someone can't force content into your app
  • You're in control: You choose whose shares you want to see
  • Privacy: Adding a contact is an active choice, not automatic

One-way vs. Mutual contacts​

Adding someone as a contact is a one-way action:

  • You add them → You can see their shares (that they've invited you to)
  • They add you → They can see your shares (that you've invited them to)

For full two-way collaboration, both parties should add each other as contacts.