Collaborate on encrypted files in Docs, Sheets and Slides

Multiple collaborators can work on the same file at different times, but you can’t collaborate in real time on encrypted files. If there are other collaborators, their icons appear in the top right as usual.

Important: To preview or download client-side encrypted files on your mobile device, your admin must give you access.

Work with multiple collaborators

If you open a file and someone is already editing, in the top right, you will get a 'Wait to edit' notification. To talk to the original collaborator, on the bottom of the notification, click Chat with them.

If someone opens the file that you're editing, on the top right, you get a 'Someone just joined' notification. To talk to the new collaborator, at the bottom of the notification, click Chat with them.

If you get a 'Safe to edit' notification, you can edit the file.

Avoid changes that conflict

If multiple collaborators make conflicting changes, all collaborators on the file receive a notification at the top. 

• To refresh and see the latest changes, click Refresh.
• To compare your unsaved changes by opening the latest in a new tab, click Compare. 
• To remove the notification, click Dismiss. You can't continue to edit the old version.

After you click Compare, a new tab opens and you can copy over any edits from the original tab. You can continue to edit in the new tab.

Share documents with visitors

If your organisation allows, you can invite people who don't have Google Accounts to collaborate on your client-side encrypted Drive files and folders as visitors. You can stop sharing at any time or control if visitors can edit or find your file.

• Share with visitors
• Collaborate as a visitor
• Delete your visitor session

Find out what's different about encrypted files

When sharing encrypted files with visitors, you may only grant 'viewer' or 'editor' access.

As a visitor, you will verify your identity in two steps:

1. Google will send a verification code to your email inbox.
2. The organisation that owns the document will verify your identity using their own method.

Use comments and action items in Docs, Sheets and Slides

You can collaborate with others on Google Docs, Sheets and Slides to:

• Add, edit, reply, filter or delete comments.
• Assign tasks and action items.

Learn how to add, edit, reply, filter or delete comments

Take control of your comments. Learn how to:

• Add your comments to any conversation
  • Reply to a comment
  • Close or reopen a comment
• Show, hide or minimise comments to focus on what matters most
  • Assign an action item in a comment
  • Reassign an action item
  • Mark an action item as done
• Quickly find specific comments using keywords
  • Find follow-ups on a document
• Filter comments to see only what you want
• Edit or delete a comment
• Send a comment to a specific person
• Keep the conversation going even after reaching the comment limit by adding more comments

Find out what's different about encrypted files

• When Google Docs, Sheets and Slides can't verify the author of a comment, a warning message is appended at the end of the comment.
• You can't reply or close comments from Gmail because the content is encrypted. Use and follow up on action items.
• When you share encrypted files, you can only assign 'viewer' or 'editor' permissions. 'Commenter' permission is unsupported. Viewers can view comments.
• Suggestions in Google Docs aren't available.

Learn what's saved in version history

Each time that the document is autosaved, comments, emoji reactions and action items are saved. They're stored as part of versions in encrypted documents and displayed in version history.

When you restore the document to a previous version, the added comments in that version are also restored.

To find a comment in a specific version:

1. On your computer, open a doc.
2. Click File Version history See version history.
3. At the top right, click Show all comments .
4. Click a comment to get its location.
5. To search for a comment with keywords or usernames, at the top right of the Comments panel, use the 'Search all comments' field.

Suggest edits in Google Docs

You can suggest changes to a document without edits to the original text.

Learn how to:

• Suggest changes to a file
• Accept suggestions one by one
• Accept or reject all suggestions
• Let others suggest changes

Learn where you can add emoji reactions

You can add emoji reactions to:

• Comments in encrypted Docs
• Content in encrypted Docs
• Comments in encrypted Sheets
• Comments in encrypted Slides

To delete emoji reactions on comments in an encrypted document:

1. On your computer, open an encrypted document.
2. Select the comment where you want to delete emoji reactions.
3. Click Menu See emoji reaction details.
4. On the right, under 'Comment reaction details', hover over the 'people' smart chip for the emoji reaction that you want to delete.
5. Click Delete reaction .

For additional information on general emoji reactions in Workspace:

• Learn how to add more comments if you reach the comment limit.
• Learn how to use emoji reactions in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Related articles

• Get started with encrypted files in Docs, Sheets & Slides
• New articles from Enterprise (pending links)