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Switch to View-Only Mode in Google Sheets (2024 Guide)

April 1, 2024

How to Switch to View-Only Mode in Google Sheets

Switching to view-only mode in Google Sheets is a way to prevent accidental edits or changes to your data by others. Here are the steps to make a Google Sheets file view-only:

1. Open your Google Sheets file

Go to Google Sheets and open the document you want to set to view-only.

2. Share the file with specific people or get a shareable link

For specific people: Click on the Share button in the upper right corner.

google sheets view only mode

Enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the document with.

view only mode google sheets

Click on the dropdown menu next to their name and select Viewer. This will give them view-only access.

view only mode in google sheets

Click Send to share the document.

view-only mode in google sheets

For anyone with the link: Click on the Share button, then click on Change to anyone with the link.

view-only mode google sheets

In the dropdown menu where it says Editor, change it to Viewer. This will make the document view-only for anyone who has the link.

google sheets view-only mode

3. Configure advanced sharing settings

For more control over who accesses your file and how, click on the cog icon at the upper right corner of the sharing settings. 

change to view only mode in google sheets

Here, you can decide whether editors can change permissions and share the file, as well as whether viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy the spreadsheet. 

change to view only mode google sheets

We hope that this article has helped you and given you a better understanding of how to switch to view-only mode in Google Sheets. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our articles on how to use the Google Sheets proper case function and how to apply conditional formatting for dates within 7 days in Google Sheets.

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