Enable Anyone can respon - Microsoft Form

Hi @Indra, 

I hope you’re having a great day. Thank you for reaching out, and I truly appreciate the details you shared. 

In Microsoft Forms, the File upload question type is only available when the form is restricted to authenticated users within your organization (e.g., Only people in my organization can respond or Specific people in my organization can respond). This behavior is by design for security and compliance reasons, since uploaded files are stored in your organization’s OneDrive for Business/SharePoint storage. As a result, Forms does not allow external/anonymous respondents to upload files, and the “Anyone can respond” option will be automatically disabled when a File upload question exists in the form.  

However, below are a few supported workarounds you may consider, depending on your requirements:

Scenario 1 - You only need external users to fill out the form (no file upload required) 

If you do not need external users to upload files, the simplest approach is: 

1. Remove all File upload questions from the form. 
2. Go to Collect responses > select Anyone can respond (this should become available once File upload is removed, assuming your tenant allows external sharing). 

If “Anyone can respond” is still greyed out after removing File upload, please refer to Scenario 3 below. 

Scenario 2 - You must collect file uploads from external users 

You can create a File Request (upload request) using OneDrive or SharePoint, then paste that upload link into the form as a regular question/instruction (e.g., “Please upload your document using this link”). This approach is often suggested as the practical alternative when external uploads are required. 

Note: You’ll want to manage permissions and link governance carefully, since uploads are handled via the shared request link. 

Additional guidance: Create a file request - Microsoft Support 

If you don’t see the “Request files” option, your IT administrator may need to Enable File Requests in SharePoint or OneDrive - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn 

Scenario 3 - There is no File upload question, but “Anyone can respond” is still disabled 

In this scenario, the most common cause is that your organization’s Microsoft 365 admin has disabled external sharing for Microsoft Forms at the tenant level. Admins can control whether users are allowed to send forms externally and collect responses. 

Please contact your organization’s Microsoft 365 admin and ask them to enable external sharing via: 

1. Go to Microsoft 365 admin center > Settings > Org settings > Microsoft Forms 
2. Under External sharing, enable the option allowing users to send a link to the form and collect responses (wording may vary slightly depending on the admin UI) and save changes.  
3. 

IT admins can refer to this article: Admininstrator settings for Microsoft Forms - Microsoft Forms Admin | Microsoft Learn 

As community moderators, we appreciate your understanding that we do not have access to the administrative tools or permissions required to investigate or modify these configurations. We also do not have the capability to initiate remote sessions for direct assistance. Our role is to guide users to the appropriate resources and support channels.  

Scenario 4 - Submit feedback to Microsoft 

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 Forms · 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 are unable to submit feedback from your side, please let me know and I will be happy to submit it on your behalf.      

Additionally, since many other users have expressed similar concerns but may not know where to submit feedback, if my response has helped you better understand the situation and guided you toward a possible next step, please mark it as the "Accepted Answer". Your action will help pin this post to the top, making it easier for others in the community who are experiencing the same issue to find your feedback and support it.    

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.  

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

If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

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