FAQs
If you see someone you don't know
Someone you don't know might be looking at your file because: The file is shared with a mailing list. The file is shared with someone who doesn't have a Google Account or isn't signed in. Someone who can edit your file or has the link shared it with other people.
How do I remove anonymous people on Google Docs? ›
How to get rid of anonymous on Google Docs? To remove anonymous access from a Google Doc, open the document, click the “Share” button, change the sharing settings to “Restricted” or specify specific users, and click “Done.”
What is anonymous turtle on Google Docs? ›
People you didn't invite individually will be shown as anonymous animals when they're in the file. People you invite individually will be shown by name when they're in the file.
Why are there random people on my Google Docs? ›
You might see a name that you don't recognise or 'anonymous animals' viewing your document, spreadsheet or presentation. This can happen when a document is shared publicly or with anyone who has the link.
How can I be anonymous on Google? ›
New Incognito Window.
You can also use a keyboard shortcut to open an Incognito window: Windows, Linux, or Chrome OS: Press Ctrl + Shift + n.
How to make an anonymous Google form? ›
Head to the settings menu at the top of the Google Form. This will open up a menu of sharing settings. To make your form anonymous, uncheck the box next to “collect all email addresses.” While you're there, go ahead and uncheck the box next to “limit to 1 response” as well.
How do I turn off anonymous mode on Google? ›
To exit Incognito mode, close all Incognito tabs.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open Chrome .
- At the top right, tap Switch tabs. . On the right, you'll find your open Incognito tabs.
- At the top right of your Incognito tabs, tap Close .
At the top of the form, click "Settings". Next to "Responses", click the Down arrow . Set "Collect email addresses" to "Do not collect". Disable "Allow response editing".
How do I see anonymous editors in Google Docs? ›
Welcome to the Google Docs Editors help community. They only way to know who a user is, is to share the file with the user by adding their email address to the file so that they must be logged in. If you share the file with Anyone with the link, then they will always be anonymous.
What does anonymous leopard mean in Google Docs? ›
That means if you share a document via a “sharable link” rather than specifically typing in someone's email address to invite them, the viewer will show up as an anonymous animal—even if you have their contact information.
Instead of only using different colors for each person, Google Drive associates each person with an animal, so you'll see things like "anonymous anteater", "anonymous moose", "anonymous chupacabra", "anonymous axolotl", "anonymous kraken", "anonymous gopher", "anonymous jackalope".
How many anonymous animals are there in Google Docs? ›
These represent people whom you did not send an invitation to view the document. Instead of their name and email, they'll each be assigned 1 of the 83 anonymous animals instead. Now that you know how these anonymous animals popped into your document, here's our collection of the most curious critters.
How do I remove anonymous in Google Docs? ›
By configuring your Google Docs document to allow anonymous editing, you can hide your identity while you make changes. If you're the document creator, however, you may not want to allow this. To stop it, change your share settings to restrict the users who can edit a document.
Why are random people sharing files with me on Google Drive? ›
Anyone with your email address can "share" a file with you, and a ton of spammers already have your email address. Previously, Drive assumed that all shared files were legitimate and wanted, with the only "control" being "security by obscurity" and hoping no one else knew your email address.
How can you tell if someone has accessed your Google Doc? ›
See Who Viewed a Google Doc
- Select the Activity dashboard icon (jagged arrow) on the top right or Tools > Activity dashboard from the menu.
- Confirm that Viewers is selected on the left side.
- Use the All viewers tab on the right to see who has viewed the document. You'll see their name and when they last viewed it.
You can only see other people's names when you give them individual permission to view a file or if they are part of a mailing list. If you restrict link sharing, you still might see multiple anonymous animals: When someone opens the file multiple times. It may take some time for people no longer viewing to disappear.
What is anonymous Rhino on Google Docs? ›
That means if you share a document via a “sharable link” rather than specifically typing in someone's email address to invite them, the viewer will show up as an anonymous animal—even if you have their contact information.
What does "anonymous dingo" mean? ›
But documents shared by the link with anonymous users accessing the document will appear as Anonymous [random animal], indicating to others that the file is currently being accessed by some anonymous person. If you are the owner of the file, you can disable Link Sharing by clicking 'Share' with the document open.
