Given the growing reliance on smartphones and PCs, it’s natural to worry about your privacy. These personal devices contain personal data that you would rather keep out of the reach of prying eyes.
Luckily, Chromebooks have a pretty easy way to hide your personal files in case you have to hand over your laptop to a guest user.
Hide files and folders on your Chromebook
Before looking at the method of hiding files, it’s worth noting that you can create new user accounts for your guests . This feature ensures that the guest user gets a whole new user space on your Chromebook, guaranteeing your privacy.
If you are not comfortable with the idea of creating new user accounts, you can manually hide your files and folders using the following method:
- Open the Filesapp and navigate to the file or folder you want to hide.
- Click More( three dots ) in the upper right corner of the screen.
- From the drop-down menu, click Show Hidden Files. After clicking, a check mark should appear next to it.
- Now right click on the file you want to hide and click Rename.
- At the beginning of the file name, enter a period( . ) And press Enter to confirm the change.
- Now go back to More> Show Hidden Files and uncheck the box by clicking on it.
alt=”Hide files and folders by unchecking the box next to the display of hidden files” v:shapes=”_x0000_i1029″>
Congratulations! Your files or folders are now hidden.
Note . Be sure to complete the third step before renaming the file. Otherwise, you will receive an error and the process will not work.
RELATED: Here’s how to right-click on a Chromebook
View hidden files and folders
To view hidden data, just click Show Hidden Files again to enable it. Now your files and folders with periods at the beginning of their names will reappear. To display a file, simply rename it and remove the period ( . ) From the beginning.
Protect your privacy on Chromebook
The above method is quite homemade in nature, but it is effective nonetheless. This way, you can allow a guest to use your Chromebook without worrying about revealing your personal information.
Got yourself a new Chromebook? The new operating system may seem a little different and difficult to adapt to. Luckily, with a detailed guide and a few tips, you’ll be able to get the most out of your new Chromebook.
