Topics Map > Communication and collaboration > U of I Box

U of I BoxGetting Started

An overview U of I Box cloud storage serviceapplicationsand collaboration features
U of I Box is a user-friendly way to collaborate without compromising on security. 
Upload and share documents in the cloud with anyone.
This service is available at no cost to current studentsstaffand faculty.
Please review the approved data types and acceptable use agreements.

Signing up and choosing access methods

You should use your Illinois.edu email address to sign up through box.illinois.edu in order to receive the unlimited storage access available to the University.
After you have an accountthere are five primary ways to access content in Box:
  • Box Web at https://uofi.app.box.comwhich you can use from any device.
  • Box Drivewhich lets you interact with cloud-stored files through a folder on your computer.
  • Box Mobile is available on iOS and Android devices.
  • The Box APIwhich lets programmers interact with content stored on Box through software.
  • Box Tools lets you open files directly from the web interface in your desktop software and saves changes back to Box.

Get Help with Box on Your Campus

Please contact your campus help desk to get in touch with the U of I Box support team.

Access and Organize Data in Box

Box Team Folders are shared spaces where teams can easily store their files.  Files in a Team Folder belong to the team instead of an individual. Even if members leavethe files stay exactly where they are so your team can continue to share information and get work done.
box web screenshot showing enterprise owner
Favorite Files and Folders
Want quick and easy access to the files or folders you use most? Mark these files and folders as Favorites. Items you mark as Favorites display in the Favorites section of the left sidebarand also on the full Favorites page.
Box Drive for Windows and MacOS
Access your files stored in Box from your Windows Explorer or MacOS Finder and changes are automatically saved to the cloud. You can select files that should be saved for offline access.
Box Notes is an easy-to-use document creation tool that functions natively in Box and also as a separatedownloadable application for your desktop.
With Box Notesyou can quickly take notesshare ideas and collaborate in real-time with your team – all without leaving Box.
Box and FERPA
Information stored on the Box servers is considered FERPA compliant. (If you synchronize any FERPA-sensitive material to other computersthat assessment could change based on that computer's security. See the Illini Secure Institutional Data Standard for more information.) 

Deciding How to Share in Box

Shared Links let others view content stored in Box from a web browserwhether the recipient has a Box account or not. Shared links include the Box framework around the fileto allow permission-appropriate navigation.
Direct links: If you want to embed images or files from Box into web pagesyou'll want to use a direct link. For an example of how to do this with a campus web hosting systemsee:
Collaboration Invitations let registered Box users have long-term access to folders in Box via the web or Box applications on WindowsMacOSand mobile.
Review the collaboration permissions levels and pick the right combination of accesseditand delete permissions for each invited collaborator. We recommend Viewer Uploader for inviting users to upload and edit filesbut restricting them from deleting anything.

Keywords:
security permissions organization files folders shared drive 
Doc ID:
93177
Owned by:
Box G. in University of Illinois Technology Services
Created:
2019-07-16
Updated:
2025-09-04
Sites:
University of Illinois Technology Services