Buzz
Your files and folders on Google Drive are secured by the password of your Google account, meaning there’s no need to hide them. However, you can prevent others from accessing your files and folders by disabling sharing. This guide will show you how to stop sharing and 'hide' files and folders on Google Drive using both the web browser and mobile app.
Steps
Using the Mobile App
Open Google Drive. The app features a triangle icon made of red, green, blue, and yellow, and is typically found on your home screen, in the app drawer, or you can search for it using the search tool.
Tap the ⋮ button next to the folder you wish to stop sharing. Shared folders will display a group of people icon at the bottom-right of their thumbnail.
- You can also tap the Shared tag at the bottom of the screen to filter and view folders and files that are currently shared with others.
Tap
Manage people and links. This option is usually the second item in the menu if you have editing privileges for the folder (if you're not the owner, you will need editing rights to change sharing settings).
Select the users you wish to stop sharing with. If the folder is shared with multiple people, you'll need to repeat this step for each individual user.
Tap the Remove button. This is located next to the x icon. The selected user will no longer have access to your folder.
Using a Web Browser
Go to the page https://drive.google.com/. Log in if prompted. You can use any web browser to adjust sharing settings and hide folders on Google Drive.
Double-click on the folder you want to stop sharing. The folder will open in a new tab, displaying a list of all the files inside.
- You can also right-click on the folder to open a menu without opening the folder.
Click the multiple people icon located above the folder. This icon appears next to 'My Drive > FOLDERNAME >' and will open the sharing settings window.
- If you previously right-clicked, click Share to open the window.
Click the dropdown menu next to a user’s name, then click Remove. If the folder is shared with multiple people, repeat this step for each individual.
Click the Save button. This will close the sharing settings window and save the changes. Users you removed will no longer have access to the folder.
