Google Docs is an influential real-time collaborator that allows multiple users to edit a document simultaneously while instantly seeing each others’ changes. For any collaboration tool, document security is essential since information may be misused in multiple harmful ways. That’s why locking or protecting Google Docs with a password is essential. Let’s dive deep to know how to lock a Google Doc.
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How to Password Protect Google Docs?
Password protection is not currently supported for Google Docs. Your Google Docs documents are protected by your account password only.
As long as you don’t share your Google account password, there is no way someone else can access all of your Google Docs documents.
Don’t share your Google Docs document with anyone
- If you don’t want anyone to access your Google Docs file publicly, stop publishing the Google Docs file.
- You can also restrict Google Docs file-sharing by using a “restricted” sharing option. This ensures only people added can open with this link.
But what if you want to password-protect a Google Docs document only?
Password Protect for Google Documents add-on
- Password protect for Google Documents add-on allows you to create a password-protected Google Docs document.
- This add-on in the G-suite marketplace allows you to create a password-protected PDF document for Google Documents. You can share this Google Docs file with others directly. Only people who know the password for the Google Docs document can view the document. Simple and easy to use.
- This add-on is free for those who want to create password-protected Google Docs documents.
How can I protect my Google Docs with a password?
Google Drive is the safest place to store your Google Docs since you have to log into your Google account to access your Google Docs document. However, this security measure alone will not guarantee to lock text in Google Docs.
Anyone using your computer or phone may access your Google account just like you do and reach your Google Docs documents.
It would be best to have a secret password to protect your Google Docs document. Protecting your Google Docs in Google Drive is possible with PDFelement since it ensures that your information remains unreachable even when another person accesses your Google account.
PDFelement is a powerful tool that guarantees you protected Google Docs files in Google Drive. You can create the most secure password to lock text in Google Docs, making it easy to lock Docs with a Password.
Tools to password protect Google Docs — PDFelement
PDFelement is a powerful security tool that can password-protect your Google Docs document.
- To password-protect Google Docs, first, download your Google Docs document.
- Once done, open PDFelement and import the downloaded Google Docs document into it.
- To import, select “Open File” and choose the downloaded Google Docs that require a password.
- To add a password to protect the document, you should first access the encryption options.
- Click the “Protect” tab and choose the “Password” function. This will activate the window for Password Security.
- Choose “Require a password to open the document” and create the password to protect the downloaded Google Docs document.
- Re-enter the password for confirmation and click ‘ok’ to complete protecting the Google Docs document.
- Now, upload the password-protected Google Docs file to Google Drive.
The password protection and redaction of PDFelement guarantee that you can better password-protect your Google document.
Key features :
- Approve Google Docs documents by signing digitally
- Unlock image texts using OCR
How to lock Google Docs with password – Encryption?
Encryption is the best way to keep your Google Docs files from prying eyes. You can try to keep your Google Docs documents protected with a password in several ways and workarounds.
Secure File Encryption Drive add-on
One of the best ways to lock and protect your Google Docs document’s sensitive data with a password is to upload your Google Docs files with encryption and then require a password for future access. You can securely store private files in your Google Drive with a secure file encryption add-on.
Secure File Encryption add-on provides bank-grade AES256 encryption to protect your Google Docs files stored on Google Drive. This add-on ensures no unencrypted data ever leaves your computer. This add-on uses great browser support from Google Chrome to encrypt your Google Docs files on the fly as they are uploaded to Google Drive and decrypt them during download. There are no size limits to the Google Docs files you can upload.
How to password protect Google Doc using the Secure File Encryption add-on?
- First, you must install the add-on to password-protect your Google Docs using the Secure File Encryption add-on.
- Go to the G-suite marketplace and search for “Secure file encryption”.
- Click the blue-colored “Install” button.
- Secure file encryption will need your permission to start installing. Click continue to proceed. The add-on will get added to your Google Drive.
- Now, if you want to upload something new, click on the “New” button in Google Drive’s upper left corner, hover over “More,” and select “Secure File Encryption” from the menu that appears.
- This will open up a new window to upload your file.
- Upload the Google Docs document which you want to protect with a password.
- Enter the password to encrypt your files. This same password will be needed to download your Google Docs file.
- You can also customize the name of the Google Docs document.
- It will be encrypted before it leaves your computer!
Encrypt Google Docs With Boxcrypt
Boxcryptor hooks into the cloud-syncing programs already installed on your PC.
All you have to do is,
- Install Boxcryptor into your computer, enable Google Drive in Boxcryptor’s settings, and then access Boxcryptor from Windows Explorer’s sidebar.
- Right-click on Google Docs files you want to password-protect.
- Choose the Boxcryptor > Encrypt option, and ensure the checkbox turns green.
- Once done, you can see the Google Docs files in Google Drive. People won’t be able to access it unless you have Boxcryptor installed and logged in.
Encrypt Google Docs with Veracrypt
Veracrypt is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It creates an encrypted container where you can put your Google Docs files and protect them with a password.
Some workarounds that might protect your Google Docs document
- To protect your Google Docs document, ensure your Google account is as secure as possible. Use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication to make it more protective.
- You can also protect your laptop or phone with a password.
Encrypt Google Docs with Microsoft Word
You can encrypt the document with Microsoft Word and, later, upload the password-protected document to Google Docs using the steps below.
- Open the document with Microsoft Word.
- Click on File menu –> Select Info –> Click on Protect Document dropdown –> Select Encrypt with Password option.
3. Provide the password on the Encrypt Document pop-up. Click on the OK button.
An important point to note here is that if you forget the password, then you won’t be able to recover your document. So make sure to keep your password in the safest place. This way, lock a Google Doc to ensure security.
Now, your document is encrypted with a password. You can upload this document to Google Docs. Note that unless and until directly, you won’t able to edit it. So all you need to do is download the document, decrypt the same document, do the modification required, encrypt it with a password following the above steps, and Upload the password-protected document to Google Docs, and you are done with the steps.
FAQs
Can you lock a Google Doc
Answer: Yes, You can use a Password to lock a Google Docs. Check out the above information in this article for more details.
Can I Password Protect Google Docs
Answer: Yes, Using the above information.
Is there a way to lock Google Docs
Yes, you can lock your Google Docs with a Password using different add-ons and tools like “Password protect for Google Documents,” PDFelement, etc.
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And voila! Follow the above workarounds and lock or protect your Google Docs with a password. Now you have some idea about Google Docs Password Protect options!
I am Rajkishore, and I have over 14 years of experience in the Software Industry. For a long time, I have been using Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Sheets for my document usage, and I am sharing all the tips and tricks, the challenges I have come across, and their solutions to use Google Docs for your day-to-day use. I hope you will learn from these practical Google Docs tutorials. Read more.