How to Give and Revoke Permission to Edit Google Docs on Mobile and Web

Google Docs is a great tool for writing long documents. You can create full-fledged documents, including pictures and other graphics like present in Microsoft Word, but you can also let other people edit your documents. Wondering how to allow editing of your Google Docs document to your friends or colleagues? See step-by-step instructions to give and revoke edit permission in Google Docs on PC, Android, iPhone, and iPad.

In this article, we’ve covered how share permissions work in Google Docs, followed by instructions for granting, changing, or removing edit permissions on mobile and desktop.

Let’s start.

How Google Docs share permissions work

There are two ways you can share your Google Docs document. First, the document can be shared with a few selected people only by adding their email id. This type is called Restricted. Second, anyone with the link to the document can view the file. Edit permissions in both cases depend on whether you set them manually, as discussed in this article.

When it comes to viewing and changing permissions, there are three types:

• Viewer: Users can only view the Google Docs document. They cannot edit the document or make comments / suggestions. Moreover, they will also not be able to share the file with more people.
• Commentator: Users can view the document and can make comments and suggestions. But they can’t edit or share the document.
• Editor: Users can edit the document, add comments, accept or reject suggestions, and even share the document with more people.

So you need to set the document sharing permission to Editor if you want other people to edit the document.

Let’s start with the PC first, followed by the mobile.

How to allow editing of Google documents on PC

Because a Google Docs document can be shared in two ways, the steps to grant or revoke edit permission are slightly different. So we covered it separately.

Method 1: Grant permission to edit Google docs for only a few selected users

Step 1: Open the Google Docs document for which you want to change permission.

2nd step: When the document opens, click the Share button at the top. You can also click File> Share on the top menu bar.

Step 3: The Sharing pop-up window opens. If this is your first time granting share permission, you need to select how you want to share the file.

If you want only a few people to access the file, make sure Restricted is selected in the Get Link section.

Step 4: Then add the email ID of the people you want to share the document with in the “Add people and groups” area.

Step 5: When you enter the email ID, a drop-down list appears. Click on it and select Editor. Finally, hit the Send button. You can change or revoke the authorization later, as described below.

Point: Click the Settings toggle button in the sharing pop-up window if you don’t want users with edit permission to change permissions or share the document.

How to revoke or modify the modification authorization for selected users

Open the Google Docs document and click the Share button at the top.

The sharing pop-up window opens. Here you can see the names of the people you shared the file with. Click the drop-down box next to people’s email ID to change the permission – select Viewer or Comment. If you don’t even want the user to view the file, click Remove. Finally, click on the Save button.

Point: Check out our in-depth guide on how to add and manage comments in Google Docs.

Method 2: Allow editing of Google documents to all users

Click the Share button at the top of your Google Docs document. If you want anyone with the link to have edit permission, click “Replace with anyone with the link” in the Get Link section.

Then click on the Viewer drop-down list and select Editor. Press the Save button. Copy the link and share it.

Note: Anyone on the Internet who can access the link can edit your document if the permission is set to Editor. Make sure you only share the link with trusted users.

How to revoke or change edit permission for all users on PC

To revoke the permission, click the Edit button under the Get Link section, which appears when you click the Share button on your document.

Click the Editor drop-down list to change the permission to viewer or commenter. If you want to share the document with only a few people, click the drop-down list next to “Anyone with the link” and select Restricted. Click the Done button to save the changes.

How to give permission to edit Google documents on Android, iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Open the Google Docs document.

2nd step: Tap the Share icon at the top. Otherwise, tap the three-dot icon and select Share & Export> Share.

Point: You will see how the file is shared at the bottom.

Step 3: By default, the permission is set to Restricted. You will therefore need to enter the email addresses with which you want to share the document. Tap the drop-down list below the email address to choose Publisher. Press the Submit button.

If you want anyone with the link to view and edit the file, click on the text written under the Who has access section at the bottom. If the file is not yet shared, you will see Not shared. Otherwise, you will see the profile pictures of the users the file is shared with.

Click Edit under “Only added people can open with this link”. Select Editor from the list if you want anyone with the link to edit the document.

How to revoke or change edit permission for Google Docs on mobile

Open the required document and tap the Share icon. Tap the box under the Who Has Access section.

To revoke edit permission for selected users, tap Editor under the email address. Select Viewer or Comment from the list.

To revoke the edit permission for everyone, tap Edit under “Anyone on the Internet with this link can edit”. Select Viewer or Comment.

Allow cautiously

As mentioned earlier, if you choose Anyone with the link can change the setting, make sure you only share the file with trusted users. Plus, only 100 people can work (view, edit, or comment on) a Google Docs document at the same time. If you want more people to work simultaneously, you must publish the file.