How To Share Google Drive Documents With View-Only Access.

Google Drive is a powerful tool for storing and sharing files online, whether you're working on a project, organizing personal documents, or collaborating with others. But not every file needs to be edited by everyone. Sometimes, you just want to share a folder so others can view the contents without being able to change anything. That’s where view-only access comes in handy.

You can restrict any external user from editing your Google Drive document before sharing it for team activities or collaborations. To prevent accidental changes, you can also set the document to view-only mode for everyone, including yourself. 

Let's learn both methods to make our documents and files more secure and safe from any kind of accidental editing.

Share Google Drive Documents With View-Only Access.

To follow this tutorial, all you need is an active Google Account and a document which is already been created and uploaded to Google Drive.

Step 1: Open Google Drive.

To begin, open your preferred web browser and go to https://drive.google.com. If you're not already signed in, you’ll be prompted to log in to your Google account. Once signed in, you'll land on the Google Drive homepage, where all your stored files and folders are displayed.

Step 2: Locate the Document You Want to Share

Scroll through your list of files, or use the search bar at the top to quickly find the document you intend to share. Once you locate it, you can either right-click on the file and select “Share” or open the document first and then click the “Share” button located in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 3: Share with Specific People as Viewers

In the sharing dialog box that appears, you will see a field labeled “Add people and groups.” Type the email address of the person or group you want to share the document with. After entering the email, a drop-down menu will appear where you can select their permission level. 

Choose “Viewer” to ensure they can only view the document, but cannot comment on or edit it. Once done, click the “Send” button to share the document with them.

Step 4: Share via a View-Only Link (Optional)

If you prefer to share the document via a link rather than individual email addresses, look toward the bottom of the sharing dialog box. Under “General access”, click the dropdown that may say “Restricted” by default. Change it to “Anyone with the link”.

Once you do that, another dropdown will appear beside it—make sure it is set to “Viewer.” Then click “Copy link” to copy the shareable URL and send it via email, chat, or wherever needed.

Pro Tip: Before sending or sharing the link, always double-check the access level to make sure the document is not mistakenly being shared with editing or commenting privileges.

Alternative way to Set Everyone's Role To view-only access.

First, open the sharing settings for the document using the same steps described above. For each listed user, including yourself, make sure the access level is set to “Viewer.” Click the dropdown beside each name and manually change the role if needed. Once this is done, no one will be able to modify the document in any way, but they can only view its content.

Change Editing To View-Only Access in Google Docs.

There might be a possible scenario that you have already provided Editor access to many users for one Google Document, and now you want to change all the access to Viewer (View-Only) access. You can follow the above method to change the access type for each user ID one at a time, or there is a quick alternative way to do so by using Google App Script.

Changing Google Drive Document Permission Using Google App Script.

Step 1: First, go to https://script.google.com and click on "New Project" to create a blank script editor. This is where you'll write the automation code. Inside the script editor, paste the following code:

function restrictEditingToViewOnly() {
  var fileId = 'YOUR_FILE_ID_HERE'; // Replace with your actual fileID
  var file = DriveApp.getFileById(fileId);
  
  var editors = file.getEditors();
  
  for (var i = 0; i < editors.length; i++) {
    var userEmail = editors[i].getEmail();
    file.removeEditor(userEmail);
    file.addViewer(userEmail);
    Logger.log("Changed " + userEmail + " to viewer.");
  }
  
  var myEmail = Session.getActiveUser().getEmail();
  if (myEmail !== file.getOwner().getEmail()) {
    file.removeEditor(myEmail);
    file.addViewer(myEmail);
    Logger.log("You (" + myEmail + ") are now a viewer.");
  } else {
    Logger.log("You are the owner transferring ownership manually if needed.");
  }
}

Step 2: Replace 'YOUR_FILE_ID_HERE' with the actual file ID from your Google Drive document URL. This ID is the long string found in the URL of the file, typically located between /d/ and /edit.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XiYBcFw4VTHOmaD1pMmMTNlt2btERcxe0us3pHR4D4tNs/edit?usp=sharing

Step 3: Give your Project a good name and click the Save icon to save your project with the Script.

