Google Docs is the most used Google App, which is used as the best alternative for Microsoft Word software. With Google Docs, you can create and edit the contents you want over your Google Account cloud storage. You can also share your work with others easily, with a single person or a group. Since you are sharing important documents, you need to make sure they are well protected. You can password protect Google Docs and share them with trusted sources and avoid leaking information. If you want to password protect your Google Documents, follow this article to learn How to Password Protect Google Docs?
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Can I Password Protect Google Docs?
No, Google Docs currently does not have any features which help you to Password Protect your work. But you can indirectly set a Password for your Google Docs by using third-party software. You can also Password Protect Google Docs with the help of add-ons available.
How to Make Google Docs Password Protected?
You can use Google Docs with your Google Account credentials. There are certain ways you can use to protect your Google docs file. Make sure that you have a strong password for your Google Account. Have the two-step verification process completed for your Google Account. To make others not access your PC and to protect your personal information, use a very secure and unpredictable PIN.
You can encrypt the Google docs file with a password and share it with your colleague. Since you cannot encrypt your Google docs directly, you need to try other methods to set passwords for the file you want to share. Follow the procedures given here and set a password for your Google Docs file.
How to Password Protect Google Docs using Add-ons?
Google docs have a log of add-ons that can be used to get the features you want. Some add-ons can be used to Password Protect your Google Docs file easily. The add-on that we will be discussing here will be “Password Protect with Google Documents.” This add-on will take your Google Docs file, encrypt it with a password and convert it into a PDF document. You can share this with anyone you want, but the ones with the Password can only access its content. The simple procedure to Password Protect Google Docs using an Add-on is as follows,
NOTE: Convert your Google Docs file to PDF format before encrypting.
- Open Google Docs on your PC.
- Go to the Extensions option and select the Add-ons option.
- Select the Get Add-ons option to open Google Workspace Marketplace.
- In the search tab, type Password, and from the results, select the Password Protect with Google Documents add-on.
- From the add-on information page, select Install to get the add-on.
- Now you can add files from your Google Drive or Docs to the add-on.
- Give a strong Password and select a target folder to get the encrypted File.
- Tap on Create Password Protected Document and wait for the process to end.
You can share this Google Document with the person you want, along with the password. With the password, the other user can decrypt the file and access its contents. This add-on can be used on Google documents, spreadsheets, slides, presentations, and drawings. You may also like to read about How to Change your YouTube TV Password?
How to Password Protect Google Docs using Microsoft Word?
You can easily protect your Google Docs file with a password by using the Microsoft Word software on your Windows PC. Get the Google Docs file on Microsoft Word and encrypt it with a password and add it back to Google docs. If you have no experience in encrypting your Microsoft Word file, follow the simple procedures given here.
- On your Windows PC browser, sign in to your Googel Account and open Google Docs.
- Now select File and go to the Download option and choose Microsoft Word (.docx) option.
- Click on the downloaded file from the Downloads section of your Browser.
- The downloaded Google Docs file will open on Microsoft Word by default.
- Now on Microsoft Word, select the File option and select Info.
- Tap on Protect Document option and choose Encrypt with Password option.
- Enter the password you want to set for your Google Docs file here and press OK.
- You have to Save the file and Upload it back to your Googel Account Drive.
NOTE: Once you have uploaded the Microsoft Word (.docx) file to your Google Docs account, it is impossible to make any changes. To make changes, you need to download it again, use the password and open it on Microsoft Word and then make changes to it. Without the password, it is impossible to make changes, so don’t forget the password.
The Google Docs file is now password protected file, and it is impossible to decrypt without the password. You may also like to read about How to Retrieve the Nabi Tablet Temporary Password?
How to Convert .docx to .pdf?
All the Google Docs files will be saved in the .docx format. If you want to make password protected document, you need to have the file in the .pdf format. You can easily convert the .docx file to .pdf format in Google Docs. The procedure to do so is as follows,
- Open the Google Docs file you want to convert to PDF.
- Now select the File option and select Download.
- From the pop-up on the side, choose PDF Document (.pdf) option.
The Google Docs file will be downloaded in PDF format on your PC. You can upload the PDF document again to your Google Drive and have access to it.
THE END
With the help of this article, you can password protect your Google Docs easily. Make sure to use at least 8-14 characters with numbers and special characters in the password to make it difficult to predict and hack. Convert .docx to .pdf format before encrypting the file, which makes it impossible to edit the contents provided.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I Password Protect Google Sheets?
Yes, you can use the Password Protect with Google Documents add-on to give the password to the Google Sheets document that you share with others.
How to Encrypt Sensitive Information on Google Docs?
You can use the DocSecrets add-on from Google Workspace Marketplace and use it to encrypt sensitive information. Colors will block the information you want to hide. Password is needed to reveal sensitive information.