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harihari
New Member
October 16, 2026
Solved

Collaborators suddenly lost access to a shared file — owner action or bug?

Hi Figma Support,

 

I'm a collaborator with "can edit" access on the file below. The owner is another member of my project.

 

[file link redacted by forum moderator to remove PII]

 

Until recently, our whole team used this file to edit screen designs. Suddenly, the share list showed only the owner and me, and the other members could no longer view the file. I also became unable to approve their access requests. The owner says they did not remove anyone.

 

Could you tell me whether this was caused by an action or setting change (for example, removing collaborators, moving the file, or a team/plan change), or whether it was an error on Figma's side?

 

Thank you.

    Gayani_S
    Gayani_SSolution
    Community Support
    October 16, 2026

    Hey ​@harihari, I’m sorry your team lost access mid-project, especially when you can’t approve their requests either.

    I can’t look into account-specific details like who has access or what changed on the forum, so I can’t confirm from here whether this was a setting change or something else. Here are a few quick things that can help us narrow it down.

    1. Check where the file lives. In the file browser, see whether the file is in your Starter folder (under All folders in the left sidebar) or in Drafts. On the Starter plan, files in Drafts can only be shared with can view access, so a file that moved there would change what your teammates can do with it.
    2. Check your team’s member list. Open your team in the file browser and confirm your teammates are still listed as members. Being on the plan and having access to a specific file are separate, so this helps us see which one changed.
       

    Once you’ve had a look, could you tell me what the top row of the Share modal says about who can access the file? Teammates may need an individual invite or a role on the folder to open a file that isn’t open to your whole plan, so this will show us which applies. You may also be able to invite them directly from there.

    Our Help Center articles covers the same ground. File and folder permissions has troubleshooting for people who can open a folder but can’t see the files inside, and the Starter plan overview explains how sharing works on that plan.

    If none of this matches what you’re seeing, let me know and I’ll connect you with our customer support team to take a closer look.

    2 replies

    Gayani_S
    Figmate
    Gayani_SSolution
    Community Support
    October 16, 2026

    Hey ​@harihari, I’m sorry your team lost access mid-project, especially when you can’t approve their requests either.

    I can’t look into account-specific details like who has access or what changed on the forum, so I can’t confirm from here whether this was a setting change or something else. Here are a few quick things that can help us narrow it down.

    1. Check where the file lives. In the file browser, see whether the file is in your Starter folder (under All folders in the left sidebar) or in Drafts. On the Starter plan, files in Drafts can only be shared with can view access, so a file that moved there would change what your teammates can do with it.
    2. Check your team’s member list. Open your team in the file browser and confirm your teammates are still listed as members. Being on the plan and having access to a specific file are separate, so this helps us see which one changed.
       

    Once you’ve had a look, could you tell me what the top row of the Share modal says about who can access the file? Teammates may need an individual invite or a role on the folder to open a file that isn’t open to your whole plan, so this will show us which applies. You may also be able to invite them directly from there.

    Our Help Center articles covers the same ground. File and folder permissions has troubleshooting for people who can open a folder but can’t see the files inside, and the Starter plan overview explains how sharing works on that plan.

    If none of this matches what you’re seeing, let me know and I’ll connect you with our customer support team to take a closer look.

    harihari
    harihariAuthor
    New Member
    October 16, 2026

    Thank you for your reply.

    I tried checking the steps you suggested, but I had already lost access to the file myself, so I wasn’t able to approve my teammates’ requests or check the file location or the Share modal.

    As far as I know, Figma doesn’t remove collaborators’ access automatically, so I’d like to confirm what actually happened. Could you please check the logs on your side to see whether this was caused by an action or setting change by the owner, or whether it was a bug?

    I know the file owner personally, so it’s fine with me if you share information about the owner or what they changed.

    I’m happy to provide the file link or my account email privately if needed. Thank you.