2 Free Ways: Encrypt and Password Protect Google Sheets/Documents

Is it possible to encrypt a Google Doc or Sheet? Google has yet to provide any password protection features for its Google Docs or Sheets users. However, there are third-party scripts and solutions that can be used to encrypt your Google Sheets or documents before uploading them.

1: How to Password Protect Google Docs/Sheets

Google probably won't let you password protect your files as easily as Word or Adobe, but you can password protect your Google Docs/Sheets using many third-party scripts and built-in features, such as using Skipser. Here's how to password-encrypt a Google Doc or Sheet with Skipser:

Step 1. Visit http://skipser.com/ on your web browser.

Step 2. Download the ProtectedSheet template and start entering your data on its third line.

Step 3. Navigate to Tools > Select the script editor that will open in a new window.

Step 4: Open the drop-down menu next to Deployments and click on the Manage Deployments option.

Step 5. Click Create Deployment under the Configuration section and then click the Deploy button.

Step 6. Authorize your access. Your Google Sheets/Documents are password protected. All you have to do now is to encrypt Google Sheets/Docs to protect your files. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the sheet template again.

Step 2. On the top menu, click to open the "Protect Files" option.

Step 3. A drop-down menu will appear on your screen and select the option to encrypt files.

Step 4. Another pop-up window will appear on your screen; enter a password to protect your file and click OK. Also, you now have to enter the same password every time you open Google Sheets.

How to decrypt Google Docs/Sheets

Step 1. Open the protected Google Docs/Sheets.

Step 2. From the top navigation menu, click the Protect files option.

Step 3. Select Decrypt files.

Step 4. Enter your password in the pop-up window.

Step 5. You can now view and edit your file.

2: How to encrypt Google Docs/Sheets before uploading

If you're a Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat user, you get the software's built-in encryption. You can quickly password protect your files and easily upload them to your Google Drive.

Using Microsoft Word, you can encrypt Google Sheets/Documents as follows:

Step 1. Open the document you want to password protect > Go to File menu > Info tab > select Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.

Step 2. Enter a password to protect your files and reconfirm.

For Adobe Acrobat, password-protecting PDF files before uploading to Google Drive is also simple. The steps to encrypt a file with Acrobat are:

Step 1. Open the PDF file > choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Encrypt with Password.

Step 2. Click Yes and then type a password to protect your files.

Step 3. From the drop-down menu, select a compatible Acrobat version.

Step 4. Enter the password of your choice again and you are done.