Step 4: Now, click the Run button (the triangular ▶️ icon) to execute the function. The first time you run the script, Google will prompt you to review and authorize the required permissions. Click on Review Permissions.

Step 5: If you are running Google App Script for the first time, you will get a pop-up saying "Google hasn't verified this app." You need to click on "Advanced" to open the advanced settings, click on your Project name, and provide all the required permissions to run the app.

Step 6: You need to give your script permission to access your Google Account and select the checkbox shown below so the script can make the required changes in your Google Drive Document settings. Click on Continue to save to proceed.

Step 9: After the script runs, all existing editors will be converted to viewers, and your own access will be downgraded unless you are the owner.

Note: Google doesn't allow you to remove your own access if you're the owner. You must transfer ownership manually through the Drive UI.

Be cautious with this script, especially if you choose to remove your own editing access. If you're the file owner, Google will not allow you to remove your own access via script, and you must have to transfer ownership manually through the Drive interface. For safety, it is always recommended to test this script on a duplicate file first to avoid losing access to important content.

Google Drive Adds Video Thumbnail Previews to Progress Bar.

Credit: Google

Key Takeaway.

• Google Drive now shows thumbnail previews when hovering over the video progress bar, making navigation easier and faster.
• The feature is rolling out from July 22, 2025, and applies only to newly uploaded videos across all Google account types.

Google Drive has introduced a long-requested feature that significantly improves video playback on the web: thumbnail previews along the video progress bar. This enhancement brings Drive closer to platforms like YouTube in terms of user experience and makes navigating through videos faster, smarter, and more precise. The update was officially announced via the Google Workspace Updates blog and is now rolling out to both personal and Workspace accounts.

Google Drive Feature for Better Video Browsing.

Until now, scrubbing through videos in Google Drive was mostly guesswork. Users had to drag the playhead blindly along the timeline and hope to land on the right scene, especially frustrating when watching long lectures, recorded meetings, or training videos. With this update, hovering over the playback bar now reveals live thumbnail previews for different scenes, allowing users to scan the video visually and jump directly to the moment they want.

The new feature behaves much like YouTube’s progress bar preview, making video navigation intuitive and reducing the time spent searching through footage. It’s especially useful for educators, students, remote workers, and content reviewers who often handle large video files in Drive.

Availability and Rollout Timeline.

The thumbnail preview feature is part of a gradual rollout that began on July 22, 2025, for users on Rapid Release domains. It will begin reaching Scheduled Release domains starting August 20, 2025. Google confirms that the feature will be available to all users, including:

• Personal Google Accounts
• Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans
• Google Workspace for Education, Nonprofits, and Essentials

However, there is one important limitation: the thumbnail preview only works with videos uploaded after this update. Existing videos stored in Drive prior to this rollout won’t show thumbnails when scrubbed. Google has not confirmed whether this capability will be extended to older videos in the future.

Why This Google Drive Update Matters.

This may seem like a small interface tweak, but it has big implications for productivity and user experience. Whether you're watching training content, searching for a quote in a recorded webinar, or reviewing a long-form client presentation, the ability to visually scan through a video without guesswork is a major time-saver.

More broadly, it reflects Google's intention to evolve Drive from a simple storage service into a more interactive workspace, especially as demand grows for media-friendly cloud platforms that support remote work, education, and collaboration.

With this update, Google continues enhancing the usability of its core productivity tools. By making video navigation more visual and intuitive, Drive becomes even more valuable for users who regularly manage or review video content. It’s a step toward turning Google Drive into a smarter, more responsive workspace that supports a variety of content formats, not just documents and spreadsheets, but rich multimedia, too.

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service offered by Google that lets you save files online and access them from anywhere. Whether it’s documents, photos, videos, or PDFs, Google Drive helps you store, organize, and share your digital files safely. What makes it even more powerful is its tight integration with other Google products like Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Photos. You can create a file, edit it in real-time with others, and access it from your phone, laptop, or tablet without needing a pen drive or external hard drive. All you need is an internet connection and your Google account.

Google Drive launched on April 24, 2012, as a unified platform for storage and productivity. It was built on earlier tools like Google Docs and quickly became a popular choice for both personal and professional file management.

