Can You Edit a Google Doc Without a Google Account

Sharing and simultaneous collaboration are huge benefits to using Google bulldoze—but what if you lot have to share a Google Doc file (such as a word-processing document) with a user who doesn't really have a Google account?

If you've simply been using Google Drive for storage purposes, you're missing out. A fantastic feature of Google Drive is the power to create and work with Google Docs within Bulldoze. Working with Google Docs lets you create word-processing documents, spreadsheets, drawings, presentations and forms online, and piece of work on them simultaneously with other Google business relationship holders.

In fact, Google Drive and Google Docs used to be two split Google products. But they're now combined into one product called Google Drive.

When you access Google Drive, yous also gain the power to create these files and store them directly in your Drive.

One time yous've created a file in Google Docs—say a spreadsheet or a give-and-take-processing document—it's a mutual scenario to share it with another Google Account user. And if the user doesn't have a Google Account, all is not lost.

There are three ways to handle the situation:

i. Email the file to the user equally an attachment

With your Google document open up in Google Bulldoze, click File, and cull 'Email as attachment'.

Yous'll exist brought to a dialog screen where you lot cull a file format and type in the recipient's e-mail address. Your file volition be sent via e-mail as an attachment in the format yous cull. You can choose to send the file as HTML, PDF, Rich Text, or Microsoft Give-and-take.

The benefit of this method is that it'southward fast and easy to become your content to the people who need to see it. The downside is that information technology ways at that place are two distinct versions of your document floating effectually—and you cannot collaborate with the recipient online.

2. Allow anyone with a link to edit your document

Hither'south a vastly underutilized feature of Google Docs: people don't actually need a Google account to view a file created with Google Docs—or fifty-fifty to edit information technology.

It's all about setting the visibility options of your document. Y'all can set the visibility then that anyone who has a straight link can either view or edit your document.

To alter the settings, open your certificate and click Share on the top right. Under the section titled "Specific people tin can access," click Alter.

In the Sharing Settings dialog, choose 'Anyone' with the link. So at the bottom of the dialog, under access, click 'Can view' and, if necessary, change information technology to 'Tin edit'. Make sure you click the greenish 'Relieve' push when you're done.

You lot're almost done! Clicking the 'Save' button volition render you to the Share dialog where yous can send the link to people who demand to edit your Google doc. These people exercise not demand to sign in to be able to edit your document.

When you look at the revision history for your document, people who have edited it without signing in are titled anonymous; they tin can choose an avatar to differentiate themselves if multiple anonymous users are working on the document at the aforementioned fourth dimension.

The benefit of this method is that people who do non have a Google business relationship can edit the certificate without having to log in.

The downside (and cautionary statement!) is that if this link gets into the incorrect hands, your document can be viewed AND edited without a username to be held accountable for the changes. If you've sent the link to multiple people, you lot also tin't be certain which user made which change.

However, at whatsoever time, yous can go dorsum into the sharing settings and revoke access by choosing specific people in the sharing settings dialog.

three. Ask the user to create a Google Business relationship.

If the user doesn't already take a Google user business relationship, you can ask them to create ane. In that location are all sorts of benefits in information technology for them: they'll go admission to the entire library of Google products such as Google Sites, YouTube video uploads, a complimentary Gmail account, and Google Calendar, to name a few.

And of course, they'll be able to access your document, edit and interact, and still be held accountable for the changes they make in the revision history. It's the platonic state of affairs for security, equally you can specifically share the document with them—without having to share it with everyone.

You'll discover I didn't say they had to create a Gmail business relationship—just a Google account. A common misconception is that those are one and the aforementioned, but Gmail is only another of Google'due south many products. You can sign up for a Google business relationship using whatever email accost you have. It becomes a unified login across all of Google'due south products, such every bit Google Drive, YouTube, Sites, etc. Y'all can utilise a Gmail or your company'southward existing Google Apps account to act equally a unified login beyond Google, only it'south not required.

Equally you can run across, there are plenty of options when you need to share a Google document with a non-Google business relationship holder. But the benefits of having a Google account are vast and worth checking out.

Looking to become more productive with Google products? Check out these LinkedIn Learning courses:

• Tech Tips Simplified: Everyday Tech Questions

• Assist Yourself: Tech Tips Weekly

• Google Drive Essential Grooming

• Gmail Advanced Tips and Tricks

• Google Docs Essential Grooming

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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/business/learning/blog/productivity-tips/share-a-google-doc-with-a-non-google-user#:~:text=2.,or%20even%20to%20edit%20it.&text=You%20can%20set%20the%20visibility,view%20or%20edit%20your%20document.

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