In Salesforce, what is the impact of enabling ‘Grant Access Using Hierarchies’ on a custom object set to Private OWD?

Question

Salesforce Admin — Hard

In Salesforce, what is the impact of enabling ‘Grant Access Using Hierarchies’ on a custom object set to Private OWD?

Accepted Answer

Enabling 'Grant Access Using Hierarchies' on a custom object set to Private OWD allows users above the record owner in the role hierarchy to access the owner's records. This setting extends access based on the role hierarchy. Incorrect options misinterpret the impact on custom objects and sharing rules.