Before cloud storage, people relied on USB drives or email attachments, which weren’t always reliable. Google saw the need for a smarter way to store and access files from anywhere, and Drive was designed to meet that modern need.

How does Google Drive Work?

Google Drive works by storing your files on Google's secure cloud servers instead of your computer’s hard drive. When you upload a file like a document, image, or video, it gets saved in your Drive account and can be accessed from any device using the internet.

Once signed in with your Google Account, you can view, edit, or share your files directly from the web (via drive.google.com), the mobile app, or the desktop application. Any changes you make are automatically saved in real-time. This means you can start writing a document on your phone and finish it on your laptop without missing a beat.

Google Drive also syncs your data across devices. If you install the Google Drive app on your PC or Mac, it creates a local folder that mirrors the files in your cloud account. Any file you move into that folder is automatically uploaded to the cloud, and vice versa.

It’s not just about storage, it’s also a workspace. Google Drive integrates tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides, allowing you to create, edit, and collaborate on files with others in real time, without ever hitting the download button.

Key Features of Google Drive.

Google Drive is now part of day-to-day life for almost every user on the internet, and there are several features that we all use to complete our everyday work. Let's see a few key features: 

• 🗂️ File Organization Made Easy: Drive allows you to create folders, subfolders, and even color-code them to keep your files neatly arranged. You can use drag-and-drop to move files, star important ones for quick access, and use labels to categorize your documents.

• 🔍 Smart Search: Thanks to Google’s powerful search engine, Drive helps you quickly find what you need. You can search not just by file name, but also by content inside files, file type, owner, and even words found in images or scanned PDFs using OCR (Optical Character Recognition).

• 👥 Real-Time Collaboration: You can work on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with others at the same time. Everyone sees changes live, and you can leave comments or suggestions directly within the file — perfect for teams and group projects.

• 🕒 Version History: Drive automatically saves versions of your files, so you can go back and restore earlier edits if needed. This is a lifesaver when you accidentally delete or overwrite something important.

• 📤 Easy Sharing and Permissions: You can share files and folders with anyone via a link or by email, and control whether they can view, comment, or edit. For added privacy, you can even set expiration dates or prevent others from downloading your shared files.

• 📶 Offline Access: Even without internet, you can view and edit your files offline by enabling the offline mode. Any changes made offline will sync once you're back online.

Google Drive Interface Overview.

One of the reasons Google Drive is so popular is its clean, intuitive interface that works seamlessly across devices. Whether you're using a computer, phone, or tablet, Drive offers a consistent experience that makes managing files effortless. From quick navigation tools to flexible viewing options, the interface is designed to help you stay organized and productive with minimal effort.

🌐 Web Interface (drive.google.com)

When you open Google Drive in your browser, you’ll see a dashboard with your files and folders. On the left sidebar, you can quickly navigate to My Drive, Shared with me, Recent, Starred, and Trash. At the top, there’s a powerful search bar to help you find files instantly. You can switch between Grid view (thumbnail layout) and List view depending on your preference.

💻 Desktop Application (Google Drive for Desktop)

The desktop version creates a folder on your computer that syncs with your Drive account. Any file you add or update in this folder is automatically reflected in the cloud, and vice versa. It runs in the background and helps you keep everything up to date.

📱 Mobile App (Android & iOS)

The mobile app brings your Drive to your pocket. You can browse, upload, scan documents, and even edit files using the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps. The interface is optimized for touch, with a clean menu and floating "+" button to quickly add new files or folders.

Google Drive Pricing.

One of the key advantages of using Google Drive is its flexible storage model, which caters to both casual users and professionals. Whether you're storing family photos, business documents, or email attachments, understanding how Google Drive's storage system works is essential.

Every Google account includes 15 GB of free cloud storage by default. This space is shared across three major Google services, like Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. That means if you receive a lot of email attachments or backup high-resolution photos, it can quickly eat into your available space. This shared model is convenient, but also makes it important to manage your files wisely.

