Get started with encrypted files in Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides

• Your domain administrator has control over which groups and individuals can use encryption. If you would like to move files to locations with encryption turned off or to turn on this feature for new locations, contact your administrator.
• Your administrator also has the option to recommend that new files in Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides are created using Client-side Encryption via in-app prompts. Please consult with your admin as needed to ensure that expectations for your organization are understood.
• Client-side Encryption provides an extra layer of protection for your organization. Your files are encrypted from end-to-end and between clients. Google cannot decrypt your files. Keep in mind:
  • Applications on your computer with sufficient permissions granted, such as Chrome extensions, may be able to view and exfiltrate encrypted files.
  • Encryption does not protect your files from someone who can view your screen.
• How often you’re required to resign in to open client-side encrypted files, is up to your admin. If you have to sign in often, contact your admin.

• A lock appears next to an encrypted file.
• Only one person can edit an encrypted file at a time. Learn how to collaborate on encrypted files.
• In encrypted files, autosave starts every 30 seconds, unless your device is idle or you perform another action, like share a file or attempt to exit a file.
  • If you attempt to exit an unsaved file, you get a warning. To avoid the loss of your unsaved changes, click Cancel.
• Autosave has 3 statuses:
  • Waiting to save: Waits for an autosave trigger or the 30-second timer.
  • Saving: A save is in progress. You can continue to edit your file.
  • Saved to Drive: You haven’t made any changes. Your version is current.
• There are different steps to create encrypted files. Learn how to make or copy encrypted files.
• In order to access encrypted files, your admin may require you to sign into an additional SSO service twice, once for your organization's IDP and once with Google for Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• You can print from Docs or Sheets, but not from Slides.
• Spellcheck for encrypted Docs and Slides is available in American English, British English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
• Spellcheck isn't available in Sheets.
• You can export a Sheets file into an Excel file. Go to File Download.
• Version History for encrypted files retains up to 100 versions. After you exceed 100 versions, less significant versions are removed automatically. Named versions aren't yet available.
• Encrypted Docs, Sheets, and Slides have a maximum size of 100 MB. Encrypted Drive files have no limit.
• The maximum number of images in a document is 3,000.
• A single image size is 1 MB.
• Downloading a folder doesn't affect client-side encrypted files.

With encrypted files, you can’t:

• Open Microsoft Office in Edit mode for Docs or Slides
• Comment on Drive files
• Use the mobile app to edit Docs, Sheets, or Slides
• Use functions in Sheets that make external calls
• Import Microsoft Office files into Docs or Slides
• Use certain tools, which includes:
  • Grammar check
  • Translate and compare documents
  • Voice typing
  • Add-ons
• Download Docs or Slides
• Use file preview for Docs, Sheets, or Slides

To create an encrypted document, spreadsheet, or presentation, choose an option:

From Google Drive:

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. At the top left, click New .
3. Point to the arrow next to Docs, Sheets, or Slides click Blank encrypted document/spreadsheet/presentation.
4. In the “New encrypted document” window, click Create.

From Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides:

1. Open a Google Docs, Sheet, or Slide.
2. At the top, click File.
3. Point to New click New encrypted document/spreadsheet/presentation.
4. In the “New encrypted document” window, click Create.

Tips:

• If your admin enables CSE by Default, "New/Blank encrypted document/spreadsheet/presentation" appears as the recommended option under File New menu.
• If you create an encrypted file in a Shared folder, the encrypted file has the same access as the folder.
• If the options for Blank encrypted document/spreadsheet/presentation or New encrypted document/spreadsheet/presentation aren't available:
  • Confirm you’re logged into your work or school account.
  • Check if your admin has enabled client-side encryption.
  • Ensure you verify your identity. Learn more about encryption with your identity provider.

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. At the top left, click New .
3. Point to the arrow next to File upload click Encrypt and upload file.

Tips:

• If your admin enables CSE by Default, "Encrypt and upload" appears as the recommended option in the New+ menu.
• If you upload an encrypted file in a Shared folder, the encrypted file has the same access as the folder.
• If the option for Encrypt and upload file isn't available:
  • Confirm you’re logged into your Workspace account.
  • Check if your admin has enabled client-side encryption.
  • Ensure you verify your identity. Learn more about encryption with your identity provider.

From Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides:

1. Open an encrypted Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file.
2. At the top left, click File Make a copy.

From Google Drive:

1. Right-click on the encrypted file.
2. If the encrypted file is:
   • A Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file: Select Make a copy.
   • Not a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file: Select Make a copy Make a copy.

Tip: If you want to make a copy without additional encryption, remove additional encryption from a document.

From Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides:

1. Open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file.
2. At the top, click File Make a copy.
   • If it’s a Google Slides file, click Entire presentation.
3. Select Add additional encryption.

From Google Drive:

Important: You can’t add additional encryption for Google Workspace editor files.

1. Right-click on the file.
2. Select Make a copy Make an encrypted copy.

Tip:

• If you can’t find the “Add additional encryption” checkbox in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, or the “Make an encrypted copy” menu item in Drive:
  • Confirm you're logged into your work or school account.
  • Check if your admin allows client-side encryption.
  • Confirm that you are the owner of the document in My Drive or the Manager of the shared drive.
  • Verify your identity. Learn how to connect with your identity provider.

Important: Features that additional encryption doesn't support are made static or removed.

• Features made static:
  • Checklists
  • Embedded drawings, charts, and tables
  • Linked forms
  • External data functions like GOOGLEFINANCE
  • Connected Sheets
  • WordArt
• Features removed from the document:
  • E-signature fields
  • Comments and suggestions
  • Protected ranges
  • Apps Script and Add-ons

• In Drive, double-click an encrypted Excel file.
• The spreadsheet opens in a new tab.
• You can now edit, share, find version history, and more. All changes you make are saved to the original encrypted Excel file.

Tips:

• You can only open encrypted Excel files with the .xlsx extension.
• File size can be up to 100 MB.
• Image memory limit can be up to 90 MB.
• You can have a maximum of up to:
  • 10 million cells
  • 3000 images

You can import data from an Excel file to an available encrypted Sheets file. Your Excel file won’t be changed, even as you change the encrypted Sheets file.

1. In Sheets, create a new or open an available encrypted Excel file.
2. At the top left, click File Import.
3. Choose the Excel file.
4. Click Select.
5. Choose an import option:
   • Create new spreadsheet
   • Insert new sheet(s)
6. Click Import data.

Tips:

• You can only import Excel files with the .xlsx extension.
• While you import, unsupported Excel features in Sheets are ignored.
• Maximum file size: 100MB
• Maximum number of cells: 10M
• Maximum number of images: 3000

Instead of importing data, you can convert an encrypted Excel file to Sheets while you continue to work on it. The encrypted file won’t change.

1. In Drive, double-click an encrypted Excel file.
   • The spreadsheet opens in a new tab.
2. Click File Save as Google Sheets.

You can find the encrypted Excel file and the new encrypted Sheets in Drive. You can keep or delete the Excel file. If you keep the Excel file, to avoid confusion, rename it to {ARCHIVE}...xlsx.

You can download a copy of an encrypted Sheets file in Excel format.

1. In Sheets, at the top left, click File Download and decrypt.
2. Click Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).