OneDrive access for SharePoint

Question

The "More Features" section that previously existed in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center has now been moved to the SharePoint Admin Portal. Previously, we used this area to grant OneDrive access rights to another user (for example, giving a manager access to a employee's OneDrive). Our Help Desk team does not have SharePoint Administrator rights, and we would prefer not to grant them full SharePoint Admin privileges just to perform this task. Since the feature has moved, our Help Desk can no longer complete this request.

Answer 1

Dear @Jim Gandini, 

Thank you for reaching out and for explaining your situation. I understand your Help Desk used to handle “grant OneDrive access to a manager” and that workflow broke after the UI moved. 

Microsoft has consolidated OneDrive administration into the SharePoint admin center. Because of this change, actions such as accessing User Profiles and assigning Site Collection Administrators for an individual’s OneDrive now require the SharePoint Administrator role. 

Below is a summary of the supported methods available today, including the path your team can use depending on the specific scenario: 

Option 1: File retrieval or transferring content without granting permanent access 

If the Help Desk only needs to assist with tasks such as reviewing files, retrieving content, or transferring data to another person, you may consider allowing them to continue using the Microsoft 365 admin center.  

• Open the Microsoft 365 admin center > Go to Users > Select the employee > Open the OneDrive tab > Choose Create link to files > Move or copy the files to the required destination. 

This option allows your Help Desk team to assist as needed while avoiding the assignment of full SharePoint Administrator permissions. 

Option 2: Provide ongoing administrative access to an employee’s OneDrive 

If a manager requires long‑term administrative access, you may consider having someone who already holds the SharePoint Administrator role, or a team responsible for that role, complete this task when needed. 

• Open the SharePoint admin center > Select More features > Choose User profiles. 
• Select Manage User Profiles > Search for the employee > Open Manage site collection owners > Add the manager under Site collection administrators. 

It is currently the only supported method for persistent administrative access to another user’s OneDrive. 

I completely understand how these changes in the Microsoft 365 admin center and SharePoint admin center can feel disruptive. It’s not just about aesthetics; these differences can genuinely affect how smoothly you work and navigate your day. 

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Microsoft Feedback Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.  

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility. If you prefer, I can also submit this great idea on your behalf. Just let me know, and I’ll post it for you and share the link once it’s published. I’m here to help ensure your feedback gets the attention it deserves. 

Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. 

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Answer 2

Granting or revoking access to another user’s OneDrive is now done in the SharePoint admin center, and the operation requires SharePoint admin permissions. There is no separate, more granular built‑in role in the provided documentation that allows Help Desk staff to manage OneDrive site collection owners without being SharePoint admins.

To grant a manager (or another user) access to an employee’s OneDrive, a SharePoint admin must:

1. Go to More features in the SharePoint admin center and sign in with an account that has SharePoint admin permissions.
2. Under User profiles, select Open.
3. Under People, select Manage User Profiles.
4. Find the user (employee) by name and select Find.
5. Right‑click the user and select Manage site collection owners.
6. Add the manager (or other user) under Site collection administrators, then select OK.

This gives the manager full control over the employee’s OneDrive. The same path is used to remove admins from a user’s OneDrive when access is no longer needed.

If the scenario is for former employees, a SharePoint admin can also rely on automatic access delegation (manager/secondary owner) configured under My Site Cleanup in the SharePoint admin center, but that configuration step also requires SharePoint admin permissions.

Given the current model in the documentation, the options are:

• Have a SharePoint admin perform these steps on behalf of Help Desk requests, or
• Grant Help Desk staff the SharePoint admin role (with the broader access that entails).

The documentation does not describe a lighter‑weight role that can manage OneDrive site collection owners without full SharePoint admin rights.

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References:

• Manage user profiles in the SharePoint admin center
• Step 5 - Give another employee access to OneDrive and Outlook data
• OneDrive retention and deletion