See the history of changes made to a file

If you want to see the changes you and others have made to a document, spreadsheet, presentation, or drawing, you can check the revision history. You can view and revert to earlier versions of the file and see which person made specific edits. Revision history is not available on Google Forms.

Note: You must be on a computer to see the history of changes to a file.

See revision history for a file

1. Open a document, spreadsheet, presentation, or drawing.
2. Click File  See revision history.
3. Click a timestamp in the panel on the right to see a previous version of the file. You'll also see the people who edited the file below the timestamp, and the edits that each person made are shown in the color that appears next to their name.
4. In the top right, use the arrows to scroll through the list of changes.
   • Note: Text that has been added will be highlighted in a different color. Text that has been deleted will be shown with a strikethrough.
5. To revert to the version you're currently viewing, click Restore this revision.
6. To return to the current version of your document, click the back arrow in the top left.

Reverting to a previous version of a document doesn't eliminate any versions, but it moves this previous version to the top of your revision history.

View your edits in more detail

Revisions are grouped into short time periods to make it easier for you to see the slight differences between previous document versions. If you want more information, click Show more detailed revisions in the lower right corner of the revision history panel.

See new changes in a file

If you are working on a document with other people, you can see what new changes have been added by your collaborators when you open the file.

1. Open a document.
2. If there are new changes, click the See new changes button to the right the "Help" menu. You can also click File  See new changes.
3. In the top right, use the arrows to scroll through the list of changes.
   • Note: Added text is highlighted. Deleted text has a strikethrough.
4. To copy any of the added text, select the text, right-click it, and choose Copy. To go back to the current document, click the back arrow in the top left.

To see the revision history while viewing the new changes, click See full history in the top right.

Note: At the moment, this feature is not available for spreadsheets or presentations.

Unable to see a previous version of your file?

The revisions for your file may occasionally be merged to save storage space. This can happen due to the age of the file or the large size of certain revisions.

Note: Users who have "view" or "comment" access can only see new changes in a file and not revision history.