The Drive platform is one of the largest storage sites on the web, both for the capacity it offers and for the amount of tools it makes available to its different users. One of these functions is the ability to store shared content, however, sometimes it is necessary to limit access to some shared items to maintain privacy about them. So you can proceed to hide them, either for all users or only some of them.
Index( )
- Who can see the hidden files inside a Google Drive?
- How can you hide files within Google Drive?
- Hide files manually
- To hide files from a specific user
- How to use ‘Hidden Folder for Drive’ extension to cut files on Google drive?
Who can see the hidden files inside a Google Drive?
Each folder that a user creates on Google drive is, by default, private and both it and its content are kept out of the reach of any other user. However, when the folder is shared by the folder administrator, all content is exposed to those who have been granted access.
On the other hand, when you keep content hidden in the folder you shared, it will remain the same. That is, each of the users to whom you have delegated access to your account or any folder will not have access to the hidden files in it unless you change the settings on your own.
How can you hide files within Google Drive?
Drive gives you the necessary tools so that you can hide the files you want from other users who have access to some sections of your Drive. So you can apply the corresponding settings manually for all users, or individually to limit access to content only to some users.
Hide files manually
Performing the process manually will allow you to hide files independently , without having to hide the entire folder that contains them. To do this, you must first go to your account in Google Drive and access the folder where you have the files in question. Once you find it, you will have to click on it with the right mouse button to access the options menu and select the ‘Share’ box.
By default, the Google Drive setting designates that ‘Anyone with the link can edit’ the contents of the folder or file; which will consequently give you viewing access. To change this, you must tap on the aforementioned box and select the one marked ‘No, only specific users can access’ .
Finally, you will have to touch on the ‘Done’ box, so that the configuration in your Drive folder is saved. This way, those who have access to the folder you shared will not have access to the file you hid.
To hide files from a specific user
In case you want to hide the content of a specific folder or file from a particular user, change the access settings of the same. Logging into your Drive account and selecting the ‘Share’ box with the right mouse button.
Thanks to your previous configuration, all users had access to view and edit the folder or files in question; then you will have to select the box ‘No, only specific users will be able to access’ instead. Now, in the ‘People’ box, you will have to enter the name of the users who can access the file, excluding the user from whom you want to hide the content involved in the process.
On the other hand, if you really prefer to keep hidden certain content that is shared and collaborative with other users in Drive , but exclusively from some people, you will need to designate subfolders. These will maintain the anonymity of the content shared between the users that you signal. To do this, you must go to your account in Drive and access the shared folder that you want to modify.
Within this, you will have to create a subfolder for each user with whom you want to share hidden content. Now, you must click on each folder with the right mouse button and select the ‘Share’ option. By default, Google Drive assigns access rights to the users with whom you want to share the file, so you will have to select instead the box identified as ‘No, only specific users will be able to access’ .
Before finishing the configuration, you must go to the ‘People’ section in this same window and designate each user to whom you will give access; while excluding the one you want to deny access.
How to use ‘Hidden Folder for Drive’ extension to cut files on Google drive?
The tool available in Chrome will allow you to hide files and folders on your drive, to limit the shared access that other users have. Hidden Folder for Drive offers a subtle alternative to hiding files, as after you add it to your web browser; you just have to right-click on the particular file and apply the file extension.
In this way, the Hidden Folder for Drive tool will take care of moving the file to the hidden folder . Only you will have access to the location of the file, but mobile devices are excluded, so you will have to use the Drive web platform. The advantage is that it is compatible with multiple web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari, to name a few.
