Hide Synology Shared Folders From Users Without Permission
A locked folder still advertises itself. Hiding it from everyone who has no right to it is cleaner, calmer and safer — as long as you know what hiding really does.
✍️ Technical Anshu🖥️ Synology DSM⏱️ 5 minute read
🎥 Watch the full video — the complete team folder setup on Synology NAS, step by step
In the team folder setup video, one checkbox gets a short moment on screen: hide the folder from users without permission. It deserves a page of its own, because it is widely misunderstood. Done right, each employee browsing the NAS sees only their own team's folders. Done wrong, people believe hiding is a security feature. This page separates the two: what the hide options really do, how to enable them, and why the permission underneath is still the only real lock.
Windows File Explorer — Network — NAS (two views)
What ADMIN sees What USER "rahul" sees
---------------------- ----------------------
GoogleDocs GoogleDocs
TeamWork TeamWork
Accounts (not listed)
HR-Private (not listed)No access folders are not even shown.
👆 The same NAS, two different views — a user without permission never sees the restricted folders at all (view recreated as an example)
1
What the Hide Options Actually Do
When you create or edit a shared folder, DSM offers two related options: Hide this shared folder in My Network Places and Hide sub-folders and files from users without permissions. With them enabled, browsing the NAS shows each user only the folders they actually have rights to. The Accounts and HR folders simply do not appear for the sales team.
2
How to Turn It On
As admin, open Control Panel → Shared Folder
Select the folder and click Edit
In the General tab, tick both hide options
Save, then browse the NAS as a normal user to confirm the folder is gone from their view
The same options appear in the creation wizard, so new folders can be hidden from day one.
3
Hiding Is Not Security — Permissions Are
Be clear about what this feature is. Hiding removes the folder from casual browsing. It is not the thing that protects the data. The protection is the permission itself — a user with No access who somehow learns the folder's exact path and types \\NAS-IP\Accounts manually is still refused, because access is denied, not merely hidden. Never hide a folder and then grant loose permissions thinking the hiding makes it safe.
4
Why Hiding Still Matters
Less confusion — staff see only the folders that belong to their work
Fewer accidents — nobody double-clicks into the wrong folder and pokes around
Less temptation and fewer questions — a visible folder named Salary invites curiosity even when it is locked
Cleaner support — when a user says a folder is missing, you know it is a permission question, not a lost folder
5
One Honest Limitation
Hiding works per shared folder and for the items inside it, based on permissions. It does not hide the NAS itself, and users will still see folders they have any access to — including read-only ones. If a folder is so sensitive that its name alone reveals too much, give it a neutral name as well as proper permissions.
🔴 Rule of thumb: permissions decide who can enter. Hiding decides who notices the door. You need the first; the second is good manners and good housekeeping.
🎥 Watch the Complete Video Guide
See the full setup live — creating the folder, setting permissions and verifying access with a second user.
If a folder is hidden, can a user still open it by typing the path?
No — not without permission. Typing the exact path like \\NAS-IP\Accounts still hits the permission check and is refused for a No access user. Hiding controls the listing; the permission controls access.
Does hiding a shared folder hide it from admins too?
No. Administrators still see every shared folder in DSM and on the network. Hiding applies to users based on their permissions.
Should I hide every shared folder on the NAS?
Hide folders that are meant for a specific team, yes. Folders genuinely shared with everyone gain nothing from hiding, since all users have access and would see them anyway.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu video on configuring multiple user access on Synology NAS • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments 🙏