If you can’t edit a file, a few things could be wrong:
- The file owner didn’t give you permission to view the file.
- You're signed in to a different Google Account.
- Someone else with edit access removed your permission to edit.
Request permission to edit the file
Request access through Google
To request access, you need to be online.
If you can "View only"
- Open the file.
- Click Request edit access.
- If you want, add a note to the owner of the file.
- Click Send request.
The owner will get an email notification and can open the file to give you edit access.
If you can "Comment" or "Suggest" only
- Open the file.
- At the top right, click Share.
- Enter your email address and click Send request.
The owner will get an email notification and can open the file to give you edit access.
Contact the owner directly
If you need access right away, you can contact the owner of the file and ask them to give you access.
Sign in to a Google Account
In most cases, you need to sign in to a Google Account to edit a file. If you have more than one Google Account, you might be signed in to the wrong account.
To switch to another account:
- Open a link to the file.
- In the top right, click your account profile picture.
- Click Sign out.
- Sign in with a different Google Account and open the link to the file again.
If you still can’t edit the file, you should request access for the file.
If you still can’t edit a file
- Make sure you're using a browser that works with Google Drive and Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
- Make sure your file isn't too large to be edited.
- Clear your cache and cookies.
- Turn off browser plugins or extensions in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.
- If you aren't able to edit without an Internet connection, turn offline access off and then back on.
- If your computer is behind a firewall, have your administrator configure your firewall and server settings.
Get more help
If these options didn't help, see some answers in the Google Drive forum.