When it comes to sharing, Google Drive is a fairly easy platform to use, allowing you to share files with anyone. But that kindness also comes at a hidden cost, paving the way for spammers to target anyone by effectively sharing malicious files and abusive content. Well, Google is trying to stop all of this by introducing the Lock feature in Google Drive.
With the Lock feature, you can prevent any unknown person from trying to share files with you. Also, blocking someone will effectively delete any files shared by that person. More so, it will also revoke the person’s access to the files that they have previously shared.
We will cover how you can block and unblock someone on Google Drive on both mobile and PC in this post. Let us begin.
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How to block someone on Google Drive on PC
Blocking someone on Google Drive will delete the files that the person has shared and vice versa. This is how it works on PC.
Step 1: Open your preferred web browser and log into your Google Drive account.
Step 2: Switch to the “Shared with me” tab on your left. Here you will find all the files that have been shared with your account. Navigate to the file shared by the user that you want to block. Right click on the file and choose ‘Block [email-id]’ option from the list.
Step 3: When prompted, click Block to confirm.
Note: You cannot block other users with the same domain if you use Google Drive at work or school.
That is all. Now blocked users will no longer be able to share any files with you. Blocking someone on Google Drive will also block the person on other Google services like Gmail, Chat, Maps, etc.
How to block someone in Google Drive on a mobile device
You can also block someone from using the Google Drive app on your phone. The Google Drive app offers a similar experience on Android and iPhone. Here’s how to block someone in the Google Drive mobile app.
Step 1: Open the Google Drive app on your phone. Navigate to the Shared tab.
Step 2: Find any files shared by the person you want to block. Click on the three-dot menu icon next to it. Scroll down to tap on the ‘Block [email-id]’ option.
When you block someone, Google won’t notify them. But when they can’t share any files with you after that.
How to Unblock Someone on Google Drive on PC
If at any point you change your mind and want to share something with the person you previously blocked, you will need to unblock them first. Here’s how to unblock someone on Google Drive on PC.
Step 1: Open your browser and navigate to the Google Drive home page.
Step 2: Click on your profile photo at the top right and click on the option ‘Manage your Google account’.
Step 3: Switch to the ‘People and Sharing’ tab on your left and click on the Blocked option on your right.
Step 4: Here you will find a list of all the users you have blocked. Click the X icon next to the person’s username to unblock them.
That is all. Now the user can share files with you in the same way as before. However, unlocking the person does not recover previously shared files.
How to unblock someone in Google Drive on a mobile device
Similar to the web version, you can also unblock someone in the Google Drive app on your iPhone or Android by visiting the account management settings in the app. That’s how.
Step 1: Open the Google Drive app on your phone. Click on your profile photo in the upper right corner and tap on the ‘Manage your Google account’ option.
Step 2: On the next page, switch to the ‘People & Sharing’ tab and tap on Blocked in Contacts.
Step 3: Lastly, tap on the X icon next to the person’s username to unlock.
Whether you use Google Drive in a web browser or in the app, blocking and unblocking someone is a fairly similar and straightforward experience.
Avoid receiving spam
Introducing the Block feature is a step in the right direction from Google. While it may not fully protect you from spammers, it is one more hurdle to overcome. Also, it gives the user some control over what is shared and what is not.
How important is this feature to you? Do you want it to work slightly differently in any way? Let us know your Findings in the comments below.
