How do I see who's viewing my files? (2024)

With viewer info, you can see if someone is currently looking at a file. Depending on the Dropbox plan you have, you may also be able to see when someone last viewed a file.

Note:The information in this article about viewer info may differ for web-based files, like Google Docs/Sheets/Slides, Paper docs, or Microsoft Office Online files.

Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox helps you effortlessly share files and folders.

How to check if someone is viewing your file

When someone is viewing a shared file, their avatar appears in color on the preview of the file on dropbox.com. If you hover over their avatar, it says:Currently Viewing.

If someone hasCan vieworCan editpermissions on a file, and they aren't currently viewing the file, their avatar appears in gray next to theSharebutton. If you share with a team member through ashared link,their avatar doesn't appear until they view the file.

How to check when someone last viewed your file

Customers on these plans can see when someone last viewed a file:

Dropbox Advanced
Dropbox Enterprise
Dropbox Education
Dropbox Professional
Dropbox Essentials
Dropbox Business
Dropbox Business Plus

Hover over a gray avatar on the preview of a file on dropbox.com to see when they lastViewedthe file.

You can also see thefull historyof when people viewed files.

How do I see who's viewing my files? (1)

How to invite someone to join your team from the viewer info of a file

Viewer info shows whether a person who has viewed a file is a member of a Dropbox team account or not. You can invite people to join your team directly from a file that you're viewing.

How to disable viewer info for specific files or folders

Viewer info should be enabled by default for your account. If it isn't, enable viewer info.

When viewer info is enabled, viewer info is automatically enabled for all files you own. If you don't want to see viewer info, you can disable it on specific files or folders.

To disable viewer info for a shared file or folder:

Log in to dropbox.com.
Hover over the name of the file and click Share.
Clickthe gear icon in the bottom right.
Select the File settings tab.
Next toViewer info,click to toggle Off.
ClickSave.

Notes:

Only the owner of a shared folder can disable viewer info for the entire folder. Anyone who can manage access toa folder can disable viewer info on shared files inside a shared folder.You can alsodisable viewer info for your entire account.
If viewer info is enabled and you’re viewing a file, you can’t hide your viewer info from the owner of a file. People who view your content also can’t disable viewer info on your shared file or folder.
- For example: A team has viewer info turned off. A team member is invited to a shared folder owned by someone not on the team who has viewer info enabled. Viewer info for that team member is shown on that shared folder.

How do I disable viewer info for my whole account?

If you don’t want viewer info to be displayed for anyone, including yourself, you can disable it on your content:

To disable viewer info for your Dropbox team account

Log in to dropbox.com.
Click Admin console.
Click Settings.
Click Viewer info.
Change the dropdown to Off by default or Off completely.
- Off by default: Team members can turn viewer info on for files or folders they own.
- Off completely: Team members can't turn viewer info on for files or folders they own.
Save changes.

Note: This setting doesn’t apply to Send and tracklinks.

To disable viewer info for your Dropbox team member account

If you’re a Dropbox team member, your admin chooses the default for your team.

On by defaultorOff by default:You can change the viewer info setting for specific files and folders that you own.
Off completely:You can't turn viewer info on for any files or folders you own.

To disable viewer info for your personal account

Log into dropbox.com.
Click your avatar (profile picture or face icon).
ClickSettings.
Toggle See info about people who view my files to Off.

Note:If you chooseOff, you can turn viewer info on for specific files or folders you own.

FAQs about privacy and access

Whose information is and isn't shown?

You can see viewer info about members of your team or people withCan editorCan viewpermission.

When someone accesses a shared link and isn’t a team member or wasn’t specifically invited to the file, they appear as a Guest viewing the file. You can't see the name or email address of a Guest on a file. Guests can’t see viewer info.

Who can access my files?

Only you, or people you invite to edit a file, can invite others to your shared files.

Learn how to change permissions for yourshared foldersandshared links.

Note:If someone downloads a shared link without viewing it on dropbox.com, they won't show in viewer info.

How do I enable viewer info for my whole account?

Viewer info may be enabled by default for your account.

If viewer info isn’t displayed on content you own, you can enable it for all files you own.

To enable viewer info for your Dropbox team:

Log into dropbox.com using your admin credentials.
ClickAdmin console.
ClickSettings.
ClickViewer info.
Change the dropdown toOn by default.
Save changes.

Note:If you’re a Dropbox team member and your admin disabled viewer info,contact your adminto enable this feature.

To enable viewer info for your personal account:

Log into dropbox.com.
Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
ClickSettings.
ToggleViewer infoonall files I owntoOn.

How do I enable viewer info for specific files or folders?

If viewer info is disabled for your account, you can enable viewer info for specific files or folders:

To enable viewer info for a shared file or folder:

Log into dropbox.com.
Hover over the name of the file and click Share.
Click the gear icon.
Next toViewer info, click to toggleOn.
ClickSave.

Which platforms support viewer info?

When viewing a preview of a file on dropbox.com, you can see when someone is currently viewing a shared file using dropbox.com. If someone uses theDropbox badgewith a Microsoft Office file, you can see when they're currently viewing the file.

Note:This doesn't apply to Paper docs or showcases.

Which platforms support viewer history?

If you have access toviewer historyon dropbox.com, you can see when someone used the following to view a file:

dropbox.com
- Note:This doesn't apply to Paper docs or showcases
The Dropbox mobile apps
The Dropbox desktop app

For people using Windows, you can see when people viewed files in most applications.

