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How to hide a file in your Google Drive in plain sight

Google Drive

Doing work in a public environment can be overbearing and stressful. You might want to keep your work hidden from other users, but you don’t want to lose the file either. What do you do? The answer is simple: follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to hide your file on Google Drive.

Step 1: Go to Drive.google.com

Google Drive is a great way to share files with others, but you may not want everyone to be able to see everything you’ve stored. If you have a file that you need to keep private, you can hide it from public view by following these steps:

  1. Go to drive.google.com and log in with your Google account.

  2. Click on the “My Drive” option in the left sidebar.

  3. Find the file that you want to hide and click on it to select it.

  4. In the top bar, click on the “Share” icon (it looks like a paper airplane).

  5. A pop-up window will appear; click on the “Advanced” link at the bottom of this window.

  6. In the next window, scroll down to the “Who has access” section and click on the “Change” link next to “Public on the web.”

  7. A new pop-up window will appear; select the “Off – Specific people” option and then click on the “Save changes” button.

  8. You’ll be taken back to the previous window; in the “Invite people” field, type in the email addresses of those who should have access to this file, then click on the “Send” button .

Step 2: Upload the file in Google Drive

If you’re looking to hide a file from public view on Google Drive, the process is pretty simple. All you need to do is upload the file to your Drive account, and then set the sharing permissions so that only people with the link can view it. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

  1. Go to drive.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

  2. Click on the “New” button, and select “File Upload” from the drop-down menu.

  3. Choose the file you want to upload, and click “Open”.

  4. The file will now be uploaded to your Google Drive account.

  5. Right-click on the file, and select “Share”.

  6. In the “Who has access?” section, click on the “Change” link next to “Public on the web”.

  7. Select “Off – Specific people” from the drop-down menu, and then add the email addresses of people you want to be able to view or edit the file. If you just want people with the link to be able to view it, leave the default setting of “Can view”.

  8. Click on the “Send” button when you’re done, and your file will now be hidden from public view on Google Drive!

Step 3: Select the Files tab in the upper left side of your screen

If you’re looking to hide a file from public view on Google Drive, the first thing you’ll need to do is select the “Files” tab in the upper left side of your screen. This will bring up all of the files and folders that are currently stored in your Drive. From here, you can either create a new folder to store your hidden file, or select an existing folder to add it to.

Once you’ve selected the appropriate location for your file, simply click on the file itself and then click the “More” option from the pop-up menu. From here, select the “Drive privacy” option and then choose whether you want to keep the file private or share it with specific people. If you opt to keep the file private, only those who have been given explicit permission by you will be able to view or access it.

Step 4: Click on “Sharing Settings” in Google Drive

Assuming you have already logged into your Google account and are on the main page of Google Drive, locate the file you wish to hide from public view. Right-click on the file and select “Share” from the drop-down menu.

In the “Share with others” pop-up window, click on the “Advanced” link at the bottom.

In the next pop-up window, under “Who has access”, click on the “Change…” link.

Under “Private – Only people explicitly given access can view”, check the box next to “Private”. Click on the “Save changes” button at the bottom.

Select “Can edit, but not see others’ changes” and you are done!

If you have a file that you want to keep private but still allow others to edit, the “Can edit, but not see others’ changes” setting is perfect. Just select that option from the sharing menu and you’re all set!

 

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