Google Docs: Hiding Version History

Hiding the entire version history in Google Docs is not yet possible as of now. However, you can still share your document with others without allowing them to view the file’s edit history.

You can do this by sharing the document or the link to the document, but you must make them a viewer only.  If you create them as a viewer, Google Docs will not give them access to the document’s version history. Furthermore, deleting an entire history is only possible if a copy of that specific file is created. The duplicate will not have the edit history as the original. Follow the steps outlined below to do either of these two.

1. Open your web browser then go to Google Docs.

To begin, you must open your browser and then navigate to Google Docs. Afterward, make sure that your account is logged in so that all your documents will be visible.

2. Select the document to edit.

Carefully browser all the documents available in your account, then select which one needs to be edited.

3. Click the “Share” button on the top-right side of the file.

After you’ve opened the document of your choice, click the “Share” button in the upper right corner of the page. When you click this button, a pop-up window titled “Share with people and groups” will appear on your screen. This is where you can enter the receiver’s information and change the document’s sharing settings. 

4. Enter the email address of the person you are sharing the document with.

The first step in this pop-up window is to enter the person’s email address with whom you want to share the document in the space provided.

5. Select the option “Viewer” from the drop-down list then click “Send.”

On the right side of the email address box, there is a drop-down arrow that, when clicked, brings up a list from which you should select “Viewer.” This is an essential step if you want to share the document with another person while hiding the version history. Note that if they are designated as an editor, they will have access to the edit history. In addition, if you need to add a note or message for the receiver, you can do so by typing it in the messaging box. Lastly, click the “Send” button if you are sure about the information and the settings you’ve set.

If this does not work, you can try the method in which you share the document’s link with another person so that they can access it. All you have to do is in the sharing window, select “Change to anyone with the link,” add them as viewers and copy the document’s link.

Final Thoughts

Whenever you want to make your Google Docs edit history private, you can just follow this simple guide. You can then allow anybody to view your document without having worries about them looking at the version history.

If you’re interested in more Google Docs features you might not know yet about, just visit our homepage and you’d surely learn a lot!