If you're using macOS 10.9 or later, you can see when someone viewed a file using:

Adobe Acrobat Pro
Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 & 2016
Microsoft PowerPoint 2011 & 2016
Microsoft Word 2011 & 2016
Microsoft Excel 2011 & 2016
iWork Keynote, Numbers, Pages
Preview
TextEdit

Note:If someone is viewing your file using macOS 10.14 (Mojave) they may need to enableadditional settingsfirst.

How did someone get access to a file?

Shared folder members whoCan editthe folder can invite people to the folder. ClickShareandWho can accesson a file or folder to see what permissions (Can editorCan view) someone has.

If you’re the owner of a shared folder, you can restrict who can invite people to the folder.

Learn how to restrict files and folders permissions.

If you see aGueston your file, that guest accessed the file through a shared link. AGuestmay be someone who can access a file, but is viewing a shared link when they’re not logged in.

Why don't I see a person I gave access to?

If more than four people viewed a file, you see an icon with a number on it on the preview of the file on dropbox.com. This icon shows how many people viewed the file. Click this icon to see everyone who accessed the file.

If you don’t see the person you’re looking for, they might not have viewed the file yet, or viewed the file when they weren’t logged in. If they’re not logged in, they’re shown as a Guest when they view the file.

How do I remove someone from my file?

To remove someone who has can view or can edit access, remove them from the shared file or folder.

If you shared a file with someone through a shared link, you need to delete the link to remove their access.

How do I see who's viewing my files? (2024)

FAQs

How can I see who has checked out my files? ›

A quick way to see who has a file checked out is to hover the mouse pointer over the file name to see who has the file checked out. You can also show the Checked Out By column in the default view of the library. This way, everyone can easily see who has a document checked out.

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How can I see who viewed my docs? ›

Viewing who has seen your Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides and when they have viewed them is easy with the Activity Dashboard feature. This feature also shows the trend of views and comments, as well as a sharing history. -Select the Tools menu > Activity Dashboard.

Discover More Details ›

How do you see what files are being accessed? ›

An Easy Way To Check If Your Files Have Been Accessed By Someone Else

Click Start -> Administrative Tools -> Windows Security.
Expand Local Policy -> Audit Policy -> Audit File System.
Enable auditing with both a successful and unsuccessful file access.

Mar 16, 2022

Can you see who is viewing a PDF? ›

Whether you're using the Send Files section or Data Rooms section, Digify's tracking features can let you know who viewed your files as well as the location and duration of views. You can also know how many times your files have been viewed, printed, or downloaded.

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How can I see what users are using a file? ›

Identify which handle or DLL is using a file

Open Process Explorer. Running as administrator.
Enter the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F. ...
A search dialog box will open.
Type in the name of the locked file or other file of interest. ...
Click the button “Search”.
A list will be generated.

May 2, 2024

Find Out More ›

How do I see who has viewed a Word document? ›

How to see who last opened a Word document:

Open OneDrive and find your Word document.
Hover over the three vertical dots to see who last viewed the document.
Alternatively, click the three vertical dots.
Then select 'Details' at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Click 'views' below the document preview.

Jan 25, 2023

Tell Me More ›

How can I see who has access to my Google file? ›

Important:

On your computer, find the file or folder in Google Drive.
To find out If a file or folder is shared: Right click the file or folder. On the right side of file, click More. . ...
A panel opens and shows who owns and has access to the file.
If you have permission to make changes, click Manage access.

Show Me More ›

Can I see who viewed my Google Drive folder? ›

The Activity Dashboard in Google Drive offers more than just a simple list of viewers for your files. In addition to the list of viewers, the Activity Dashboard includes several features that can help you keep track of how your files are being shared and accessed. These features include: Viewers (Shared with)

Explore More ›

Can I see who downloaded my Google Docs? ›

Way 1: Use Google Admin

Step 1: Go to Google Admin on the web. Step 2: Under Reporting/audit and investigation / Drive Log Events. Step 3: Use the Filter with Title and enter your shared file name. Then a list of all downloads timestamps will show up.

Who can see my documents in Google Docs? ›

You decide what content is shared & with whom

The content you save on Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Vids is private to you, from others, unless you choose to share it.

Show Me More ›

How do you check who has access to a folder? ›

Step 2 – Right-click the folder or file and click “Properties” in the context menu. Step 3 – Switch to “Security” tab and click “Advanced”. Step 4 – In the “Permissions” tab, you can see the permissions held by users over a particular file or folder.

Read The Full Story ›

How do I check file access permissions? ›

Right click on the file and go to Properties. Choose the Security Tab at the top to view current permissions. To edit permissions for certain users, select Edit.

See Details ›

How to check who has a file open? ›

You can find the Winfile file in the %systemroot%system32 directory. Browse to the file you want (even across a network share). Press Alt+Enter to view the file's properties. Click Open by to determine who has the file open.

Get More Info Here ›

Can you see who has viewed an Excel file? ›

You can lock Excel so that no one tampers with your formulae or data. In a Windows environment, you can select file details to see when it was last modified or access. But not who. Sorry.

How can I see who has viewed my Word document? ›

How to see who last opened a Word document:

Open OneDrive and find your Word document.
Hover over the three vertical dots to see who last viewed the document.
Alternatively, click the three vertical dots.
Then select 'Details' at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Click 'views' below the document preview.

Jan 25, 2023

Can you see who accessed a file on a shared Drive? ›

You might see file changes from View activity & file versions However, you cannot know who accessed a file, if the file was accessed via a public link, rather than by logging into a Google account. If you are using a personal (free) account, you won't be able to see how often someone has opened or viewed your document.

View Details ›

Can I see who viewed my PDF on Google Drive? ›

When you share your Google Doc with others, you may want to keep track of who's seen it. The Activity dashboard can show you who has viewed your document, when they viewed it, and more.