For users who need more space, Google offers paid storage plans through its Google One service. As of 2025, here are the standard U.S. pricing tiers:

• 100 GB for $1.99 per month (or $19.99 annually)
• 2 TB for $9.99 per month (or $99.99 annually)
• 2 TB + Gemini AI Pro access for $19.99 per month
• 30 TB with Gemini AI Ultra for $249.99 per month

These plans not only provide more storage but also include extra benefits like family sharing, priority customer support, and discounts on the Google Store. The 2 TB plan, for example, is popular among professionals and creators who work with large files, videos, or collaborative documents.

Google calculates your storage usage by summing up all the content across its core services. This includes uploaded files in Drive (like PDFs, images, videos), all your emails and attachments in Gmail, and your original-quality photos and videos stored in Google Photos. Surprisingly, native Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides use very minimal storage unless they include heavy media content.

To check your current storage usage, simply visit one.google.com/storage. Here, you'll see a detailed breakdown of how much space each Google service is using. If you’re nearing your limit, Google also gives you an option to upgrade your plan directly from this page.

Google Drive Collaboration Features.

One of Google Drive’s most powerful advantages is its seamless collaboration capabilities. Whether you're working on a group project, managing a team remotely, or co-authoring documents, Google Drive makes real-time teamwork easy and efficient.

With just a few clicks, you can share files and folders with individuals or entire groups. You have full control over permissions, allowing others to either view, comment, or edit the content. Shared users don’t need to download anything; they can work directly within their browser or app, making collaboration instant and effortless.

When working in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, collaborators can leave comments or suggestions that show up in real time. This is incredibly useful for teams reviewing documents, editing articles, or finalizing presentations. Suggestions can be accepted or rejected, and the document history ensures that no change is ever truly lost.

Drive also integrates with Google Meet and Calendar, making it easy to attach files to events or collaborate on documents during video calls, creating one connected workspace.

Google Drive Security and Privacy

Google Drive takes your data security and privacy seriously. All files stored on Drive are encrypted both in transit and at rest, which means your data is protected while uploading, downloading, and sitting on Google’s servers.

Access to your files is tightly controlled. Only people you explicitly share with can view or edit them, and you can revoke access at any time. Google also offers two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your account from unauthorized access.

For added privacy, Drive doesn’t make your files public unless you choose to share them. Google’s systems are regularly updated to defend against malware, phishing, and unauthorized access, ensuring that your personal and professional data stays safe in the cloud.

Google Drive vs Competitors

Google Drive stands out among cloud storage providers with its deep integration across Google services, real-time collaboration tools, and generous free plan. Compared to Dropbox, which focuses more on file syncing and professional teams, Google Drive offers a broader productivity suite through Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides at no extra cost. Microsoft OneDrive integrates well with Office apps like Word and Excel, making it ideal for users in the Microsoft ecosystem. Apple iCloud, on the other hand, is optimized for Apple devices but lacks the robust collaboration features that Drive offers.

While others may offer similar storage, Google Drive combines cloud storage, productivity tools, sharing, and collaboration into one powerful, user-friendly platform, making it a top choice for both personal and professional use.

Google Drive Advantages and Disadvantages.

While Google Drive offers a powerful set of tools for storing and managing files, like any platform, it comes with both benefits and limitations. Understanding the pros and cons can help you decide if it's the right cloud storage solution for your personal or professional needs.

Advantages of Google Drive

• Seamless Integration – Works perfectly with other Google services like Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Meet, enhancing productivity.

• Real-Time Collaboration – Multiple users can edit, comment, and suggest changes simultaneously on Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

• Access Anywhere – Files are available from any device with an internet connection, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

• Generous Free Plan – Offers 15 GB of free cloud storage for every Google account, suitable for casual users.

Disadvantages of Google Drive

• Shared Free Storage – The 15 GB limit is shared with Gmail and Google Photos, which can fill up quickly.

• Privacy Concerns – Some users are concerned about data scanning and how their information is used within the Google ecosystem.

• Limited Advanced Features – May lack the robust file management tools or customization options needed by enterprise users.

• Speed depends on Internet – Uploading and syncing large files can be slow or inconsistent based on your connection quality.

Google Drive is a powerful, user-friendly cloud storage service with strong collaboration features and seamless integration across Google products. While it has a few limitations, its benefits make it a top choice for both individuals and teams. Whether for personal use or professional projects, Google Drive offers a reliable and accessible solution.