How to Password Protect Google Drive Files

One great cloud service is Google Drive. It provides 15GB of free storage for all file types, including documents, videos, and images.

You can increase the security of your saved files by encrypting them, even if Google Drive is secure and password-protected. Although adding passwords to your Google Drive files is not a direct option, there are a few workarounds that can let you accomplish it.

How to Password Protect Google Drive Files

So, if you want to add more security to your Google Drive files, you should add a password before uploading. Here are the best ways to password protect Google Drive files.

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1. Restrict File Access on Google Drive

Since Google Drive does not officially offer the option to password-protect files, you can instead restrict access to your files. Limiting file access on Google Drive is an effective way to prevent unauthorized access. Here’s how to restrict file access on Google Drive:

1. Open your preferred web browser and navigate to the Google Drive website.

2. Right-click on the file you want to restrict access to and select Get Link.

3. In the General Access section, choose Restricted and click the Done button.

4. If you’d like to share the restricted file with a friend, simply enter their email address in the Add People and Groups field.

That’s it! This is how you can restrict file access on Google Drive. If you haven’t shared your file with anyone, only you can view the Google Drive file from the URL.

2. Password Protect Files via Google Forms

You can use Google Forms to create a password-protected form and add the Google Drive sharing link inside it. This way, the user must first unlock the Google Forms with a password to access the Google Drive file. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Click the (+ New) button on Google Drive.

2. From the list of options that appears, click on Google Forms > Blank Form.

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1. On the Google Form website, name the newly created form.

2. Next, tap on the field that says Untitled Question and add the password detail. Click on the drop-down menu next to it and select Short Answer.

3. At the bottom-right corner, enable the Required toggle. Next, click on the three dots beside it and select Response validation.

4. Now, you will find some more options in your form. To use Text as a password, click the Number drop-down and select Text.

5. Now, enter the Password in the text field. Enter the incorrect password message on the Custom error text field.

6. Next, click the Settings tab

7. Now scroll down to the Presentation and click the Edit button beside the Confirmation message.

8. On the Confirmation message field, enter the Google Drive URL and click the Save button.

9. Once done, click the Send button at the top-right corner.

10. Now switch to the link tab on the Send form and copy the Google Docs link.

That’s it! After getting the Google Docs link, you can send it to any other user. When someone opens the form, they will be asked to enter the password. Users who enter the correct password will get the Google Drive file URL.

3. Password Protect the Google Drive Files Before Uploading

You can use file compressors to create a password-protected ZIP/RAR file containing your photos, videos, docs, etc. After creating a password-protected RAR or ZIP file, you can upload it to Google Drive. This way, when someone downloads the ZIP/RAR file from your Google Drive link, they will be asked to enter the password to access the files.

1. First of all, download & install WinRAR on your Windows PC.

2. Once installed, navigate to the file which you want to password protect. Right-click on it and select Add to archive.

3. Click the Set password on the Archive name and parameters.

4. At the Enter password prompt, enter and reenter the password. Once you’ve done this, click the OK button.

5. Now, on the Archiving with a password prompt, click on the OK button.

That’s it! This is the easiest way to password protect any files on Windows 11. After password-protecting the file, you can upload it on Google Drive and generate a file link. Users who download the ZIP file will be asked to enter the password to unlock the files.

You can also use other third-party file compressors on your Windows 11 to create a password-protected RAR/ZIP file.

4. Password Protect Microsoft Office Files before Upload

If you are planning to store Microsoft Office files on your Google Drive account, you can password protect them before uploading.

We’ve provided a comprehensive guide on how to password-protect MS Office files on Windows. While we outlined the steps specifically for Excel files, the process is similar for other Microsoft Office applications.

Once your MS Office files are secured with a password, you can upload them to your Google Drive account.

You can easily protect your Google Drive files by following the steps we’ve shared. If you have any additional methods for password-protecting Google Drive files, please let us know in the comments below!